EXPLORATION OF ANOTHER PASSAGE. 153 



wanted a more thorough benefit. Our exphing 

 torch warned us to forbear, for in the dark we 

 might never be able to find our way back to upper 

 earth ; but, trusting that if we did not reappear in 

 the course of the week Mr. Catherwood would come 

 to the rescue, we whipped off our scanty covering, 

 and stepped into the pool. It was just large enough 

 to prevent us from interfering with each other, and 

 we achieved a bath which, perhaps, no white man 

 ever before took at that depth under ground. 



The Indians call this basin Chacka, which means 

 agua Colorado, or red water ; but this we did not 

 know at the time, and we did not discover it, for to 

 economize our torch we avoided flaring it, and it 

 lay on the rock like an expiring brand, admonishing 

 us that it was better not to rely wholly upon our 

 friends in the world above, and that it would be 

 safer to look out for ourselves. Hurrying out, we 

 inade a rapid toilet, and, groping our way back, with 

 our torch just bidding us farewell, we reached the 

 foot of the broken ladder, and could go no farther. 

 Albino returned with Indians and ropes. We haul- 

 ed ourselves up, and got back to the open chamber 

 from which the passages diverged ; and here the In- 

 dians pointed out another, which we followed till it 

 became lower than any we had yet explored ; and, 

 according to Doctor Cabot's measurement, at the 

 distance of four hundred and one paces, by mine, 

 three hundred and ninety-seven, we came to anoth- 

 er basin of water. This, as we afterward learned, 



Vol. IL— U 



