30 
Mr Beiijamio Adarns’’' (yf ii 
view to ascertain the fact. It is probably owing to this* middle 
situation of the cave, that it is much drier than is common. 
After entering the cave by an aperture of twelve or fifteen 
feet wide, and in height, in one place, three or four feet, you 
descend with easy and gradual steps into a large and spacious 
room, which continues about a quarter of a mile, pretty nearly 
the same in appearance, varying in height from eight to thirty 
feet, anc^ in breadth from ten to twenty. In this distance the 
roof is, in some places, arched ; in others a plane, and in one 
place, particularly, it resembles an inside view of the roof of a 
house. At the distance above named the cave forks ; but the 
right hand fork soon terminates, while the left rises by a flight 
of rocky stairs, nearly ten feet high, into another story, and 
pursues a course, at this place, nearly south-east. Here the 
roof commences a regular arch, the height of which, from the 
floor, varies from five to eight feet, and the width of the cave 
from six to twelve feet; wdiich continues to what is called the 
Creeping Place^ from the circumstance of having to crawl ten 
or twelve feet into the next large room. From this place to the 
‘‘ PILLAR,” a distance of about one mile and a quarter, the vi- 
sitor finds an alternate succession of large and small rooms, va- 
riously decorated ; sometimes mounting elevated points by gra- 
dual or difficult ascents, and again descending as far below ; 
sometimes travelling on a pavement, or climbing over huge piles 
of rocks, detached from the roof by some convulsion of nature, 
— and thus continues his route, until he arrives at the Pillar. 
The aspect of this large and stately white column, as it comes 
in sight from the dim reflection of the torches, is grand and im- 
pressive. Visitors have seldom pushed their inquiries farthei 
than two or three hundred yards beyond this pillar. This co- 
lumn is about fifteen feet in diameter, from twenty to thirty in 
height, atid regularly reeded from the top to the bottom. In 
the vicinity of this spot are some inferior pillars, of the same 
appearance and texture. Chemically speaking, it is difficult for 
me to say what are the constituent parts of these columns, but 
lime appears to be the base. Major Warren, who is certainly 
a competent judge, is of opinion that they arc satin spar. 
I have thus given you an imperfect sketch of the mechanical 
