CAVES OF KEREFTO. 
553 
planned in a most extraordinary way; forming a labyrinth of 
passages and apartments so disposed as to represent a sort of 
subterranean epitome of the world. Parts were planted with 
flowers and shrubs, and crystal streams caused to flow between 
their borders. Other places, intricate and winding, leading to 
these bowers of Proserpine, were sculptured or painted with 
images and symbols of the gods, and other hieroglyphics, so 
arranged as to pourtray the elements of creation, and all that phi¬ 
losophers then knew of natural history. By degrees the asflirant 
was introduced by the presiding sage and his colleagues, through 
all these mystic avenues and cells; each presenting him a new 
stage of religious or physical knowledge ; and after many terrify¬ 
ing ordeals, leading him through the flowery pathway to cross 
some black abyss of horror, he was at length brought out of utter 
darkness, into the great blazing temple of the light of the uni¬ 
verse ! The long winding labyrinths in the caves of Kerefto, 
their numberless chambers of various sizes, the stream we met 
with, and the legend of the gulf beyond with its grassy margin, 
and above all the thousands of lamp-niches along most of the 
passages and apartments, with the double circlets for their 
light round the great central cavern, cannot but induce me to 
suppose that these ancient recesses were originally designed for 
something of higher import in the mind of the long-forgotten 
architect, than places of refuge for a few hundred houseless 
vagabonds and thieves. 
On emerging from the caves, I made my way up to the craggy 
summit of the rock, to ascertain whether there were any remains 
of building there; but nothing disturbed its nearly barren sur¬ 
face, excepting a line of loose stones piled up along the brink, 
to prevent the sheep and cattle, who strayed thither in browsing, 
4 B 
VOL. II. 
