Misceli. Subj. CX. Vol. VI. No. 64. 



THE GROTTO OF ■ ANTI - PAR-OS.' 



1 his remarkable cave is found on Ann- 

 Paros, a small and insignificant Island in 

 the Greek Archipelago. In ancient times 

 this grotto was unknown, and in the later 

 ones it was first visited in the year 1673 

 by Mr. de Nointel, french Ambassador at 

 Constantinople , who with a considerable 

 retinue pafs'd the Christmafsdays in that 

 grotto. 



Fig. 1. The entry to the 

 cave. 



The superior entry to the cave forms 

 a vault of rock, where at the left side an 

 opening leads down, to which the visiters 

 arrive, by letting down themselves by means 

 of a rope, they wind around the natural 

 pillar of rock. Lighted torches are highly 

 necessary to dispel the obscurity. 



Fig. 2. The interior view of 

 the cave. 



The visiters, when they are got down 

 from above the first precipice, come to se- 

 veral dopes, which on account of the deep 

 caverns that lie on the right , partly are 

 not without danger. More frequently the 

 travellers by means of ropes must be let 

 down considerable rocky walls ; yet the dan- 

 ger being past, the courageous is rewarded 

 by a sight so much the more brilliant. For 

 at last one comes to the hall of rock repre- 

 sented Fig. II. where one clearly perceives, 

 that the whole grotto was form'd by stalac- 

 tites. The most splendid stalactites - points 

 hang down from the vault of the cave, and 

 rise from the ground. A large mafs of sta- 

 lactites forms in the middle an elevation. 

 Here it was , where Mr. de Nointel on Christ- 

 mafsday 1673 order'd to say mafs, wherefore 

 this spot since that time is call'd the altar. 



