GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA. 237 



are called rooms, or have some fantastical name ; and in 

 fact the whole resembles the other caves so numerous in 

 the western country. Being situated in the upper part 

 of the limestone strata, where the sandstone begins to 

 make its appearance, and therefore the fluids which may 

 penetrate into it not being charged with carbonate of 

 lime ; it is natural to suppose that no stalactites embellish 

 its roof nor stalagmites incommode the traveller ; in fact, 

 we were not troubled by drippings as is often the case 

 in similar caves ; every thing here was dry, but black, 

 occasioned by the burning of resinous pine wood which 

 is used for light by those that worked the saltpetre ma- 

 terials. 



As these caves have been formed by subterraneous cur- 

 rents of water, and as the rocks are not of an uniform 

 solidity to resist the action of water, it is natural to sup- 

 pose that we travelled over a remarkably unequal and 

 tortuous road. We met with several precipices; some- 

 times we found small openings through which we passed 

 with some difficulty, and again large spacious excava- 

 tions ; it was in one of these excavations or rooms, which 

 was several feet below the general level of the cave, and 

 into which nobody could descend without a ladder, that 

 the bones of the Megalonyx were found. I have 

 spoken with several of the old settlers, and they all agree 

 that the bones in question were discovered in this low 

 excavation ; but the number or the kind of bones I could 

 not ascertain, and several marvellous stories respect- 

 ing these remains are in circulation. Thus it is said, 

 that ribs were found 7 feet long ; there seems to be no 

 doubt that a great number of bones were found there ; 

 and, in my opinion, those purchased by Mr Price 

 Wetherill, and described by Dr Harlan, really came from 

 this place. Squire Fisk, one of the first, and one of the 

 few early settlers that came here with a finished educa- 

 tion, and being also a good observer, mentions in a letter 



