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

particular style; nut now begins series OF
limitations which grow more and more per-
feet, in gradual progression, till you arrive at
! the end. From the Church you may pass
| into what is called the Gothic Gallery, from
its obvious resemblance to that style of arch
itecture. Here is Mummy Hall; so called
because several mummies have been found
seated in recesses of the rock. Without any
process of embalming, they were in as per-
feet state of preservation as the mummies of
Egypt; for the air of the cave is so dry and
Interchangeable, and so strongly impregnated
with nitre, that decomposition cannot take
place. A mummy found here in 1913, was
I the body of a woman five feet ten inches
high, wrapped in half-dressed deer skins, on
which were rudely drawn white veins and
leaves. At the feet, lay pair of moccasins,
and handsome knapsack made of bark; con-
tanning strings Of small shining seeds neck
laces ofbear's teeth, eagles claws, and fawn's
red hoofs; whistles made of cane two rattle
snakes's skins, one having on it fourteen rat
ties; comets for the head, made of erect
| feathers of rocks and eagles smooth needles
OF horn and bone, some of them crooked like
sail needles; deer's sinews for sewing, and
parcel of three corded thread resembling
Irvine. | believe one of these mummies is
HOW III lile DIluSn Museum.
From Mummy Hall, you pass into Gothic
Avenue, where the resemblance to Gothic
architecture very perceptibly increases. The
wall juts out in pointed arches, and pillars,
on the sides of which are various gotesque
combinations of rock. One is an elephants
head. The tusks and sleepy eyes are quite
perfect; the trunk, at first very distinct, grad
ually recedcs, and is lost in the rock. On
another pillar is Il lions head; on another,
human head with a wig, called, Lord
Lyndhurst, from its resemblance to that dig
nitary.
! From this gallery you can step into side
cave, in which is an immense pit, called the
Lovers Leap. A huge rock, fourteen or fif-
teen feet long, like an elongated sugar loaf
running 70 a sharp point, projects half way
over this abyss. 1t makes one shudder to
see the guide walk almost to the end of this
projectile bridge. over such an awful chasm.
/ As you pass along, the Gothic Avenue mar
rows, until you come to porch composed Of
the first seperate columns in the cave. The
stalactite and stalagmite formations unite in
these irregular masses of brownish yellow,
which, when the light shines through them,
look like transparent amber. They are So
norous as Il clear toned bell. pendant
!
broken by being struck too powerfully.
The porch of columns leads to the Gothic
Chapel, which has the circular form appro-
pirate to true church. A number of pure
stalactite columns ill the nave with arches,
which, in many places form perfect Gothic
roof. The stalacttes fall in rich festoons,
strikingly similar to the highly orna-
mented chapel of Henry VII. Four compa-
mics in the centre form separate arch by
themselves, like trees twisted into grottO,
in all irregular and grotesque shapes. Under
this arch stands Wilkins Armchair, stall
actite formation, well adapted TO the human
figure. The chapelis the most beautiful spe-
cimen of Gothic in the cave. Two or three
of the columns have richly foiated capitals.
like the Corinthian.
If YOU turn back to the main avenue, and
strike off in another direction, you enter a
vast room, with several projecting galleries,
called the Ball room here the proprietor in
tends to assemble brilliant dancing party
this season. In close vicinity, as if arranged
by the severer school of theologianS, is large
amphitheatre, called Satan's Council Cham
her. From the centre rises mountain of
big stones, rudely piled one above another, in
gradual slope, nearly one hundred feet high.
On the top rests a huge rock, big as house,
called Satans's Throne. The vastness, the
gloom. partially Illuminated by the glare of
lamps, forciby remind one of Lucifer on his
throne, as represented by Martin in his illus
trations on Milton. 1t requires little imagin
nation to transform to uncOuth rocks, all
around the throne, into attendant demons
Indeed, throughout the cave, Martins pict-
ures are continually brought to mind by the
unearthly effect of intense light on black mas
ses of shadow. In this Council Chamber,
the rocks, with singular appropriateness,
change from an imitation Of Gothic architec
ture. TO that of the Egyptian. The dark,
massive walls resemble series OF Egyptian
tombs, in dull and heavy outline. In this
place is an angle which forms meeting point
/ of several caves, and is therefore considered
one of the finest points of view. Here par
ties usually stop and make arrangements to
kindle the Bengal Lights, which travellers al
WAYS carry with them. 1t has strange and
picturesque effect to see groups of people
dotted about, at different points of view, their
lamps hidden behind stones, and the light
streaming into the thick darkness, through
chinks in the rocks. When the Bengal lights
begin to burn, their intense radiance casts Il
strong glare on Satan's Throne, the whole of
the vast amphitheatre is revealed TO view,
and you can peer into the deep recesses of
two other caves beyond. For few mo-
ments, gigantic proportions and uncouth
forms stand out in the clear, strong gush of
brilliant light and then-all is darkness.
The effect is so like magic, that one almost
expects to see towering genii striding down
the deep declivities. or startled by the bril-
liant flare, shake off their long sleep among
the dense. black shadows.
If you enter one Of the caves revealed i'll
the distance, you find yourself in deep raw
inc, with huge piles of gray rock jutting out
more and more till they nearly meet at the
top. Looking upward through this narrow
aperture, you see, high, high above you, a
. vaulten roof of black rock, studded with bril-
liant spar, like consultations in the sky, seen
at midnight from deep clefts of a mountain
, This is called the Star chamber. 1t makes
one think of Schiller's grand description Of
William Tell, sternly waiting for Gessler
among the shadows of the Alps; and Of
Wordworth's picture Of
" Yorkshire dales
Among the rocks and winding scars;