104 
the object I have at heart, the recovery of 
the fine arts.—Objections to any of my 
pofitions I fhall always receive with at- 
tention, provided they are not anonymous 
and being as nearly independent of fociety 
as_any man can er ought to be, if [ 
difdain an. ufele{s controverfy, I hall ne- 
Ver fhrink from juft reproof, or, I truft, a 
candid confeflion ef convicted error. And 
I hope you will give me eredit, as well 
as the gentleman whofe valuable work has 
occaficned thefe obfervations, that, in 
making them, I have not the leaft-inclina- 
tion to {peak difrefpeétfully of his labours 
or talents; but only to guard the young 
and ftudious artifts from the erroneous 
idea fo prejudicial both to kim and his 
country, that he may content himfelf with 
- ftudying the beft copies of thefe valuable 
vafes, inftead of the originals; or that it 
is poffible ever to be a good artift either 
in:painting or f{culpture, without atten- 
tively examining, and that repeatedly, all 
the beit produtions of the Greek artifts, 
both in ftatues, bas-relievos, gems, paint- 
ings, painted vafes, medals, and architec- 
ture; independent of the daily exercife 
of imitation, converfation with books, 
and the inveitigation of nature. 
That means may be procured, now 
peace is returned, by a minifter who hi- 
therto has feemed to be the friend of ta- 
lents, to enable fome of our beft Englifh 
- ftudents to commence the only warfare I 
ever with to fee, a contention of abilities 
in this line ; and fome fcheme adopted, to 
inftruct the public mind, and réfine its 
judgement in thefe matters is, Sir, the ar- 
dent wifh of r ; 
Your obliged Correfpondent, 
Jan. 8, 1803. G. CUMBERLAND. 
=e ae 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
ba Hy tranfmitting to you the Statif- 
tical Account of the Parifh of Afby,* 
I have been favoured by Meflrs. Gough 
and Swainfton, of Kendal, with a much 
more accurate defcription of the cave men- 
tioned in that report, and which, perhaps, 
you will not think unworthy of infertion 
in your Mifcellany. 
THE roof of the cave being extremely 
low at the entrance, and alfo in fome 
other parts, it is with great difficulty 
that any perfon ean penetrate into this 
ae 
~ * See Monthly Magazine, vol. xili, p. 132, 
Defiription of the Cave at Great Ajy. 
{March 3; 
fubterraneous recefs, and explore its va- 
rious windings. The pafiage, or gallery, 
is generally fix or feven yards in breadth, 
extending in a north-eaft direétion, The 
bottom is rough with craggy ftones, in 
fome parts is covered with water, and, 
for the {pace of 386 yards declines gently 
from the entrance; the declivity being 
frequently interrupted by perpendicular 
fteps, the edges of which are commonly 
covered with a ridge of ftalactite. At 
this diftance from the mouth, ts a fhallow 
bafon of water, placed under a muck 
higher roof, The cavern here changes to 
the form of a dofty, but narrow chink, 
and fuddenly turns to the left ; the bot- 
tom rifing, at the fame time, to an angle 
of forty-five or fifty degrees. This ac- 
clivity is rendered almoft impafiable, by 
means of a thick bed of flippery clay, 
mixed with fharp gravel. ~Having fur- 
mounted this difhculty, the road again de-- 
fcends with an equal declivity, and winds 
along the edge of a pool of water, the 
Jength of which is about twenty, the 
breadth fix, and the depth three, yards. 
This pool, which is of an oblong form, 
is lodged ina rocky cavity, and ftuated 
under a lofty dome. On leaving this ba- 
fon, the adventurer purfues a road which 
verges to the north, and ferves to convey 
the water from the pool for the fpace of 
fixty or eighty yards, where it falls with 
fome noife into a hole in the bottom, and 
difappears. “Fhe roof here is rendered 
remarkable by two large perpendicular 
chafms of unknown extent. It is highly 
probable that the fiflures in queftion, as 
well as other apertures of lefs note in dif- 
ferent parts of this fubterraneous recefs, 
pour torrents of water into the cave after 
aheavy rain. At the place where the _ 
ftream, which proceeds from the pool, . 
difappears, the path makes an angle turn- 
ing to the welt; after which the way is 
for a little time pleafant, being dry, and ’ 
in fome parts {andy ; but it foon becomes 
low, and, onthat account, troublefome. 
About 150 yards from. the place laf 
nientioned, the cavern divides into two 
branches: that which would appear to be 
a continuation of the former tra&, ter- 
minates at the diftance of eighty yards in 
an impaflable chink. The other, which. 
verges a little to the left, after a {pace of 
fixty or eighty yards, joins the gallery 
leading from the entrance, about two 
hundred yards from the mouth of the 
cave. ee! . 
A few particulars, apparently of little _ 
coniequeice, are omitted in the preceding « 
defcrip- 
ca) 
