THE PEAK IN THE DAYS OF QUEEN ANNE. 213 



clamber o'r, e'r we can pursue our Security. With much Diffi- 

 culty we advanced, till the cave enlarged, and discovered 

 another stately apartment, curiously arched, and adorned with 

 the same shining matter I spoke of above. We went not many 

 paces further e'r we saw the third River where the Rock 

 descended so low as to admit of no further Discovery. 



Sed revocare gradus superasque evadere ad auras 

 Hoc opus, hie labor est. 



" But now we began to think of a Return, and were consult- 

 ing how to extricate ourselves from the gloomy Labarynth. 

 With much ado we found our way back thro' y e many windings 

 of y e cave to our guides whom we left behind at the first River, 

 who welcomed us with their Lights and conducted us out with 

 joyful Salvos and Acclamations. 



" The Inhabitants presented us with several stones like shels 

 of snails, cockle, escallops,* &c. 



" The next morning we went towards Buxton, but stop'd in 

 the Way to see 



" Eldon-Hole. It opens on the side of a step Hill and is 

 wall'd round lest the sheep that feed thereabouts should fall 

 in. The mouth of it is wide and Rocky, tho' lower it is more 

 contracted and narrow. It appears so black and Deep that 

 few Travellers have the courage to approach it. There are 

 severall Rusticks that attend us, and divert us by casting in 

 great stones, which striking against the Sollid Ribbs of the 

 Abyss rose like repeated Claps of Thunder. Still as they 

 descend the noise continues, till at last growing weaker and 

 weaker they whisper out their distance with a sort of hissing 

 as if they dropt into water. Men of Fancy imagine it the seat 

 of Imprisoned Winds and endeavour to recommend their 

 Dreams as Experimental. Tho' I can assure my Reader that 

 while I was here I could not perceive y e least breath of Air. 



" They tell us the story of a man who ventured down by a 

 Rope into the Bottomless Cavern. He took a Bell with him 

 to give notice to those above when he would be drawn up again. 



* Probably small fossils from the mountain limestone. 



