170 
PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
this wondrous work of nature is formed, is visible on every side, and its various 
faces beautifully broken by pendent plants, sapling ash, thorns, and elder. When 
you have descended about seventy feet, right in front of your path a grand natural 
arch presents itself, formed of the rude limestone rock, the arch approaching in 
form to a quarter circle, about twenty-two feet high, by thirty-seven feet at the 
base, and the height continues along the inclined plane with some few deviations. 
“ The appearance which the Cave presents at this point of view (under the arch), 
is singularly impressive, vast horizontal strata of limestone ledges, in a descending 
series, seem retreating one behind the other, each supported by that beneath it; 
lichens, ferns, ivy, and briars hang from the joints, and, in some measure, clothe 
the perpendicular and otherwise naked surface, and give a picturesque appearance. 
Having entered the archway, to the left hand is a kind of rude but inclined plat¬ 
form, full of rocks, and expanding into a large and wide chamber; the roof, or 
ceiling nearly horizontal, and from twelve to fifteen feet above you. The view 
outward, towards the mouth of the Cave, was from this position singularly beautiful. 
“ Having advanced far enough into the Cave to prevent its mouth being visible, 
there was sufficient light to render objects around us perfectly distinct, although 
immersed in shade, while the figures of those descending the outer (or upper) path, 
were beautifully illumined by the uninterrupted light falling upon them. In a few 
minutes our guides produced another very singular effect, quite different, but not 
less beautiful, by the firing of some straw which they had brought to light our 
candles with. The chamber of the Cave was filled with smoke that, for a time, ob¬ 
scured every object; but owing to the dampness of the air, the smoke lingered 
long, and on clearing away left that agreeable kind of haze so peculiar to the 
evenings of autumn and spring, which added surprisingly to the effect of the ob¬ 
jects around us, and increased their effect on the imagination tenfold. Were these 
offides conversant with their business, how mightily could they increase the effect of 
this great natural curiosity, upon the minds of all ordinary visitors, by the use of 
this innocent circumstance. 
“From our position, now looking inward, upon our right hand lay the bottom of 
the Cave, visible at a greath depth ; the inclined plane, by which we had originally 
entered, descending into it with a rapid inclination, and unbroken by any interruption. 
On our left, and divided from the former by a thick mass or partition of rock, lay 
another chamber of a very different character. To a few yards beyond us the floor 
on which we stood continued tolerably even ; but, on a sudden, it appeared rugged 
and dissevered into large masses, separated from each other by deep and wide 
chasms, through which, following each other down an abrupt and dangerous decli¬ 
vity, we saw the guides precede us, with candles in their hands, the puny light of 
which showed but very indistinctly, the tremendously rude objects that surrounded 
us, and made but “ darkness visible,” adding extreme interest to every new object 
that presented itself. The descent was troublesome owing to its intricacy, and 
being very slippery from the water impregnated with stalactic matter, constantly 
dripping from the roof, and keeping the stones of the floor wet. 
“We had descended from twelve to fourteen feet below our former level, and, 
having advanced a short way, saw before us, by the lights of our guides, who now 
appeared ascending, another fine natural arch of considerable height, and of the 
same rude materials as the arch of the mouth, which appeared to lead into another 
chamber of greater height, but of less dimensions than that from which we had de¬ 
scended. It appeared to be elliptical, its longest diameter standing obliquely to 
the former chamber. The floor was rough and uneven, but not composed of those 
rude and dangerous masses through which we had just clambered; the path ap¬ 
peared beaten as if frequented. The roof, or ceiling, here changed its appearance 
to that of an irregular conical dome of great height at its apex, probably forty feet. 
Scarcely had we time to bestow any attention upon this wonderfully natural ex¬ 
cavation, when our curiosity was attracted as powerfully, by the sound of our 
guides’ voices at an elevation far above us. 
“Wonderful as the former scenes appeared to minds so fully occupied as ours were 
with them, that now before us excited new and strong interest. At the termination 
of this elliptic chamber, appeared a high and narrow cavity, filled for the most part, 
by what appeared to us as a rock with a broken surface, almost perpendicular; 
