New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-06-15

! the hollow basins In the floor was % wonderfully
transparent al to be almost invisible and il needed
measurement to convince me that some Of the pools
which appeared TO be only three inches In depth
were actually a. many feet
Beyond this colonnade we found another and
shorter one, striking 1t obliquely, at one end OF
which n the most remarkable stalactite formation
ever bebeld. 1t was perfect tent, aboat eight
feet in diameter at the base, with hight Of twenty
feet. The interior is hollow, and the smooth In
crustations hanging from the top fall around you
in folds like those of loose canvas, with broad
fringe sweeping the floor. stephen gave it no
name butt might appropriately De called the Tent
of the Gnomes. Near the end of the main line Of
pillars is mass of fluted and channeled stalactite
eight feet in breadth, which he called the Temple
Of Diana. Ii has faint resemblance to Grecian
faesde Near this the floor suddenly terminates,
leaving yawning pit whose opposite side ascends
steeply 10 the fretted ceiling, closing up the cave
The place is well worthy Of q visit on account OF
the variety and beauty OF its stalacttic formations
which far surpsss those of the Mammoth Gaze
During our stay at the hotel the carriage had been
brought in and repaired our horses were thor
ouehly recruited and We now prepared TO leave,
regretting the necessity which did not allow us to
spend few days longer under its pleasant roof
Nr. Miller, the kindest and most genial Of land
offered to be our guide by nearer way over the
hills to Munfordsvile. Before taking final leave
OF the Mammoth Cave however, let me assure
those who have followed me through it, that no
description can DO justice TO its sublimty, or pre-
sent fair picture of its manifold wonders. II 10
the greatest natural curiosity have ever visited
Niagara not excepted and he whose expectations
are not satisfied by its marvellous avenues, domes
and sparry grottoes, must be either fool or q
demigod. Yet very few comparatively Of Those
who travel in the West ever find their way to it
The number of visitors averages about two thou
sand year, the greater part Of whom are Ken
tuckians, Tennesseans and foreigners.
An erroneous impression has gone abroad with
regard to the facilities for crossing the subter-
ranean rivers. The timid are scared by stories Of
parties being imprisoned beyond the Styx by a sud-
den rise of the water, and kept in peril of nger
ing death. There is no possibility Of any such ac
cident occurring. The rivers rise slowly, and do
not reach hight sufficient to make the arches i'm
passable more than twice or thrice in year. At
such times visitors are not allowed to proceed be-
yond them but even at their highest point there is
always an opening through Purgstory communi-
eating with the TRANSITIONAL avenues which the
water never fills. 1t may add to the interest OF
narrative to depict the risk of being cut of by the
waters and left to starve, but in other respects it
is simply ridiculous From the discovery of the
Cave to the present time no fatal accident has ever
occurred
Owing to the rise in the rivers, we did not sue
coed in procuring any of the eyeless fish, which
are only found at low water Mat caught few
crswGsb, which, like their fnny companions, have
neither eyes nor rudimentary hints of eyes. In
other particulars they did not appear to differ
much from the ordinary crawhsh OF our country
streams. In the Solitary Cave found crickets of
large size, with very dminutive eyes, which, how
ever did not appear to possess the faculty OF vision
I menaced them repeatedly with my finger without
disturbing them in the least. but if touched one
of their long antennB ever SO lightly. they scam
pered off in great alarm. There are rats in some
of the chambers but thoy are probably Migrants
attracted by the dinners of visiting parties and not
permanent inhabitants.
As many trees had been upro0ted by the tornado
of the previous day, Mr.. Miller sent out man in
advance to clear the way. The road was exceed
ipely rough and stony, and the quality OF our new
white-oak carrisge-pole was thoroughly tested by
the first two or three milee. In ascending to the
ridge of one of the Green-Riyer Hills, our way was
blocked by large chestnut-tree, which had blown
across the road Our sapper was busy at work
choppipg of the trunk, but the work was greatly
expedited by Mr.. Miller, who swung the axe with
A grace and precision that excited my envy. There
are two classes of workmen who Away attract me
toward them with singular fascination-shlors
and mmbermen.
The remainder of the road along the ridge, until
vile, was passaby good. We reached Judge Kerrs
Hotel shortly after noon, in season for sumptu-
Gus dinner of yenison and sweet cOrn-bread. Here
We parted with our good friend Mr.. Miller, and in
the afternoon continued our journey toward Louis
Vile The drt-road had dried somewhat, so that
we made sixteen miles BY sunset, stopping for the
night at lonely inn called the Cool Spring
House" Notwithstanding things looked rather
bleak and unpromising, we were treated to excel
lent fare and very comfortable lodgings Indeed the
excellence of the country taverns in Kentucky was
matter of constant surprise to me. Without
single exception we were treated with cordially
and even kindness which gave them all friendly
and home.like air. quite different from the dreary
aspect of similar institutions north Of the Ohio
The fare also was as notably good as it is notably
bad in the more progressive States OF the West
Kentucky may be called slop in comparison with
Ohio and Illinois, but there is more genuine COM
fort and more genial social feeling within her bor-
ders than in either of the latter States.
The remainder of our journey was accomplished
pleasantly without particular incident. We left
New.Albany on last Monday, the l4th inst, in the
steamer NortheIner for St. Louis. There were
On board about seventy Presbyterian clergymen OF
the two branches of that sect, bound for their
respective Assemblies in ST. Louis and Nashville
Among them were many very intelligent gentle
men whose society added to the pleasure of the
trip. We had on board fine band of music, and
were favored with delightful weather and an en-
tire exemption from accident. My experience of
the Ohio River below Louisville confirmed the
impression i had received from seeing it above
that city. Its name best expresses it's character
the Beautiful River. We have grander and more