ISLE of: SKY E. 431 
>ive hundred feet. The upper parts of thefe walls are 
capped and decorated with a border of green (lirubs, and 
purple heath growing over them in all the richnefs of 
rural attire. The tide at high-water mark enters about 
four hundred feet. At low water, the opening to this 
cleft is rather of inconvenient accefs, being full of (tones 
and pieces of the rock which have tumbled into it, and 
which are covered with fea-weeds, rendering the footing 
infecure. But this obftruCtion is foon got over; the 
fatigue of the traveller, however arduous his journey hi¬ 
ther, will fpeedily be forgotten and amply compenfated ; 
and, without any farther interruption, a gradual afcent 
leads to the mouth of the cave. 
A front more beautifully romantic and wild cannot be 
conceived. A fuperb rugged arch opens upon the fight, 
and prefents a dark and lonely chafm, which might well 
have been confidered the meet receptacle of deadly fiends. 
This gloomy portal approaches to the gothic form, but 
is foinewliat irregular, the point of the arch being a more 
acute angle, with the top reclining to the left. On the 
right fide of this opening is an inferior cave, running in 
a different direction, with many other crevices which give 
the face of the rock an imbricated look. The whole of 
this noble ftruClure, but particularly the great aperture, 
js embeliiflied with innumerable dark-green llalaClites of 
various fizes, fome of which defcend to the ground and 
form pillars, grown over with mofs, and which, with the 
fof'tening intermixture of long grafs and green foliage, 
brown heath and beautiful wild Sowers, adds to the im- 
preffive effect of this fecluded fcene. Clofe to the en¬ 
trance of the cave on the right fide, cut, as it were, out 
of the Hone, is a fmall fountain of pure water, furrounded 
by rocky pillars. The water of this ciltern is collected 
from droppings which exudate from the rock above. This 
magnificent portal opens to a paflage filent and difmal, 
into which the rays of the fun have never found accefs, 
and where darknefs holds her folitary and cheerlefs reign. 
But, in order to explore this cavity in a fatisfaclory man¬ 
ner, the light of feveral candles will be neceffary ; and, 
the better the light, the more completely will the beau¬ 
ties of the cave be feen, while it will add to the fecurity 
of the traveller. That the light may be more univerfally 
diffufed over the various parts, the afliftance of ten or 
twelve people will be required, each of whom ought to 
be furnifhed with a candle. Torches would no doubt 
anfwer better, as emitting a greater body of light; but 
the denfe fmoke produced by them is apt, not only to 
tarnifh the luftre of the roof within, but to affeCt re¬ 
spiration. 
From the mouth of the cave, the paflage goes off a 
little to the left, in a line nearly ftraight, varying from 
fifteen to twenty feet in height, the breadth for the molt 
part being about nine feet. The (ides are almoft vertical, 
inclining to the left, and partly following a fliape fimilar 
*o the front arch without. Along this part of the cave, 
which, in a great meafure, extends in a horizontal direc¬ 
tion, or with a very gentle declivity for fixty feet, nothing 
refnarkable appears but the extreme drearinefsof the place, 
and a.chilling fenfation which mull be felt on looking 
back to the light of day, which at a diftance glimmers 
through the gloom. The path is here dull and cheerlefs; 
and, in rainy "weather, owing to the conftant dropping 
f rom the roof, is wet and dilagreeable. Towards the ex¬ 
tremity of this entry, it begins to afl'ume a more regular 
fhape : the fides are more ereCt, and the roof fomewhat 
flattened, giving it a fquare and artificial appearance. 
From this place, where the level paflage terminates, the 
pathway afcends for fifty-five feet, by an angle of forty- 
five degrees, up a rough bank of earth, fand, and loofe 
(mall (tones of broken whin. This eminence is gained 
with fome difficulty, not altogether from its being fo deep, 
but principally becaufe the fand and (tones (lip from un¬ 
der the feet. Here, however, there is a flat of fome extent 
for.a relling-place, which gives the vifitor time to breathe 
before he proceeds farther; and here, on looking around, 
imagination cannot figure a more fingular place. 
