Book IL land of BARBADOS. 
of it. In the Welt Side of this gloomy Apartment lies the Mouth of the’ 
Cave, which is an Hole of a confiderable Bignefs, _ 
Upon our firft Entrance into it, as we defcénded, the Light of the Day 
began to grow weak, and proved but a faint and uncertain Guide. 
Twenty Yards farther it appeared no ftronger nor brighter, than the 
Glimmering of a Star in an hazy dull Night : A few Steps more inveloped 
us in a total Darknefs. 
Quale per incertam lunain, fub luce maligna, 
Eft iter in [ylvis, ubi celum condidit umbra 
Jupiter, & rebus nox abfpulit atra colorem. ViIRG. 
Thus wander Travellers in Woods by Night, 
By the Moon’s doubtful and malignant Light: _ 
When Zove in dusky Clouds ifivolves the Skies : - 
And Colours fade before their darken’d Eyes. 
From hence, with the Affiftance of a Candle and Lantern, I began 
my fubterraneous Tour ; and foon after my Entrance I turned upon the 
Left Hand to take a View of that Branch of iit called the Dry Cave. 
TheTop or Roof of this is crouded with innumerable petrefied (4) Ici- 
cles hanging downwards. The Sides of the Cave were likewife in fevera] 
Places thick {et therewith, efpecially where there was: a Cavity: There 
they grew from the upper to the under Shelves of the Rock, like fo many 
Baluftrades, or Balufters of a Staircafe, but more in Number, ‘and irre-* 
gular, fometimes in two, fometimes in threefold Divifions. 
Upon breaking feveral of thefe Cones, which -are of different Lengths 
_and Magnitude, I found thofe hanging, from the Roof downwards, intirely 
perforated, and a {mall Quantity of the mofttranfparent Water continually 
dropping through them. 
‘The inner Circumference of thefe Holes was a pellucid ftony Body; 
from Top to Bottom ; and tho’ it was far from having the Luftre of a 
Briftel Stone, yet it appeared fhining, tranfparent, and hard ; and its Parts 
were projected in form of Rays from the Centre to the Circumference. 
By comparing thefe Icicles with many that I have feen in England, 
Wales, and North America, as well as thofe deferibed by the Reverend 
Mr. Maundrel, found cleaving to the inner Sides of what are called King 
Solomon’s Aguedutts, near Tyre, 1 find, that thefe Petrefations, or con- 
glaciated 
(4) Ata Cave, in the Eftate of Reynold Alleyne, Eq; called Mount Standfa/t, 1 obferved Icicles. different 
from thofe in Cole’s Cave ; the latter being very large, and of a brown Colour on the Outfide, the former 
exactly refembling, in Shape, Colour, and Bignefs, the hollow Part of a middle-fized Goofe-quill. §Thro* 
thefe Tubes is continually diftilled a. {mall Quantity of the moft tranfparent Water. Here likewife I faw 
a blunt Cone of petrefied Water, which continues daily to grow ; and the feveral Strie made by the falling 
Drops are vifible. This refembles, in Miniature, thofe large petrefied Rocks of the fame Shape, obferved 
by the ingenious Dr. Shaw in Barbary, which the Arabs believe to be fo many Tents of their Anceftors. 
turned into Stone. i 
9 
57 
