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orange flower of which has a fleshy tube more 

 than four inches long. The entrance of grottoes, 

 like the view of cascades, derive their principal 

 charm from the situation, more or less majestic, 

 in which they are placed, and which in some 

 sort determines the character of the landscape. 

 What a contrast between the Cueva of Caripe, 

 and those caverns of the North crowned with 

 oaks and gloomy larch-trees ! 



But this luxury of vegetation embellishes not 

 only the outside of the vault, it appears even 

 in the vestibule of the grotto. We saw with 

 astonishment plantain-leaved heliconias eigh- 

 teen feet high, the praga palm-tree, and arbor- 

 escent arums, follow the banks of the river, 

 even to those subterranean places. The vege- 

 tation continues in the cave of Caripe, as in 

 those deep crevices of the Andes, half excluded 

 from the light of day ; and does not disappear, 

 till, advancing in the interior, we reach tjbirty 

 or forty paices from the entrance. We mea- 

 sured the way by means of a cord : and we 

 went on about four hundred and thirty feet, 

 without being obliged to light our torches. 

 Daylight penetrates even into this region, be- 

 cause the grotto forms but one single channel, 

 which keeps the same direction, from South-east 

 to North-west. Where the light begins to fail, 

 we heard from afar the hoarse sounds of the 

 nocturnal birds ; sounds, which the natives 



