ISLAND OF ANTIPAROS. 125 
line. The incrustations of the floor, caused 
by falling-drops from the stalactites above, have 
grown up into dendritic and vegetable forms, 
which first suggested to Tournefort the strange 
notion of his having here discovered the vege- 
tation of stones. Vegetation itself has been 
considered as a species of crystallization 1 ; and 
as the process of crystallization is so surpris- 
ingly manifested by several phenomena in this 
grotto, some analogy may, perhaps, be allowed 
to exist between the plant and the stone ; but it 
cannot be said that a principle of life existing in 
the former has been imparted to the latter. 
The last chamber into which we descended 
surprised us more by the grandeur of its 
exhibition than any other ; and this seems to 
have been the same which Tournefort intended 
to represent by the wretched view of it given 
in his work 2 . Probably there are many other 
chambers below this, yet unexplored, for no 
attempt has been made to penetrate farther 3 : 
(1) See Patrin, Hist. Nat. torn. III. pp. 130, 146. Par. An 9. 
LtuHethtrie, &c. &c. 
(2) Voyage du levant, torn. I. p. 227. & Lyon, 1717- A better 
idea of it may be formed by seeing the beautiful Plate engraved by 
TMard, from a drawing of the interior by Hilair, in the Voyage 
Pittoresque, torn. I. p. 74. Paris, 1782. 
(3) Tournefort mentions an opening of this kind : " A cAte" de 
cette tour se voit un trou par oil 1'on entre dans une autre raverue, 
mais persfenne n'osa y desceiidre." Voy. du Lev. torn. I. p. 231. 
