88 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
66 We now stood in the u Lange Kamer," or 
Thompson's hall, so called "because he disco- 
vered it, in the year 1822. Mr. Thompson 
describes its length as five hnndred feet, but 
I should haye thought it nearer eight hun- 
dred ; and from twenty to forty feet high. The 
sides are of a dark earthy hue ; the floor, very 
uneven and broken, and rising and falling as 
much as forty feet into deep pits : the whole 
being devoid of any particular interest, save its 
immense length. We proceeded to the end, and 
found it terminated by a solid wall of sandstone; 
beyond which no passage has been discovered, 
though several diverge to the right and left of 
the cave. We were now, by calculation, about 
two thousand feet from the entrance of the 
caves. How much further we could have gone, 
I know not; but, by this time, we all had had 
enough of subterraneous wanderings; beside 
which, the heat was becoming quite intolerable, 
and the offensive smell, caused by the torches, 
together with the numerous bats which infest the 
innermost caves, rendered it highly advisable 
that we should begin to retrace our steps. We 
accordingly retreated, and all our mirth was 
renewed, when we commenced our abortive at- 
tempt to re-ascend the slope of slippery mud, 
across the entrance of the hall. One of the 
boers, by great exertions, did effect the ascent; 
