354 
STALACTITES. 
by him that the place was full of these beautiful 
incrustations, I ventured in with him for about fifty 
paces, anxiously and cautiously descending by a 
steep and dangerous way. Finding, however, that 
we came to a precipice which led into a spacious 
amphitheatre, if I may so call it, still deeper than 
any other part, we returned, and being provided 
with a ladder, flambeaux, and other things to ex- 
pedite our descent, our whole company, man by 
man, ventured into the same opening, and de- 
scending one after another, we at last saw ourselves 
all together in the most magnificent part of the 
cavern. 
“ Our candles being now all lighted up, and 
the whole place completely illuminated, never could 
the eye be presented with a more glittering or a 
more magnificent scene. The roof all hung with 
solid icicles, transparent as glass, yet solid as mar- 
ble. The eye could scarcely reach the lofty and 
noble ceiling ; the sides were regularly formed with 
spars ; and the whole presented the idea of a mag- 
nificent theatre, illuminated with an immense pro- 
fusion of lights. The floor consisted of solid mar- 
ble ; and in several places, magnificent columns, 
thrones, altars, and other objects appeared, as if Na- 
ture had designed to mock the curiosities of art. 
Our voices, upon speaking or singing, were re- 
doubled to an astonishing- loudness ; and upon the 
firing of a gun, the noise and reverberations were 
almost deafening. In the midst of this grand am- 
phitheatre rose a concretion of about fifteen feet 
