NORTH AMERICA. 2A§ 
drop after drop, or chafing each other in winding 
jitde rills down to the bottom. One fide of the 
vaft cool grotto was lb flattered and broken in, I 
thought it pofible to defcend down to the^vater at 
bottom ; and my companion alluring me that the 
Indians and traders frequently go down for drink, 
encouraged me to make the attempt, as he agreed 
to accompany me. 
Having provided ourfelves with a long flagged 
fapling, called an Indian ladder, and each of us a 
pole, by the affiftance of thefe we both defcended 
fafely to the bottom, wiiich we found nearly level 
and not quite covered over with water ; on one fide 
was a bed of gra/el and fragments of rocks or hones, 
and on the other a pool of water near two feet deep, 
which moved with a flow current under the walls oq, 
a bed of clay and gravel. 
After our return to the furface of the earth, I 
again ranged about the groves and grottos, examin- 
ing a multitude of them. Being on the margin of 
one in the open foreft, and obferving fome curious 
vegetable productions growing on the fide of the 
x Hoping funnel towards its center, the furface of the 
ground covered with grafs and herbage ; unappre- 
henfive of danger, I defcended precipitately towards 
the group of fhrubs ; when I was furprifed and 
providentially flopped in my career, at the ground 
founding hollow under my feet; and obferving 
chafms through the ground, I quickly drew back, 
and returning again with a pole with which I beat 
in the earth, to my aftoniiliment and dread ap- 
peared the mouth of a well through the rocks, and 
I obferved the water glimmering at the bottom. 
Being wearied with excurfions, we returned to our 
pleafant fituation on the verge of the lawn, 
R ^ Next 
