und the other Azores. s 257 - 
“Having reached a field between three and four miles 
N. West from the city, we discovered the entrance to the 
cavern. It isa fissure in the rocks, which here rise only a 
few feet from the surface, and is about wide enough to ad- 
mit two persons abreast. The bottom, when viewed from _ 
the entrance, for some yards formed a gently inclined plane 3 
but as we proceeded the rocks spread out on both sides, © 
and we soon found ourselves in a spacious apartment, the 
floor of which was heaped with huge fragments of lava that — 
had fallen from above, and over which our progress was, for 
some distance difficult and rather dangerous. At the dis-~ 
tance of ten or twelve yards from the entrance, we came. 
suddenly upon the edge of a precipice, beyond which it | 
seemed impossible to proceed. Creeping, however, with 
caution along the edge, we presently came to a point where 
_an accumulation of fragments afforded a natural, but dan- 
gerous passage, and, by leaping from rock to rock, we at 
length reached the bottom. 
* The heighth of the precipice was probably not’ less 
than thirty feet; and as the torches, with which we were 
armed, served to illuminate the cavern but feebly, we di- 
rected our guide to kindle a fire. From the sound of our ~ 
voices, we were of opinion that this apartment was of great © 
extent, and the strongest light we could obtain, did’ not 
enable us to discern the roof, id 
* ‘The light of the fire strongly contrasted with, and gradu: | 
ally lost in the surrounding darkness, produced avery pic- — 
turesque effect, which was greatly heightened by the situa- ~ 
tion of our party, some of whom were obscurely seen stand- - 
ing upon the huge fragments of rocks, while others were ~ 
passing and repassing in various directions, exploring a pas- 
sage to the recesses of the cavern. Having groped about 
for some time, over and among rocks ofall sizes and shapes, — 
which were piled on each other in every possible manner, ~ 
we at length discovered, on our right, a chasm about two ~ 
feet in width. Looking into it from above, the space be- 
low appeared to enlarge, and the lava on which we stood, — 
to form the roof of another cavern beneath us.” “The 
floor was covered with fragments of every size, and from the — 
roof hung stalactites of lava ; an appearance highly interes- — 
ting, and which amply repaid me for the danger and diffi- © 
culty encountered. Qn breaking the stalactites they were 
