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has doubled on its track. Passing 

 the River Styx and Lake Lethe, 

 we come to Echo River. Four 

 boats await us on the banks. Each 

 has seats on the gunwales for 

 twenty passengers, while the guide 

 stands in the bow and propels the 

 primitive craft by a long paddle or 

 by grasping projecting rocks. 

 The river's width varies from twen- 

 ty to two hundred feet, and its 

 length is about three quarters of a 

 mile. 



The low arch soon rises to a 

 height varying from ten to thirty 

 feet, while the plummet shows a 

 still greater depth below. The 

 river can not properly be said to 

 have any shore, for throughout its 

 entire extent there are only one or 

 two points where a foot-hold could 

 be gained. Hence, the guide ex- 

 ercises the strictest authority in or- 

 der to guard against accidents. 



Along the water's edge are cavi- 

 ties, varying in size from a few 

 inches to many feet, washed out 

 by the stream. A quiet lady in 

 black velvet led us in a sacred 

 song. The concord of sweet 

 sounds was surprisingly agreeable; 

 but the tones followed each other 

 too rapidly to secure full justice. 

 A single aerial vibration given with 

 energy, as by a pistol shot, rebound- 

 ed from rock to rock. The din 

 awakened by discordant sounds 

 was frightful. On the other hand, 

 when tne voice gave the tones of 

 a full chord seriatim, they came 

 back in a sweeping arpeggio. Flute- 

 music produed charming reverber- 

 ations. The finest vocal effect fol- 

 lowed the utterance, as strongly 

 and firmly as possible, of the key- 

 note of that long vault, letting all 

 other sounds meanwhile cease; the 

 wonderful vibrations thus caused 

 were prolonged for from fifteen to 

 thirty seconds after the original 

 tone had been delivered. 



An extraordinary result was ob- 

 tained by the guide's agitating the 

 water vigorously with his broad 

 paddle, and then seating himself 

 in silence by my side. The first 

 sound that broke the stillness was 

 like the tinkling of silver bells. 

 Larger and heavier bells then seem- 

 ed to take up the strange melody, 

 as the waves sought out the cavi- 

 ties in the rock. And then it ap- 

 peared as if all chimes of all cathe- 

 drals had conspired to raise a tem- 

 pest of sweet sounds. They then 

 died aw iy to utter silence. We 

 still sat in expectation. Lo, as if 

 from some deep recess that had 

 been hitherto forgotten, came a 

 tone tender and profound; after 

 which, like gentle memories, were 



NATUKAL SCIENCE NEWS. 



re-awakened all the mellow sounds 

 that had gone before, until River 

 Hall rang again. 



This concert was prolonged for 

 several minutes, until the agitation 

 of the waters had wholly subsided. 

 Those who try their own voices 

 are pleased to have the hollow wall 

 faithfully give back every shout 

 and song, whimsical cry or mer^ 

 peal; but the nymphs of Echo Riv- 

 er reserve their choicest harmonies 

 for those who are willing in silence 

 to listen to the voice of many wa- 

 ters. 



Continuing our journey by way 

 of Silliman's Avenue and El Ghor, 

 picturesque passes where many 

 fantastic objects are pointed out, 

 we arrive at Hebe's Spring. Here, 

 by climbing a ladder and crawling 

 through a hole in the roof, we are 

 admitted to an upper tier of cav- 

 erns. The guide ignites blue fire, 

 and we are surprised to find our- 

 selves in a vineyard! Countless 

 nodules and globules simulate clus- 

 ters on clusters of luscious grapes, 

 burdening hundreds of boughs, and 

 gleaming with parti-colored tints 

 through the dripping dew. 



Washington Hall is but a smoke- 

 stained lunch-room. The ceiling 

 of a room near by is dotted with 

 semi-spherical masses of snowy 

 gypsum, each of which is from two 

 to ten inches in diameter, looking 

 like a snow-ball hurled against the 

 wall and sticking there. Snow- 

 ball Room is a fitting vestibule to 

 the treasure-house of alabaster 

 brilliants beyond it, where we tarry 

 long with ever-increasing delight. 



What words can picture forth the 

 beauty of Cleveland's Cabinet? 

 Wyandot and other caverns may 

 have galleries like it in kind, but 

 none to be compared with it either 

 in extent or symmetry. We loiter 

 beneath spotless arches of fifty feet 

 span, where the fancy is at once 

 enlivened and bewildered by a 

 mimicry of every flower that grows 

 in the garden, forest, or prairie, 

 from the modest daisy to the flaunt- 

 ing helianthus. 



Beyond a rocky hill and a dis- 

 mal gorge lies Croghhan's Hall, 

 and a pit called the Maelstrom, 

 which ends the Cave .so far as it 

 has been explored in this direction. 



Tourists have usually been hur- 

 ried through by 'two routes, one re- 

 quiring four hours and the other 

 nine, and both covering about twen- 

 ty-eight miles of travel in and out. 

 A season ticket is now for sale al- 

 lowing parties a more leisurely ex- 

 ploration, and good for entrance 

 for thirty days. 



On the whole, Mammoth Cave 



greatly exceeded, though differing 

 from our expectations. We were 

 grateful, however, for impressions 

 received and memories retained of 1 

 wonderful scenes and strange ad- 

 ventures. Feelings akin to friend- 

 ship had sprung up within us for 

 Mammoth Cave; and it was with! 

 positive regret that we finally turn- 

 ed away from the fern-fringed 

 chasm, lying there in the soft moon- ; L 

 light, where the sparkling cascade 

 throws, pearly drops from the 

 mossy ridge, and spreads its mist 

 like a silver veil. 



The White Elephant Kedah. 



White elephants have for many 

 years been an object of veneration 

 in Burma and Siam. The fortu- i 

 nate individual who found a white 

 elephant in his possession sold it i 

 to the king of one of those coun- {] 

 tries, obtaining therefor, it is said, 

 certain titles to nobility, exemption 

 from taxation and from capital pun- 

 ishment and a sum of money de 

 termined, it is said, in some cases, 

 as the amount of silver coin which 

 he could push along a smooth sur- 

 face with his little, finger. The 

 largest sum ever obtained, it is 

 said, was won by a Chinaman, who i 

 assiduously practiced pushing 

 weights, strengthening his hand 

 so as to be able to push along the 

 largest amount of silver possible. 

 Some years ago a partially white 

 elephant was in the.Barnum & Bai- | 

 ley show, which animal perished in I 

 the Bridgeport fire. There has 

 been recently imported into this I 

 city, by the firm of DeSilva and I 

 Gaylord, a perfect example of the 

 white elephant. 



The sacred beast is recognized 

 by certain signs. In addition to 

 the light color of his skin, he was j 

 required to have five white hoofs 

 on each foot, he had to show a 

 pink color about the ears, and the 

 hair about the lip was required to j 

 be light in color, and the tail to !j 

 have no tuft of hair upon its end. 



The animal was caught wild near 

 Palembang, in Southeastern Suma- 

 tra, on June 17, 1895, and is sup- . 

 posed to be about eighteen months 

 old. Its height is three feet nine 

 inches and it weighs about five 

 hundred pounds. The little creat- 

 ure is perfectly docile and content 

 in its captivity and allows itself to 

 be fondeled and played with at lib- 

 erty. It has been named Kedah. 

 In Sumatra the value of the white 

 elephant is not generally known, | 

 and the captors of this animal were-; 

 not aware that they could have 



