Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-11-05

worthless in comparison. From Rebeccas Gar
land YOU come into vast hail. Of great height,
covered with shining drops Of gypsum, like oozng
water rctriliHd. In the centre is large rock,
four feet high, and level at top round which Sc
vcral hundred people can sit conveniently. This
is called Coruclia's Table, and is frequently used
for parties to dine upon. In this hall, and in
Wcngtons Gallery, are deposits Of fbrous gyp-
sum, snow-whte, dry, and resembling asbestos.
GeoIogists, who sometimes take up their abode
in the cave for weeks, and other travellers who
choose to remain over night, find this very plea
SAINT and comfortable bed
CorneIias Table is Il safe centre, from which in
Ividuak may divcrge OH little exploring expcdi-
tons for the paths here are not labyruthine,
and the hall is conspicuous from various neigh
boring points of view. In most regions Of the
cave, it is hazardous to lose sight of the guide
you think to walk straight ahead, even for a
few rods, and then turn short round and return
to Inn, you will find it next to impossible to do
so. So many paths come in at acute angles !;
they look so much alike; and the light of
lamp reveals them so impertectly, that none but
the practised eye Of a guide can discntange their
windings A gentleman who retraced few
steps, near the entrance of the cave, to find his
hat, lost his way so completely, that he was not
found for forty-eight hours, though twenty or
thirty people were in search of him. Parties are
occasionally mustered and counted, to see that
none are missing Should such an accident hap
pen, there is no danger, if the wanderer will re-
main stationary: for he will soon be missed, and
guide sent after him. From the hall of con-
gcalcd drops, you may branch off into success
sion of small caves. called Cecilia's Grottoes.
Here nearly all the beautiful formations of the
surrounding caves, such as grapes, flowers, stars,
leaves, coral, DC, may. be found so low that you
can examine their minutest features. One Of
these little rccesscs, covered with sparkling spa,
set in silvery gypsum, is called Diamond Grotto.
Alma's Bower closes this series of wonderful for
nations. As awholc, they are called Clevelands
Cabinet, in honor of Professor Cleveland, of
Bowdoin College. Silliman calls this admirable
series, the Alabaster Caves. lie says: Il was
at first at loss to account for such beautiful for
nations, and especially for the elegance Of the
curves exhibited 1t is however evident that the
substances have grown from the rocks, by incre-
mcnts or additions to the base; the solid parts
already formed being continually pushed forward.
If the growth be 4 little more rapid OH one side
than on the other, we'll proportioncd curve will
be the result should the increased action on one
side diminish or increase, then all the beauties of
the comic and mixed curves would be produced
The masses are often evenly and longitudnally
striatcd bv kind Of cClumnar structure eyhibi-
ting fascicle of small prisms; and some of
these prisms ending sooner than others, give q
broken termination Of great beauty, similar to
our form of the emblem of the order of the
STAR The roscttcs formed by mammillary disk
surrounded by circle of leaves, rolled elegantly
outward, are from four inches to a foot in diane
ter Tor:uous vines, throwing off cured leaves
ut every hexure, like the branches of chandelier,
running more than foot in length, and not
thicker than the finger, are among the varied
frost-work of these grottoes common staIactites
of carbonate of lime, although beautiful objects,
lose by contrast with these ornaments, and dwin
dle into mere clumsy awkward icicles Besides
these, there are tufts of hair salt native sui
phate of magnesia, depending like adhering
snowballs from the roof, and periodically detach-
ing themselves by their own increasing weight.
Indeed, the more solid alabaster ornaments be-
come at last overgrown, and fall upon the floor
of the grotto which was found covered with mum
bers quite entire, besides fragments of Others
| broken Dy TIC Nlii.
A distinguished geologist has said that he be-
lievcd Cleveland's Avenue, two miles in length,
contained pctrifed form of every vegetablepro-
,,uction on earth. If this be too large state
ment, it is at least safe to say that its variety is
almost infinite. Amongst its other productions,
are large piles of f psom salts, beautifully crys-
taIlizcd. Travellers have shown such wanton de-
structivcncss in this great temple of Nature
mutilating beautiful columns, knocking off spar,
| and crushing delicate tlowers-that the rules are
now very strict. 1t is allowable to touch nothing,
except the ornaments which have loosened and
dropped by their own weight. These are often
hard enough to bear transportation.
After you leave Alma's Bower, the cave again
becomes very rugged. Beautiful combinations of
gypsum and spar may still be seen occasionally
overhead; but all round YOU rocks and stones
are piled up in the widest manner. Through
such scraggy scenery, you come to the Rocky
Mountains, an irregular pile Of massive rocks,
from 100 to $50 feet high. From these you can
look down into Dismal Hollow-deep below
deep-the most frightful looking place in the
whole cave On the top of the mountain Is
beautiful rotunda, called Croghrn Hail. in honor
of the proprietor Stalactites surround this in
the richest fringe of iciclcs, and lie scattered
about the walls, in all shapes, as if arranged for
a museum On one side is stalagmite torma-
tion like Il pine-trcc, about five feet high, with
rcruar leaves and branches anotheris in apyra-