ALEXANDER WILSON. 
Ixiii 
minutes, the objects around me began to make their 
s-ppearance more distinctly. The bottom, for fifteen or 
twenty yards at first, was so irregular that we had con- 
stantly to climb over large masses of wet and slippery 
rocks. The roof rose in many |)laees to the lieight of 
twenty or thirty feel, presenting all the most irregular 
projections of surface, and hanging in gloomy and silent 
orror. We passed numerous chambers, or oll'sets, which 
did not explore ; and after three hours wandering in 
®se profound region.s of gloom and sileuee, the jiarticu- 
rs of which would detain me too long, I emerged, with 
® sndkerchief filled with bats, including one which 1 have 
®ever seen described ; and a number of extraordinary insects 
the grylliis tribe, with antemiie upwards of six inches 
“8. and which, I am persuaded, had never before seen 
m light of day, as they fled from it with seeming terror, 
®Rd I believe were as blind in it as their companions, the 
Great quantities of native glauber salts are found 
J* these caves, and are used by the country people in the 
g ® manner, and with equal effect, ns those of the shops, 
j.^'^t the principal production is saltpetre, which is procured 
the earth in great abundance. The cave in Warren 
th tnentioned, has lately been sold for three 
dollars to a saltpetre company ; an individual 
which informed me that, from every appearance, this 
a l^oown to the Indians many ages ago ; 
th H ^''tdently been used for the same purposes. At 
g ® '“Stance of more than a mile from the entrance, the 
g*P “ting party, on their first visit, found the roof black- 
i*y smoke, and bundles of half burnt canes scattered 
‘t'tt. A bark mockasin, of curious construction, besides 
r Lv*' other Indian articles, were found among the 
tsh. The earth, also, lay piled in heaps, with great 
®tity, as if in preparation for extracting the .saltpetre, 
hgj. • “'■"'ithstanding the miserable appearance of the tim- 
tn these barrens, the soil, to ray astonishment, produced 
