The Northern galaxy, and Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1843-1844, 1844-01-10

/ anu ShHSo nv ihdiSNiibt
BILE. The floor is mountainous heap oil
loose stones, and not an inch of even sur.
face could be found on roof or walls I'm
agine two or three travellers with thei
lamps, passing through this place of evil
aspect. The deep. suspicious3ooking re.
cesses and frightful crags are but partially
revealed in the feeble light. All at once
a Bengal light blazes up, and every black
rock and frowning cliff stands out in the
brilliant glare The contrast is sublime
beyond Imagination. 1t is as il man
had seen the hills and trees of the earth
only, in the dim outlines of a moonless
night, and they should, for the first time,
be revealed 10 him in the gushing glory OF
the morning sun.
/ But the greatest wonder in this region OF
/ the cave, is, Mammoth Dome-the giant
among giants. 1t is so immensely high
and vast, that three OF the most powerful
Bengal lights illuminate il very imperfect.
/ ly. That portion of the ceiling which be-
comes visible is 500 feet above your head.
and remarkably resembles the aisles OF
Westminster Abbey. 1t is supposed that
the top of this dome is near the surface of
the ground.
Another route from the Devils Council
Chamber conducts you to a smooth, level
path, called Pensacola Avenue. Here are
numerous formations of crystalized gyp-
sum, but not as beautiful or as various as
are found farther on. From various slopes
and openings, caves above and below are
visible. The Mecca's shrine of this pill.
grimage is Angelica's Grotto, completely
lined and covered with the largest and
richest dogs tooth spar. A Presby terrain
clergyman who visited the place a few
years since, laid his sacrilegious hands up.
on it, while the guides back was turned
towards him. He coolly demolished a
magnificent spar, sparkling most conspic-
iously on the very centre of the arch, and
wrote his own insignificant name in IFS
place. This was his fashion of securing
Immortality 1t is well that fairies and
giants are powerless in the 10Th century,
else, had the indignant genii Of the cave
crushed his bones TO impalpable powder.
If you pass beyond Satan's Throne. by
narrow ascending path, You come into q
vast hall where there is nothing but naked
rock. This empty, dreary place is appro-
priately called the Deserted Chamber
Walking along the verge, you arrive at
another avenue, enclosing sulphur springs.
Here the guide warns you Of the vicinity
of pit, 100 feet deep in the shape of a
saddle. STOPPING over it, and looking up
wards, you see an abyss of precisely the
same shape over your head; a fact which
indicates that it began in the upper region
and was merely interrupted by this cham
Der.
From this, you may enter a narrow and
very tortuous path, called The Lady rinth,
which leads to an immense splitter chasm.
in the rocks. Here is placed ladder, down
which YOU descend 25 or 80 feet, and en-.
fer narrow cave below, which brings you
to a combination of rock called the Gothic
Window. You stand in this recess, while
the guide ascends huge cliffs overhead, and
kindIes Bengal Lights.by the help of which
you see, 500 feet above you,a Gothic dome
of one solid rock, perfectly overawing in
IFS vastness and height. Below is an
abyss of darkness. which no eye but the
Eternal can falhom.
II. instead of descending the ladder,you
pass straight along side the chasm.you ar
rive at the Bottomless Pit, beyond which,
no one ever ventured TO proceed till 1888.
To this fact we probably owe the meagre
account given by Leber, in his Encyclo-
padia Americana. He says: " This cave
is more remarkable for extent than the
variety or beauty Of its productions hav-
ing none of the beautiful stalactities found
in many other caves"
For long period, this pit was consider.
ed bottomless, because, when stones were
thrown into it, they reverberated and re-
verberated along the sides till lost 10 the
ear, but seemed to find no resting place
1t has since been sounded, and found TO be
l40 feet deep, with a soft, muddy bottom
which returns no noise when stone
strikes upon it. In 1888, the adventurou:
Stephen threw ladder across the chasn
and passed over it. There is now mar.
row bridge of two planks, with little rail
ing on each side; but, as it is impossible
] W SuS.dih IL W PiCis, u"'CiciS mus P"SS
over 1t in the centre. one by one, and moi
touch the railing, lest they disturb the bal
ance and overturn the bridge.
This walk brings you into Pensico Av
enue. H,herto,t the path has been rugged
wild and rough, interrupted by deep &C
clivities, rocks, and big stones; but thi
avenue has smooth and level floor, as i
the sand had been spread out by gently
flowing waters. Through Understanding
more and more, you come 10 a deep arch
by which you enter the Winding Way; ;
strangely irregular and zig gag path, 81
narrow that very large man could no
squeeze through. In some places, TN
rocks at the sides are on line with you
shoulders, then piled high over your head
and then again, you rise above and over
look them all, and see them heaped behin'
you like the mighty waves of the Red Sea
parted for the Israelites TO pass throug h.
This tollsome path was evidently made b.
a rushing, winding torrent Towards th
close, the water not having force enougl
to make smooth bed, has bored tunnel