294 



VIRGINIA. 



Madison s Cave. 



jn height, and from 50 to 150 in breadth 



pet re. Near it is another and larg- 

 er cave, half a mile in extent, with 

 various apartments and windings. 

 It contains many stalactitic co- 

 lumns, 10 and 12 feet in cir- 

 cumference. In another part 

 is a cavern called the Bloiving 

 Cave, out of which rushes a 

 stream of air sufhciently strong 

 to prostrate the grass and vreeds 

 at the distance of 60 feet. 

 There are numerous other caves, 

 in this region. Near Estillville, 

 in the southwestern part of 

 the State, is a long, winding 

 passage, in the form of an S, 

 extending quite through a hill ; 

 it is 450 feet in length, 70 to 80 

 it is called the Jfatural Tunnel. 



of the lime which constitutes a part of the cnriiposition of 

 earths. This petrifaction is also of diifertnt kinds ; there 

 are j'ellow, while, reddish, marble-colored, transparent, and 

 crystalized. Yet the greatest quantity nf spar has the 

 color of red clay. In the Dragon's rnom there is an imi- 

 tation of the Dragon, facing a stupendous vault, under 

 which there is a prujecting rock, called tlie Devil's galle- 

 ry, surrounded by many soniferous .spires. We proceed- 

 ed through a sliort and narrow passage, descended a lad- 

 der, partly hewn out of rock, to Soloumn's Temple, which 

 is the most sublime scene I ever beheld. To attempt to 

 describe what is here iuingined, in entering this lurid, 

 scarce half-illumined recess, is quite in vain I nor can any 

 person form even the faintest idea of the sublimity and 

 grandeur of this subterraneous abode, until he witnesses 

 its magnificence ; nor then can he find language copious 

 enough to express his sentiments. It was justly observed 

 by an English painter, who was here some time, that a cor- 

 rect delineation or description would require years with 

 the pen. In Solomon's Temple there is a wave-like fold- 

 ing of incrustations, from the ceiling to the floor, exactly 

 representing v.'aler tumbling over a preci|)ice which had 

 conglaciated in falling, called the cataract or Falls of Ni- 

 agara. In I'ront is a large sofa called Solomon's Throne ; 

 on the left is a large, transparent, fluted column, called 

 Solomon's Pillar; a few paces further, there are thousands 

 of white pieces hanging to the ceiling, of a spiral form, 

 called the Radish Uoom ; beyond which it is difficult to 

 traverse, on account of the huge masses of rocks which 

 have fallen over the floor. We then took a retrospective 

 view of the pillar, and returned to the cataract, ascending 

 the ladder about ten feet high, and went tlirough a long- 

 passage to the Tamborine or Drum room, which is extra- 

 vagantly decorated with a variety of beautiful drapery, va- 

 riegated and (iiversified ; throutjiiout the rnom there are 

 also a number of semi-pellucid curtains, of different col- 

 ors and forms. Besides these in the Tamborine or Drum 

 room, there are large sonorous sheets, called the drums, 

 whichsound very much like the kettle drum ; also a semi- 

 circular column with pedals about it, of dift'erent leugliis, 

 and of course different loned, called the Piano Forte. 



■■ We then proceeded up a natural and elegant stair-case, 

 banistered suitably to rest the hand on, and passed Patter- 

 son's Grave, (a hollow rock, into which a gentleman by 

 that name fell,) and by descending a ladder we entered 

 the Sail room ; wliioh is about 40 yards in lengtli, and 10 

 in breadth, and tlie floor quite level. At one extremity 

 there is a small room called the Lady's Dressing room, 

 which, in addition to the Ball room, appears to have been 

 const'-ucteil by nature for that pnrpr-se. At the other there 

 13 a stalactite of spar, about 4 feet hiffh, and 12 inches in 

 Circumfer?nce, on which may be fixed a candle, called the 



Recluse Candlestick. About the centre of this beautiful 

 apartment, there is an imitation of a sideboard, furnished 

 with decanters and tumblers. Besides those in the Ball 

 room, there is a sheet extending up the side of the wall, 

 called Tragical Soundboard, remarkable for its sound; a 

 gentle tlumip with the foot will produce a wonderful and 

 astonishing- sound, resembling distant tliunder, which 

 sound pervades the whole cave : yet articulation can 

 scarce be understood 200 yards. From the Ball room we 

 passed through a narrow and difficult passage to Jacob's 

 Ladder, which is hewn out of a sort of calcareous rock, 

 supposed by many people to be natural, which causes it 

 sornelinies to fall under the appellation of natural steps; 

 but I think it hardly probable. At the foot of this ladder 

 there is a verj' low and dreary place called the Dungeon. 

 Next we came to the Senate Chamber, which contains a 

 variel}- ol' beautiful spar; in this place there is a magnifi- 

 cent gallei'y projecting over one half of the room, called 

 the Music Gallery, on which there is a small apartment 

 remarkable for the reverberation of sound ; the voice can 

 be heard to re-eciro in this room with such astonishing ve- 

 locity as to render speech unintelligible. We then went 

 through an open and grotesque passage to Washington's 

 Hall, the most splendid, extensive, and beautiful room in 

 the cave ; where the grandeur of its height, the diversity 

 of its representation of the works of ai t, the reverbera- 

 tions of the voice, and the splendor and brilliancy of its 

 spar, is not only calculated to keep the sublime emotions 

 in a constant state of excitement, but strikes the mind 

 with almost "-epressed curiosity. The curious explorer 

 now witnesses something amazingly sublime; the walls 

 are strung with musical columns, which, by running a 

 stick over them, will produce a profusion of discordant 

 sounds The drums, the tamborine, the piano, and each 

 note, discordant heard alone, aid the full concert, while 

 the soundboard roars a melanchol3' murmur through the 

 whole. On the right side of this apartment, there is a co- 

 lonnade of marble statues ; over which there is an imper- 

 fect imitation of a rake , as we advanced further we saw 

 an incrustation on the side of the wall, which extended 

 from the floor to the ceiling, representing a streak of light 

 ning. 



'■ We now look forward and see Washington's Statue, 

 which at tills distance represents a gigantic fioure : and 

 from a closer view assumes the appearance of a large per- 

 son, veiled with white. Directly to the left is Lady Wash- 

 ington's Drawing room, in which there is a variety of 

 beautiful drapeiy, the most edged with white, and some 

 entirely v/hite, hanging in the form of curtains. On the 

 right side of this apartment there is a declining rock, 

 placed like a looking-glass, with a canopy above it, and 

 bureau just before it ; on which there ia a solid rock, a 



