M. Humboldt on the Great Cavern of the Guacharo. 91 
with astonishment the progress of subterraneous vegetation. 
The seeds, which the birds carry into the grotto to feed their 
young, spring up wherever they can fix in the mould, that co- 
vers the calcareous incrustations. Blanched stalks, with some 
half-formed leaves, had risen to the height of two feet. It was 
impossible to ascertain the species of plants, the form, colour, 
and aspect of which had been changed by the absence of light. 
Those traces of organization amid darkness, forcibly excited the 
curiosity of the natives, in general so stupid, and difficult to be 
moved. They examined them in that silent meditation inspired 
by a place they seemed to dread. It might be thought, that 
these subterraneous vegetables, pale and disfigured, appear- 
ed to them phantoms banished from the face of the earth. 
To me the scene recalled one of the happiest periods of my 
early youth, a long abode in the mines of Freiberg, where I 
made experiments on the effects of blanching, which are very 
different, according as the air is pure, or overcharged with hy- 
drogen or azote. 
The missionaries, with all their authority, .could not prevail 
on the Indians to penetrate farther into the cavern. As the 
vault grew lower, the cries of the guacharoes became more shrill. 
We w^ere obliged to yield to the pusillanimity of our guides, 
and trace back our steps. The appearance of the cavern was in- 
deed very uniform. We find, that a bishop of St Thomas of Gui- 
ana had gone farther than ourselves. He had measured nearly 
2500 feet from the mouth to the spot where he stopped, though 
the cavern reached farther. The remembrance of this fact was 
preserved in the convent of Caripe, without the exact period be- 
ing noted. The bishop had provided himself with great torches 
of wiiite wax of Castile. We had torches composed only of the 
bark of trees and native resin. The thick smoke which issues 
from these torches, in a narrow subterranean passage, hurts the 
eye, and obstructs the respiration. 
We followed the course of the torrent to go out of the ca- 
vern. Before our eyes were dazzled with the light of day, we saw, 
without the grotto, the water of the river sparkling amid the foliage 
of the trees that concealed it. It was like a picture placed in the 
distance, and to which the mouth of the cavern served as a fraipe. 
Having at length reached the entrance, and seated ourselves on 
