AN EXTRAORDINARY CAVE. 



129 



At this village we found waiting for us the major 

 domo of the hacienda of San Joaquin, on which 

 stand the ruins of Mayapan. Leaving the senote, 

 we mounted and followed him. 



At the distance of half a mile he stopped near a 

 great cave that had lately been discovered, and 

 which, he said, had no end. Tying our horses to 

 the bushes, we turned off to visit it. The major 

 domo cut a path a short distance into the woods, 

 following which we came to a large hollow, over- 

 grown with trees, and, descending, entered a great 

 cavern with a lofty roof, and gigantic passages 

 branching off in different directions, and running no 

 one knew whither. The cave had been discovered 

 by the major domo and some vaqueros while in pur- 

 suit of robbers who had stolen a bull ; and no rob- 

 ber's cave in romantic story could equal it in wild- 

 ness. The major domo said he had entered it with 

 ten men, and had passed four hours in exploration 

 without finding any end. The cave, its roof, base, 

 and passages, were an immense fossil formation. 

 Marine shells were conglomerated together in solid 

 masses, many of them perfect, showing a geological 

 structure which indicated that the whole country, 

 or, at least, that portion of it, had been once, and 

 probably at no very remote period, overflowed by 

 the sea. 



We could have passed a day with much satisfac- 

 tion in rambhng through this cave, but, remaining 

 only a few minutes, and taking away some curious 



Vol. I— R 



