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

grotto, which was found covered with num-
bers quite entire, besides fragments of others
broken by the fall
A distinguished geologist has said that he
believed Cleveland's Avenue, two miles in
length, contained petrifed form Of every
vegetable production on earth. If this be too
large a statement, it is at least safe to say
that its variety is almost infinite. Amongst
It's other productions, are large piles Of Ep-
som salts beautifully chrystalized. Travel
iers have shown such wanton destructive
ness IN this great temple Of nature-mutia-
ting beautiful columns, knocking of spar, and
crushing delicate fowers-that the rules
are now very strict. 1t is allowable
to touch nothing except the ornaments
which have loosened and droaped by their
own weight. These are often hard enough
10 bear transportation.
After you leave Alma's Bower, the cave
again becomes very ragged. Beautiful COM
blnatons of gypsum and spar may still be
seen occasionally overhead; but all around
/ you rocks and stones are piled up in the Wild
est manner. Through such scraggy scenery,
you come to the Rocky Mountains, an IT.
regular pile of massive rocks, 100 to $50 feet
high. From these you can lock down into
Dismal Hollow-decp below deep-the most
inghtiul looking place in the whole cave. On
the top Of the mountain is beautiful rotun-
ia, called Croghan Hall, i'll honor of the pro-
prietor. Stalactites surround this in the
richest fringe of icicles, and lie scattered about
the walls in all shapes, as if arranged for
museum. On one side is Il stalagmite for
nation like pine tree, about FIVE feet high,
with irregular leaves and branches; another is
in pyramidical form, like cypress.
If you wind down the mountains, on the
side opposite from that which you assembled,
you will come to Serena's Arbor, which IS
thirteen miles from the entrance of the cave,
and the end of this avenue And most
beautiful termination it isl In semi-circle
of stalactite columns is fountain of pure
water spouting up from rock. This fluid
is as transparent as air; all the earthly par
ticles it ever held in suspension, having been
long since precipitated. The stalactite for
nations III this arbor are remarkably beauti-
ful.
One hundred and sixty-fve avenues have
been discovered i'll Mammoth Cave, the walk
through which is estimated at about three
hundred miles. In some places you descend
more than mile into the bowels of the earth.
The poetic minded traveller, after he has trac-
ed all the labyrinths, departs with lingering
reluctance. As he approaches the entrance
daylight greets him with a novel and startling
beauty. If the sun shines on the verdant
slOping hill, and the waving trees, seen
through the arch, they seem Ike fluid gold
If mere daylight rests upon them, they re-
semble molten silver. This remarkable rich
ness of appearance is doubtless owing - the
contrast with tie thick darkness, to which
the eye has been so long accustomed.
As you come out of the cave the tempera-
ture of the air rises thirty degrees instantly,
IF the season is summary and you feel as Il
plunged in a hot vapor bath but the effects
of this are salutary and not unpleasant.
Nature never seems so miraculous as it
does when you emerge from his hidden realm
of marvellous limitations. The "dear god
dess" is so serene i'll her Respondent and
more harmonious beauty. The gorgeous
amphitheatre of trees, the hills, the sky, and
the air, all seem to wear veil oftranslgured
glory. The traveller feels that he was never
before conscious, how beautiful phenomc-
enon is the sunlight, how magnificent the
blue arch of heaven.
There are three guides at the service of
travellers, all well versed in the intricate
paths of this neither world. Stephen, the
presiding genius Of Mammoth Cave, is a mu-
latto and slave. He has lived in this strange
realm, from boyhood, and large proper
ton of the discoveries are the result of his
courage, intelligence, and untiring zeal. His
vocation has brought him into contact with
many intellectual and scientific men; as he
has great quickness of perception and pro-
dgious memory, he has proftted much by in
tercOurse with superior minds. He can rec
ollect every body that ever visited the cave,
and all the terms of geology and minerology
are at his tongues end. He is extremely at
tentive and peculiarly polite to ladies. Like
most of his race, he is fond of grandiIoquent
language, and his rapturous expressions as he
lights up some fine point of view, are at times
fine specimens of Qualification. His knowl-
edge Of the place is ample and accurate, and
he is altogether an extremely useful and
agreeable guide May his last breath be a
free one