350 m:w Y(>i:k state museum 



passin*:: throiiirli nn nrcliod passajjo in tho rock so low as not to 

 admit of ilnir standing- erect in the boat, llavinjj: jtroeeeded 

 abnnt T){) feci in a souiiierly direction, they altered their eoni'se 

 le the Icfi around an an.ule in (lie rocky j)assa<;e, and found them- 

 selves in water aiioiit 'Mi feet in dejith, and so lini))id that the 

 smallest object miijht be seen at the bottom. The course of the 

 water was varied by th(^ projections of the passa«:,e, which «iradu- 

 ally expanded t(> :!(• feet in width, Ijeing of a hijjjht sonu times 

 not discoverable, and at othein>j only sulTicient to enable them to 

 jjursue their ^^•ay. They thus ])roceeded about IM){) feet, when they 

 arriv(Hl at a ru^«>ed shelving ascent, on the right shore of the lake, 

 and beneath which its Avaters disappeared. Lea\ing the boat, 

 they landcMl upon this slo]iing ascent, and advancing 20 feet they 

 entered an aperture in the rock resembling a door, when they 

 found tlumselves within an amphitheater, perfectly regular and 

 circular in form. Its diameter is 1(10 feet, and its hight is su])- 

 posed to be still greater. The floor di^scends on all sides gradually 

 to its center, while the roof is ai)parently horizontal. Its walls 

 are described as rich in stalactitic decorations, (ireat numbers 

 of bats, disturbed by the intrusion of the adventurers, weie st^-en 

 flying about the cavern. 



Subsequent visits led to the discovery of five additional apart- 

 ments, communicating with the amphitheater, all of which how- 

 ever are small and none remarkable, excepting one in which the 

 circulations of currents of air or of water, or pro'baibly of both, 

 produces sounds like the Aeolian harp. 



Returning to the lake, where the adventurers landed, it was 

 noticed that upon the north side of the perpendicular entrance to 

 the am])hitheater there existed a low and narrow a]>erture, through 

 which a small stream issued. The (vpening above the surface of 

 the water was only 14 inches high; but its dimensions Avere seen 

 to be greater Avithin. A boat was constructed to suit this open- 

 ing, through Avhicli it Avas jiuslied containing a single person in 

 a recund)ent posture. After a few feet, the passage enlarged 

 enough to allow the navigator to assume an upright position; and 

 he proceeded to the distance of a quarter of a mile, the width of 

 the passage varying from 5 to 20 feet. Here the water was 30 

 feet in de])th, and losing sight of the light he had left at the com- 

 mencement of his voyage, in consecpience of a turn in the passage, 

 he advanced in a new direction for about 60 feet, when he en- 

 countered a semicircular dam of calcareous tufa, over which the 

 water broke with a slight rij)]ile. Drawing liia boat over the ob- 

 struction he proceeded as before, when he soon met a similar 

 barrier. In this manner he passed 14 of these dams, which varied 



