LIFE OF WILSON. 
Ixxxvii 
traveller. At the bottom of one of those declivities, at least fifty feet below the 
general level, a large rivulet of pure v?ater issued at once from the mouth of a 
cave about twelve feet wide and seven high. A number of very singular 
sweet smelling lichens grew over the entrance, and a pewee had fixed her nest, 
like a little sentry-box, on a projecting shelf of the rock above the water. 
The height and dimensions of the cave continued the same as far as I waded 
in, which might be thirty or forty yards, but the darkness became so great that 
I was forced to return. I observed numbers of small fish sporting about, and 
I doubt not but these abound even in its utmost subterranean recesses. The 
whole of this country from Green to lied river, is hollowed out into these 
enormous caves, one of which, lately discovered in Warren county, about 
eight miles from the Dripping Spring, has been explored for upwards of six 
miles, extending under the bed of the Green river. The entrance to these 
caves generally commences at the bottom of a sink-hole ; and many of them 
are used by the inhabitants as cellars or spring-houses, having generally a 
spring or brook of clear water running through them. I descended into one 
of tliese belonging to a Mr. "Wood, accompanied by the proprietor, who carried 
the light. At fii'st the darkness was so intense that I could scarcely see a few 
feet beyond the circumference of the candle; but, after being in for five or 
six minutes, the objects around me began to make their appearance more dis- 
tinctly, the bottom, for fifteen or twenty yards at first, was so irregular, that 
we had constantly to climb over large masses of wet and slippery rocks; the 
roof rose in many places to the height of twenty or thirty feet, presenting all 
the most irregular projections of surface, and hanging in gloomy and silent 
horror. We passed numerous chambers, or off-sets, which we did not explore; 
and after three hours' wandering in these profound regions of gloom-s and 
silence, the particulars of which would detain me too long, I emerged with a 
handkerchief filled with bats, including one which I have never seen described; 
and a number of extraordinary insects of the Gryllus tribe, with autennse 
upwards of six inches long, and which I am persuaded had never befure seen 
the light of day, as they fled from it with seeming terror, and I believe were 
as blind in it as their companions the bats. 
"Great cjuantities of native glaubcr salts are found in these caves, and are 
used by the country people in the same manner, and with equal efi'ect, as those 
of the shops. But the principal pruduction is saltpetre, which is procured 
from the earth in great abundance. The cave in Warren county above men- 
tioned, has lately been sold for three thousand dollars, to a saltpetre company, 
an individual of which informed me that, from every appearance, this cave had 
been known to the Indians many ages ago ; and had evidently been used for the 
same purposes. At the distance of more than a mile from the entrance, the 
exploring party, on their first visit, found the roof blackened by smuke, and 
bundles of half-burnt canes scattered about. A bark moccasin, of curioUvS 
construction, besides several other Indian articles, were found among the rub- 
bish. The earth, also, lay piled in heaps, with great regularity, as if in pre- 
paration for extracting the saltpetre. 
" Notwithstanding the miserable appearance of the timber on these barrens, 
the soil, to my astonishment, produced the most luxuriant fields of corn and 
