The Nevada journal., 1852-04-04
NATURAL CURIOSITY.

though published over year ago in
an Atlantic paper, will be found inter-
esting, as giving an account of ono of
CALIFORNIA; Natural Curiosities. 1t
is situated near San Antonio in Gala
veras county; and the author was one
of the exploring party:
1t is situated at o place known as
McKennie's Diggings, on one of the
forks of the Calaveras river, and about
GO miles from Stockton. Any one ac-
quainted with the Geography of Cali
fornia, will understand that the point
is about midway between the base and
the summit of the Sierra Nevada. /
have, at different times, crossed the
branches Of the Calaveras in about this
range OF country, and observed a stra-
ia of limestone cropping out at the hill
sides, running parallel with the noun
tain chain. AT Mckeanie's, this stra-
ia forms the base of the soil, and in
places appears in rough masses over
considerable distance over the surface.
In October last, Mr.. Joseph ". Jay-
lOr, formerly of Hollidaysburg, Pa,
while looking among the rocks that
crop out of the hill side near his camp,
discovered small opening, and clear
ing away few loose fragments, found
it led 10 large cavern. This, he and
his companions have since explored to
the distance of II or Is hundred feel.
When l visited Taylor's Cave, as it
is called, my companions and myself
provided ourselves with candles, and
called upon Mr.. L. to accompany us.
He willingly consented, and the party
were conducted to the mouth of the
cavern, when lighting our candles. we
entered singly through an aperture in
the rock not more than two feet and a
half broad. Our first performance
then, was to scramble down, as best
we could, plane inclined at an angle
of about forty five degrees, the path
covered with loose earth and Fl agments
of rock, distance of one hundred feet.
Here we found level spot of few
feet, and turned to survey this En-
trance Hall, as Mr. Trylor has named
tour candles lighted up the scene,
and we could see that we were in a
room about fifty feet broad at the base,
and thirty in height, walled and rooted
with craggy rocks, as if thrown togeth-
er in sport, accidentally leaving this
broad aperture. A passage, about
five feet high and thirty in length,
through the rock, led US to another
large room, of circular form, about
fifty feet in diameter, with high roof.
This had been named ''The Bishops
Palace" and being called upon to do
so, | dedicated the place to 'The
Church in Boston not the Church
mentioned by the Puritan fathers as
situated there. but our Church. The
title given to the room had been sug-
gested by its fancicd resemblance to a
Catholic Chapel. This room is in
deed a most singular place In the
centre, formed by droppings from the
roof, is huge petrifaction, not unlike
a pulpit in shape, suspended from the
roof are numerous stalactites, some
large, some small, all as white as
snow, and one very much resembling
chandelier. Around the sides are
calcareous substances in many fantas-
tic and indescribable forms; but one
petrifaction very much resembles a
vase, and in its centre falls continually
the water, dripping from a huge stall
actite above.
A gentleman who accompanied me,
measured with stick, as well as he
could, the distance we traversed in this
wonderful labyrinth, and has furnishr
ed me with copy of his notes. Con-
cerning the room we entered after
leaving the Bishops Palace, he has
written "Arched Chamber and Flat
Pass, 40 feet. Then Door way en-
trance to Water Room, 80 feet The
Water Room, is room where water
stands in pools upon the floor. Moody
Entrance and Vault, % feet. This
entrance is passage so small that we
were obliged TO force ourselves through
it, as weasel goes through Granny
in wall, and the bottom being cover
ed with soft, moist clay, il was no easy
or pleasant undertaking. 1t led us to
Vault with black walls, muddy floor
and craggy roof-a sombre place,
seeming fit receptacle for the dead.
1t produced 70 pleasing sensation, and
We passed from ii, through an opening
in the rock, to Oriental Hall. This
room is about forty-five feet in dame
ter, and SO covered, roof and sides,
with calcareous petrifaction, that it ap-