Surveying the cavity through which the traveller afeend- 
ed, it now appears to him a deep and dark abyfs, from 
which he involuntarily (brinks, and even feels furprifed 
that his curiofity. (hould 'have prompted him on through 
fuch a frightful dungeon. But calling a look upwards, 
along the way by which he is (till to proceed, the eye, re¬ 
verting from this gloom, is unexpectedly charmed in be¬ 
holding a track of fnowy whitenefs. This beautiful path¬ 
way is an inclined plane, the (iirface of which is very 
irregular, and may not inappofitely be likened to a folid 
cafcade, or as pretty nearly refembling a declivity of con¬ 
gealed fnow, and giving a juft though miniature repre- 
fentation of the frozen fides of a Savoy mountain, and 
fuch as will be compared, by thofe who have viewed the 
fcene, to the flippery precipices which are met with in 
afeending Mount Blanc from the valley of Chamouni: 
for this is climbed with almoft equal difficulty, though 
not with the fame danger. 
It is not until the vifitor has advanced thus far, that 
the peculiar fplendor of the cave begins to appear. Send¬ 
ing fome of his attendants to precede him, not only for 
the purpofe of lighting him on his way, but to affift in 
handing him up the deep, (which, from the degree of its 
inclination and afperity, is furmounted with fome hazard,) 
he arrives at a more level part of the pafs. The fcrambling 
which is ntceffary for twenty-eight feet, in getting to this 
place, and the rilk of flipping backwards at every ftep, 
occupies the attention, which, in the firll inftance, ii 
iolely directed to perfonal Cafety; but now and then the 
waved fuperfice will admit of a (top, and an examination 
of his progrefs, which at every pace becomes more inte- 
refting. Having attained the fummit of this (how-white 
path, the footing is lefs dangerous; and it is here only, 
after having experienced the viciffitudes of hope and fear,, 
that the traveller feels himfelf fecure from falling back 
by the way he afeended. 
This may be (aid to be the lad grand entrance to the 
cave; an entrance not fo remarkable for its magnitude,, 
as for the beauty which itdifplays. It is eight feet broad, 
with a vaulted roof of twelve feet high, the whole arch 
having a marmorean look of unfullied whitenefs. On the 
right, this arch, or portal, is fuftained, or at leall feems to 
be fo, by an admirable gothic column of the mod regular 
form. It is a (haft of (olid fpar, projecting from the fide 
about three-fourths of its circumference, and three feet 
in diameter, ornamented with an irregular guttated capi¬ 
tal, refembling a collection of cauliflower-tops. The paf- 
fage is here altogether white, varioufly decorated with 
beautiful incruftations, chiefly of the cornial and corali- 
form (liape. From the roof is fufpended thoulands of 
icicles of pure white lpar, like the fringes of a curtain, 
giving the whole opening a moll finiftied and pLeafing ef¬ 
fect. Proceeding along this area, which is thirty-five feet 
in length, it is gradually enlarged in breadth to ten feet,and 
in height to about forty, and nearly horizontal, though the 
white marble floor is rough and uneven. And now the gran¬ 
deur of this fublime cave fuddenly opens upon the light. 
Surprife mnft here for a moment overpower the mind, 
and rivet the fteps of the mod indifferent obferver. 
Uihered at once into a magnificent theatre wholly com- 
pofed of fparkling gems, and white Alining (par, the 
vifitor is bewildered not only by the brillancy, but the 
multiplicity, of the objeCts which crowd upon his view 
on all fides. He feels as if tranfported to the abodes of 
genii, or to the temple of fairies, whole magic art has 
created fuch a collection of images at once to delight and 
to aftonilh ; and it is fome time before the mind can recal 
its ufual tranquillity fo as to pay attention to any deter¬ 
minate part.. Looking forward from this enchanting gal¬ 
lery, the dimenfions of the ■ cave are greatly increafed. 
The fpace is fuddenly expanded to above twenty feet in 
breadth, of a (hape nearly circular, the lides of which are 
entirely- 
