CAVERN OF ANTIPAROS. 
59f) 
Petersber^, discovered a secret comnuuiication with the vaults of the 
hill, of which the French troops guarded some of the entries. With 
torch in hand, and fixed bayonets, the Austrians attempted to surprise 
the French ; but the latter, warned by the subterraneous lights, rushed 
upon the enemy, who were dazzled by their own torches, and a conflict 
ensued, which resembled a combat of the infernal deities. 
The following story is of a less serious nature. Maestricht had 
fallen into the power of the French, and long continued a most formi- 
dable garrison. A portion of the Austrian population fled to the 
vaults beneath the hill of* St. Peter. They took their cattle with 
them, and in the subterraneous cavities they hastily constructed rooms 
and stables. The French were unable to account for the miraculous 
disappearance of a portion of the concpjered inhabitants, when a pig, 
which had escaped from its sty, rushed along the subterraneous 
galleries, squeaking tremendously. It was heard by the French senti- 
nels, and this circumstance led them to suspect the retreat of the 
Austrians. They adopted means to make the pig squeak still louder, in 
the hope of atttracting the fugitives, when, to the great surprise of 
the French soldiers, several pigs rushed out, to answer the summons of 
the imprudent deserter. In ancient times the Roman capital was 
saved by geese, and on this occasion a pig caused the destruction of 
the little republic of Petersberg. The Austrians were routed from 
their retreat, and their cattle and pigs, as may well be supposed, were 
speedily roasted and devoured. 
Cavern of Antiparos, 
The island of Antiparos is remarkable for a subterraneous cavern, 
or grotto, accounted one of the greatest natural curiosities in the 
world. It was first discovered in the eighteenth century, by one 
Magni, an Italian traveller, who has given us the following account. 
“ Having been informed,’' says he, “ by the natives of Paros, that, in 
the little island of Antiparos, which lies about two miles from the 
former, a gigantic statue was to be seen at the mouth of the cavern 
in that place, it was resolved that we s^the French consul and him- 
self) should pay it a visit. In pursuance of this resolution, after we 
had landed on the island, and walked about four miles through the 
midst of beautiful planes and sloping woodlands, we at length came 
to a little hill, on the side of which yawned a most horrid cavern, 
that with its gloom at first struck us with terror, and almost repressed 
curiosity. Recovering the first surprise, however, we entered boldly, 
and had not proceeded above twenty paces, when the supposed sta- 
tue of the giant presented itself to our view. We quickly perceived 
that what the ignorant natives had been terrified at as a giant, was 
nothing more than a sparry concretion, formed by the water drop- 
ping from the roof of the cave, and by degrees hardening into a figure 
that their fears had formed into a monster, 
“ Incited by this extraordinary appearance, we were induced to 
proceed still farther in quest of new adventures in this subterranean 
abode. As we advanced, new' wonders offered themselves : the spars, 
formed into trees, presented a kind of petrified grove ; some white. 
