4es 



passage. The earth on the bottom of this cave is 

 strongly impregnated with nitre ; and saltpetre in 

 any quantity may be made from it.* 



In the Summer of 1806, another cave was disco- 

 vered near Madison's, but much more extensive. 

 Sparry concretions, some of which are of very great 

 sizc^, and of many forms, abound in it« One of the 

 specimens in the museum of Mr. Feale, resembles a 

 mushroom, and other is very like a^cauliflov/er. 



About the distance of fourteen miles, south-west 

 from Esopus, in Ulster county, New York, there is 

 a cavern, which is more remarkable, and the di- 

 mensions greater, than any other yet explored in 

 this country, ft is but a small distance from the 

 habitation of Mr. Z. Rosekrans, by whose servant 

 it was' discovered a few years ago. 



The cavern is estimated to be three qiiarters of a 

 lYiile in length. The breadth varies from twenty to 

 forty feet. Its height is at least twenty feet. A 

 stream which issues from the mountain to the north- 

 west, turns two mills before it runs through it. It 

 emerges about si quarter of a mile from theRondout 

 creek, and falls into it. The passage into the ca- 

 vern is a considerable distance from its western ex* 

 tremity, and is very narrow, and so perpendicular 

 that there is some difficulty in descending. It is 

 evident, from the forms of the blocks of stone which 

 lie under the opening, that it has been made by the 

 splitting of the rock, caused by the expansion of the 

 ice in its cavities. On the sides and roof of the ca- 

 vern, which is con^posedof dar:k coloured limestone, 

 are seen impressions of sliells, calcareous spar, and 



* JeiFerson^s Notes on Virginia, 

 S S 2 



