Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-11-02


hundred feet high, without single pillar to
support it. 1t rests on irregular ribs Of dark
gray rock in massive oval rings, smaller and
smaller, one seen within another, till they term-
nate at the top. Perhaps this apartment i'm
presses the traveller as much as any portion OF
the cave; because from it he receives his first
idea of its gigantic proportions. The vastness,
the gloom, the impossibty of taking in the
boundaries by the light Of lamps-all these pro-
duce deep sensation of awe and wonder.
From the Rotunda, you pass into Audubon's
Avenue, from eighty to hundred feet high with
galleries of rock on each side, juttng out farther
and farther till they nearly meet at top. This
avenue branches out into a vast hafoval hall,
called the Church. This contains several projec'
ting galleries, one of them resembling cathedral
choir. There is gap in the gallery and at the
point of interruption, Immediately above, is a ros-
trum, or pulpit, the rocky canopy of which juts,
over. The guide leads up from the adjoining
galleries, and places lamp each side Of the pull
pit, on fiat rocks, seem made for the purpose
There has been preaching from this pulpit; but
unless it was superior to most theological teach
inc: it must have been pitifuy discordant with
the sublimity of the place. Five thousand peo-
pie could stand in this subterranean temple with
ease.
So far, all is irregular, jagged rocks thrown
together in fantastic masses, without any partic'
ular style; but now begins series of limitations
which grow more and more perfects, in gradual
progression, till you arrive at the end. From
the Church you pass into what is called the Co
thic Gallery, from its obvious resemblance to that
=. Toll ca
callcd. because several mummies have been found
seated in reccsscs Of the rock. Without any
process of embalming they were in as perfect a
state of preservation as the mummies of Egypt:
for the air of the cave is so dry and unchange-
able, and so strongly imprcgnatcd with nltre that
decomposition cannot take place. A mummy
found here 1918, was the body Of woman five
feet ten inches high, wrapped in halfdressed deer
skins, on which were rudely drawn white veins
and leaves. At the feet lay a pair of mocca-
sins, and handsome knapsack, made of bark !;
containing strings of small shining seeds; neck
accs of bears teeth, eagles claws, and fawns'
rcd hoofs, whistles made Of canc,. two rattle
snakes skins, one having on it fourteen rattles;
coronets 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 twine. l believe one
of these mummies is now in the British Museum.
From Mummy Hall you pass into Gothic Ave
nue., where the resemblance to Gothic architec-
ture very pcrccptibly increases. The wall juts
out in pointed arches, and pillars on the sides OF
which are various gro!csque combinations ofrock.
One is an elephants head. The tusks and sleepy
ewes are quite perfect; the trunk at first very
distinct gradually recedes, and is lost in the rock
On another pillar is lions head; on another is
a human head with a wig called Lord Lyndhurst,
from its resemblance to that dignitary.
From this gallery YOU can step into side
cave in which is an immense pit, called the Lo
vers Leap. a huge rock. fourteen or fifteen
feet long, like an elongated sugar-loaf running
to sharp point projects half way over this abyss.
1t makes one shuddcr to see the guide walk TO
the end of this projcctile bridge, over such an
awful chasm. As you pass along, the Gothic
Avenue narrows, until you come to porch COM
posed of the first separate columns IN the cave.
The stalagmite formations unite in these irreSu-
lar masses of brownsh yellow, which, when the
light shines through them, look like the transpa.
rent amber. They are sonorous as clear-toned
bell. A pcndcr mass called the Bell, has been
unfortunately broken, by being struck too pow
fully.
The porch of columns leads to tho Gothic
Chapel, which has the circular form appropriate
to true church. A number of pure stalactlte
columns fill the nave with arches, which in many
places form perfect Gothic roof The stalac-
tites fall in rich festoons, strkngly similar to the
highly ornamcnted chapel of Henry VII. -Four
columns 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, a stalactltc formation
we'll adapted to the human figure. The Chapel
is the most beautiful specimen of the Gothic III
the cave. Two or three ofthe columns have
richly foliated capitals, like the Coriuthian.
If you turn back to the main avenue, and strike
off in another direction, you enter vast room
with several projecting galleries, called the Ball
Room, In close vicinity, as if arranged by the
seyerer school of theologians, is large amphl-
theatre, called Satan's Council Chamber. From
the centre rises mountain Of hig stones, rudely
piled one above another, in gradual Slope
nearly one hundred feet high. On the top rests
huge rock, as big as house, called Satan's
Throne The vastness, the gloom partially l!lu,
minated by the glare of lamps, forcibly remind
one of Lucifcr on his throne, as represented oy
Martin in his illustrations of Milton. 1t requires
little ;marination to transform the uncouth rocks
all around the throne, into attendant demons
Indeed. throughout the cave, Martins pictures
are continually brought to mind, by the unrartll-
-. .. ,n,s ,f lrbt on black mas