478 



MUSHROOM CULTURE. 



Fig. 282. 



being scraped away, and the place left to recruit itself for a 

 year or two. In 1867 M. Renaudot had the extraordi- 

 nary length of over twenty-one miles of Mushroom beds in 

 one great cave at Mery, last year there were sixteen miles 

 in a cave at Frepillon. This is a clean, lonely village, just 

 touching on the gigantic cemetery which M. Haussmann 



has projected. 



The distant view of 



the entrance to the 

 quarries has much the 

 appearance of an Eng- 

 lish chalk pit. But 

 there is a great rude 

 arch cut into the rock, 

 and into this we enter, 

 meeting presently a 

 waggon coming forth 

 with a load of stones, 

 the waggoner with 

 lamp in hand. To the 

 visitor who has seen 

 the low Mushroom 

 caves near Paris, where 

 it is sometimes neces- 

 sary to stoop very low 

 to avoid knocking 

 one's head against the 

 roof rocks, the surprise 

 is great on getting a 

 little way in. At least 

 it is so as soon as one 

 can see ; the darkness is so profound that a few candles or 

 lamps merely make it more visible. The tunnel we traverse 

 is nearly regularly arched, masonry being used here and 

 there, so as to render the support secure and symmetrical, 

 the arches being flat at the top for six feet or so, and about 

 twenty-five feet high; sometimes five feet higher. 



Presently we turn to the right, and a scene like a vast 

 subterranean rock temple presents itself. At one end 



. Entrance to large Subterranean Quarry. 



