YISIT TO CONGO GROTTO. 
83 
a labyrinth of pure alabaster-like columns. This 
cave is known by the name of Van ZyPs Flak ; 
after a Dutch boer, who discovered these ca- 
verns whilst hunting in the mountains. 
" Leaving this hall, we entered a small cavern, 
about forty feet square, and thirty feet high. 
This is called the Registry, from the practice 
of visitors writing their names on the pure 
snow-white lime walls. Here I discovered seve- 
ral names of our Indian community, and, amongst 
them, that of an old college companion. I was 
surprised to see that of a lady, with whom I 
afterwards became acquainted. How she ever 
managed to descend the green, damp, and slip- 
pery ladder, to me is wonderful, but descended 
she had, and there was her name to prove the fact. 
As we proceeded, the soil under foot began 
to get gradually moister, until it turned into 
downright mud, which gave us much annoy- 
ance, by insinuating itself into our shoes. A 
few more yards brought us to the most beautiful 
and most wonderful part of the caverns. Whilst 
writing our names in the Registry, all the boers 
except one, who had delayed us, purposely, by 
pointing out various names and superscriptions, 
had quietly slipped away, but on passing from 
this spot through a narrow passage, and entering 
the next cave, we soon perceived why they had 
left us. For a sight, at once beautiful and 
g 2 
