LABORIOUS DESCENT. 



151 



the labour of exploring this cave was to be greatly 

 increased by the state of the ladders, and there might 

 be some danger attending it, but, even after all that 

 we had seen of caves, there was something so wild 

 and grand in this that we could not bring ourselves 

 to give up the attempt. Fortunately, the cura had 

 taken care to provide us with rope, and, fastening 

 one end round a large stone, an Indian carried the 

 other down to the foot of the ladder. We followed, 

 one at a time ; holding the rope with one hand, and 

 with the other grasping the side of the ladder, it 

 was impossible to carry a torch, and we were obliged 

 to feel our way in the dark, or with only such light as 

 could reach us from the torches above and below. At 

 the foot of this ladder was a large cavernous cham- 

 ber, from which irregular passages led off in differ- 

 ent directions to deposites or sources of water. 

 Doctor Cabot and myself, attended by Albino, took 

 one of the passages indicated by the Indians, of 

 which some imperfect idea is given in the section. 



Moving on by a slight ascent over the rocks, at 

 the distance of about seventy-five feet we came to 

 the foot of a third ladder nine feet long, two or 

 three steps beyond another five feet high, both 

 which we had to go up, and six paces farther a fifth, 

 descending, and eighteen feet in length. A Httle 

 beyond we descended another ladder eleven feet 

 long, and yet a little farther on we came to one — 

 the seventh — the length and general appearance of 

 which induced us to pause and consider. By this 



