The Northern star, and constitutionalist. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1834-1837, 1834-11-22
NEW SERIES VOL. 1.--NO. 16.

Gus and almost limltless vaults OIL nature,
which he had seen, excited a curiosity
gre atty increased from what had been
felt before entering it threading It's "de-
vious ways" and exploring its alternately
gloomy and gorgeous recesses. Our first
object now, was, to re-enter the main
cave this we did, not by retracing our
steps, but by turning into another branch
Of the cavern on the left hand, small
distance from the "White Chambers I"
and after pursuing il a few hundred ya;ddss.
descending in rapid succession steep preci-
pices and crags, until we found ourselves
once more 10 the spacious range of rooms
wa had left previous to our entering the
! first branch. 1t should be remarked.
that we left the main cavern on the right
hand side. We returned 10 il though an
aperture on the left hand side proving,
that in our rambles below, we had passed
directly under the main cave our re-en-
trance to it was about quarter Of a mile
beyond, or more distant from the mauth,
than where we had left it. Having arri-
we'd at the mouth of the branch at which
we at first departed from the main cav
ern, the writer suffered the guide and
ser want to 90 in search Of his hat, which,
from convenience, he had parted from in
one Of the narrow passages at some dist
ance. The sensations Of utter loneliness
produced by being left in the high arched
and gloomy room where he stood, were
more oppressive, not to say overwhelming,
than he ever before felt, or expects to
feel in any other situation than that in
which he was placed. The solitude and
silence were perfect-awful-profound
words cannot describe, the nerves and
senses alone can realize them. The
guide aud servant having returned, and
the road before us being unobstructed,
without accident, we soon reached the
mouth Of the cavern, where we found the
remainder Of our company in awaiting for
lus.
The above is a nasty and in many re-
spects imperfectdescrip,ion Of the writer's
own observations while 10 the Mammoth
iCave. The distance he travelled in the
Cave was thought TO be about FIVE miles.
THE portion Of the cavern be saw. is
probably as interesting as other parts Of
Iit, but he scarcely made a beginning to-
ward a complete examination. Indeed,
l;he extent Of the cave, with its un-num-
Ibered branches and ramiications, is al
most interminable, and months, perhaps
lyears, might be employed in exploring
those parts of it, that have never yet been
seen. The main cave, in which the wri-
ter travelled about a mile and half, ex-
tends twelve miles. where it forks, forming
two main caves. One Of these forks on
Iy has been explored to its terminstion.-
The distance from the mouth to this point
is said by some to be twepty miles.-The
other fork has been explored an equal
distance, but no one yet has bad sufficient
perseverance to trace it to its end. The
branches from the main cave, the whole
distance, are ireQsent, end the branches
from the branches are sull more frequent,
presenting a map, resembling the profle
Of large tree, with trunk, large branch
es, smaller branches and tvigs. The
floor aud walls of tho cave, are generally
dry and dusty. The atmosphere is tenn
pera,e, pure and invigorsiing. II Is said,
that animal su distances placed in The cave,
never become pur0Seent. The bodies Of
several aborigines. retaining IN greet per-
lection, their general shape and features,
in state Of petrltaction, have been dis
covered in the cave, aud are now pre-
served in some museum Of the country.
Some Of the rooms Of the cavern were
also used ss cemeteries by the original
population of the country, the bones and
other remains, together with the grave
clothes in which the bodies were envel-
oped and inferred, in a state Of good pre-
servatiop, having been discovered by tae
SaltpeiSe manufacturers, when making
their excavs,ions. The cloth, however,
which was formed by the weaving or
braiding together Of narrow slips Of bark,
was soon decomposed after exposure to
the light No Inconvenience is expert
ced by remaining in the cavern any length
of time, but on the contrary its atmos-
phsre is regarded by those residing in tho
vicinity as being highly conducive to
health. In onclusion the writer cannot
bs, remark that he regards the Mammoth
Cave as not only the most interesting, but
one of the most if not emphatically tho
most wonderful Of all natural curiosities
yet discovered.
ON SLANDER.-No. o.