470 HT. C. Hovey—Discoveries in Western Caves. 
places, where the rocks are blackened and polished as if by the 
rubbing of fu ar-wallows,” are also pointed out; but on 
our recent visit we discovered this to be a misnomer. 
Bands of black flint are found in the limestones of the south 
arm of the cave, sometimes in continuous belts, but oftener in 
rows of nodules varying in size from one to ten inches. Occa- 
sionally they have a geodic form and a crystalline center, show- 
ing that the siliceous particles had collected about a fossil 
nucleus. Between these belts, or rows, is usually a chalky 
substance easily cut with the knife or even by the finger nail. 
The so-called ‘ bear-wallows” are where the flint is most abun- 
rewarded by the discovery of quantities of flint chips and also 
a number of finished arrow heads. 
Indian foot-prints were visible in all parts of the new cave 
when first explored; and I saw them in 1854, although now 
they are obliterated. The cane torches, so abundant at ‘‘ Chief 
City” in Mammoth Cave, which were supposed to be filled 
with bear’s fat when ready for use, are rarely found in Wyandot 
Cave, which seems to have been lighted by bundles of hickory 
bark ignited by splinters of various kinds of wood. 
What is known as the “Old Cave” was worked by salt- 
peter miners in 1812, and sundry acts of vandalism have been 
charged on them, which it is more probable were done by the 
aborigines. The finest stalacto-stalagmitic column probably in 
the world is the Pillar of the Constitution at the aa of the Old 
Cave, three miles from the mouth. It is 40 feet high, and 25 
feet in diameter, and it rests on a base 300 feet in circumference. 
The weight of this immense mass of alabaster caused the sub- 
jJacent rocks to settle, and this in turn cracked the base, opening 
crevices many yards long, and varying in width from two 
inches to one foot. A large segment has been cut from the base 
of this column. Starting from the crevices, an excavation was 
made cutting a mass from the base having an are of thirty feet, 
and making a cavity into the pillar itself ten feet wide, seven feet 
high and five feet deep. This excavation has hitherto been 
at ciliata 
