The Northern galaxy, and Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1843-1844, 1844-01-17


if done by sculptors hand. This is called
Mary's Vineyard.
From the Vineyard, and entrance TO the
/ right brings you inro perfectly naked cave,
whence you suddenly pass into large hall,
with magnificent columns, and rich festoons
of stalactite, in various forms of beautiful
combination. In the centre of this chamber,
between columns of stalactite, stands mass
stalagmite, shaped like sarcophagus, in which
is an opening, like a grave. A Roman Cath
, ole priest first discovered this, about year
, ago, and with fervent enthusiasm exclaimed,
1.-The Holy Sepulchre ~ name which it has
since borne.
To the left of Mary's Vineyard is an enclo-
. sure like an arbOr, the ceiling and sides of
which are studded with snow-white crystal
lied gypsum, in the form Of all sorts Of flow
ers. 1t is impossible TO convey an idea of
r the exquisite beauty and infinite variety of
. these delicate formations. In some places,
roses and lilies seem cut on the rock, III bas-
/ relief; in others, graceful bell rises on along
! stalk, so slender that it bends at breath
One is an admirable imitation Of Indian corn
in tsssel, the silken fbreS as fine and flexible
as can be imagined: another is group of
ostrich plumes, so snowy that zephyr waves
in others, gracefully eurled leaves, like the
Acanthus, rose from the very bosom of the
rock. Near this room is the Snow Chamber,
the roof and sides of which are covered with
particles of brilliant white gypsum, as if
snow-balls had been dashed all over the
walls In another apartment the crystals
are all in the form of rOsettes. In another
called Rebccca's Garland, the flowers have
all arranged themselves into wreaths. Each
seems to have style of formations peculiar
to itself, though Of infinite variety. Days
might he spent in these superb grottos with
out becoming familiar with half their hidden
glories. One could imagine that some ante
I deluvian giant had here imprisoned some
fair daughter of earth, and then in pity for her
loneliness had employed fairies to deck her
bowers with all the splendor Of earth and
ocean. Like poor Amy Robsart, in the sol
itary halls of Cunmor. Bengal lights. kim
died in these beautiful retreats, produce an
effect more gorgeous than any theatrical rep
resentation of fairy land; but they smoke
the pure white incrustations, and the guide is
therefore very properly reluctant to have
them used. The reflection from the shining
walls is so strong, that lamp-lght is quite suf
/ ficient Moreover, these wonderful ferma-
tons need to be examined slowly and in de-
tail. The universal glitter of Bengal lights
is worthless in comparison.
From Rebecca's Garland, you come into a
vast hall, of great height, covered with shi-
ming drops of gypsum, like oozing water pc
trifed. In the centre is large rock, four
feet high, and level ttOp, round which seve-
raj hundred people can sit conveniently
| This is called Cornelia's Table, and is fire.
quent!y used for parties to dine upon. In
this hall, and III Wellington's Gallery, are de-
posts Of fbrous gypsum, snow white, dry,
and resembling asbestos. Biologists, who
sometimes take up their abode i'll the cave
| for weeks, and other travellers who choose
TO remain over night. find this a very pleasant
and comfortable bed.
Cornelia's Table is a safe centre, from
which individuals may diverge on little explo-
ring expeditions, for the paths are not laby-
rinthe, and the hall is very conspicuous from
the various neighborinS points of view in
most regions OF the cave it is hazardous 10
lose sigh of the guide. If you think to walk
straight ahead, even for few rods, and then
return to him, you will find it next to impos
sible to do so. So many paths come in at
acute angles they look so much alike; and
the light of lamp reveals them so imperfect
", that none but the practised eye of guide
can disentangle their windings. A gentleman
who retraced few steps nearthe entrance Of
the cave, to find his hat, lost his way so COM
:! plctely, that he was not found for torty-eight
hours, though twenty or thirty people were
in search of him. Parties are occasionally
mustered and counted to see that none are
missing. Should such an accident happen
there is no danger, if the wanderer will remain
stationary; for he will soon be missed and
guide sent after him.
From the hall of CONCEALED drops, you may
branch off into a 4 succession of cave, called
Cecilia's Grottoes. Here nearly ali the beau
tiful formations of the surrounding caves,
such as grapes, flowers, stars, leaves, coral,
&c. may be found so low, that you can con-
veniently examine their minutest features
One of these little recesses, covered with
sparkling spar, set in silyery gypsum, is call
ed Diamond Grotto. Alma's Bower closes
this series wonderful formations. Asa whole
they are called Cleveland's Cabinet. in
honor of Prof. Cleveland, of Bowdoln Col
lege.
Silliman in his American Journal of Sci
ence and Art, calls this admirable series, the
Alabaster Caves. He says, 81 was at first
at loss to account for such beautiful forma-
curves exhibited. tits however evident that
the substances have grown from the rocks,
by increments or additions to the base; the
solid parts already formed being continually
pushed forward. If the growth be little
more rapid on one side than on the other. a
well proportional curve viii be the result; ;
should the increased action on one side di-
minish or increase, then all the beauties of
the comic and mixed curves would be produ-
ced. The masses are often evenly and lon
; gitudinally striated by kind of columnar
structure, exhibiting facicle of small prisms
and some of these prisms ending sooner than
others, give broken termination of great
, beauty; similar TO our form of the emblem
: of the order of the STAR The resets form
ed by mammillary disk surrounded by cir
, Gle of leaves, rolled elegantly outward, are
from four inches TO a foot in diameter, Tor
tuous vines, throwing off curled leaves at ev-
cry Texture, like the branches of chandelier
running more than foot in length, and not
thicker than the finger, are among the varied
, frost-work of these grottos; common stalac-