The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-08-02
he once more recoiled from the adventure, and
hurried back in terror 10 the entrance.


But he gathered courage for second trial.
The answering echoes were not followed by
any evil, though they seemed to mock his ears
with laughter such as he had heard from the
tyrant ofthe Dian de Burgos, when he devoted
him to his melancholy exile. He passed again
into the cavern. taking care, by his own silence,
to provoke no such fearful responses as those
which had driven him forth A few feet brought
him TO small dark pool which lay directly in
his pathway, and which left hut narrow space
between its own margin and the walls Of the
cavern. This he sounded with his spear, and
found to be shallow. 1t was lakelet left by
the waves Of the ocean, by which, at its over.
flow, the cave was evidently penetrated. Pas.
sing this pool, our "Maroon'' found himself upon
dry floor, the foundation of which was the
solid rock; but slender coating of soil had
formed upon it, which was in turn, clothed with
a nice smooth covering Of green and velvet.like
moss. Here he was gladdened hy glimpse
OF the sun, which, breaking through chink in
the rock, slender crevice, glided along the
rugged vault side, affording to the timid ad.
venturpr, more perfect idea of an angel pres.
ence. than he had ever before possessed. An.
other opening in the rock, almost Immediately
abnve. afforded sufficient ligb, for bis examina.
ton ofhe whole interior. The cave narrowed
TO a still senderer gap, as he advanced than
was The one by which he had entered. This
was the entrance to another apartment. IL
was sometime before he ventured TO enter this
and not until he had thurst his spear, its full
length, into its recesses. He then clambered
up, for the elevation Of this inner chamber was
greaer than the first. Here he was again re.
freshed with brief glmpses Of the sunlight,
which, peeping in through two openings OF the
rock, looking like two The most natural and
smiling eyes in the world. This apartment,
though of less height, was Of larger area than
the other. II soon afforded him new subjects
Of curiosity ifnot alarm. In The centre ofthe
chamber stood rock, scarcely larger than a
hlacksmi,h's anvil, and having something of
the appearance Of one, on which lay the remains
of a fire. Brands lay half consumed, the fires
Of which were now extinsuished; hut the ashes
we're there, still undisturbed, as iflhe fame had
only recently gone out Piles Of an aromatic
gum, lay upon shelf Of The rock, and other piles.
in slender fragments, Of wood Of which our Ma
room knew nothing, lay contiguous also. But
.uhat tn,ara- than anpihina hnrida-arrested and
confnunded our ssMaroon" were certain ,,.r..
rous shreds of dark hair soft, fine and very long,
like the hair of women, which hung, neatly tied
in separate volumes, from the tops OF reeds,
which were stuck about the vauted roof OF the
cavern, and wherever crevice could be found
sufficiently large in which to introduce their
slender exlremities. Examining several OF
these shreds of hair, the wonder of the explorer
was increased to discover that the ends OF them
were shrivelpd as in the fame. There were
other objects to excite hs surprise, if not to oc.
casion his alarm. Baskets of shells and peb-
blrs, flowers which had dccayed. bow and
many arrows.-all of, the latter being broken
and heavy stringent Of large pearls which
had been slightly injured in the fire, but which
Spanish cupidity readily conceived would still
possess considerable value in the Cuba mar.
ket.
ITO be continued.)