New-York daily tribune., 1856-08-27


hses-aud that the one hight Mammoth is chief Of
the H. Aaer the pens of Bird, Willis, Bsyard Taylor,
snd we know lot how many other author travellers,
it were superfuous to attempt description of that
subtenap an labyrinth Of tor,uous passages, mieong
galleries, ~fu pits, terrible chasms, dismal rivers,
and vast halls, where, as in Millions Chaos,
length, breadth ard hight
Ard time and place are os,; where eldest Sisat
And Chaos. sors Of Nature, hold
Eternal sway
Yet this objection casnot hold good with respect to
certain minor caves in the immediate vicinity OF the
morstrous one, the beauty and sublnlity Of which
have, perhaps, eclip;ed their attractions. Many sum-
ner tourists who, bent on underground exploration,
have been content TO endure that ~ears'me hundred
miles Of coach jowneying from Louisville to Bells,
ard that weaier nne miles Of jotiDg over the stocks
and stores Of the ylcst road in Kentucky-incum5ent
on all who would visit the Mammoth Cave-have
never heard of Whites Cave or of Longs. The lat
ter indeed at the time OF our visit had not been hon
ortd BY an explorer for some three or four yesrs YET
II is within five mules distance OF the Cave Hotel, aad
Ike tie former (but far more beautiful one) well
worthy Of inspection. In the hope that such OF our
readers as may struggle westward to visit what lia
Baba would call the great grandfather OF al caves,
may lot fall into this too common omission, We shall
essay brief description of the places in question.
Whites Cave then-for 10 that, as nearest, and par
amount in point of attraction we shall list direct
att ntion-is something less han mile from the hotel
and accessible, within hundred yards Or so, by mar
row carriage road The caves mouth almost hidden
by Wild vines AID brushwco5 pierces hill side,
,ffordpg but devious entrance TO the explorer. One
las TO crawl downward abashion-attired as usual,
in cave costume (which means anything you don't
anJ in our case cOmnfised lOOse fau-
uel Jacket an old cap and pants, the fist mentioned
articles having been borrowed from colored waiter
who reoiced in the arstocratic appenation OF "St.
Clan") Lamps and guide also advisable accom-
panin ents the former being indispensable.
On fairly obtaining entrance, progress becomes com
parsty.ly easy, though for some short dstatce tn
ro0f is so low as to necessitae stopping Very so)n
however YOU reach the cave proper and are at once
asorished and delighted at the Singular beauty OF the
mace Fancy a cavern one thousand feet in length,
partially divided iuto two chambers by a wondrou4
screen of staagmites and stalacttes, watch adanAn
tine cicles, indeed, surround you on every side The
latter frrge the whole roof hard but Translucent,
slender, lOIg massive, fantastlcdlly shaped, varou
and strangely beautiful as dream Nor this alone;
for the entire fcor is worn into she-ke continuous
curves the bard sharp clear-cu rock ridges serpent
inipg up down in ard out, hither aud thlthe in the
strsng.st fashion, the hollows bet -een being filed
with bright clear ice cold water deep enough to
cover the arm to the elbow, shallow enough to be
bOttomed by the point Of your finger. For untold
centuries has Nature been silently at work producing
tbs starge wtehery, and with wh4t wondrous result
We rever saw, imagined or dreamed Of aught like to
IT, and for many an hour viii the remembrance haunt
us thst amid wild Kentucky hills, in darkness, aud
with forests above, lies the uDspeakable beauty OF
Whites Cave Standing there, We could Well under.
staId the wei,d fascination Of the underground world
which, in the mind of insutiicienty appreciated
novelist, Bird terminated into the Legend ot Msrry
the Miner. Are our readers acquainted with it II
not let them repair the omission at the first ooportu
uiiy. And, spropos Of the author, wei back Mex J
tie Woods against The Last Of the Mohicaas any
day. Birds Indians the only true ores in novels
ClavI pardon for our little dgression We return
to Whites Cave. Beautiful as was its ordinary as
pct how much more 20 did It become on suspcnding
our lanterns behind the ceLtral screen! The red light
elistebed on the shsrp, rounded spes.shsped rock
icces and Il dropsdepcbdent from their points;
shore on the great hanging s,alactite masses which,
bl,nding in marriage petrfacton with the stalag-
mites below, had formed strange columns; danced
ard spsrklsd On the pools filling the basins and wind
irg curves Of the Hoor and was brightly reflected in
distant holows ard inaccessby minute crevices with
an effect that il perfectly indescnbable.
Here, reader, if ever you become explorer, We al
wise You 10 turn about and seek further. There is,
20 lie sure, cavern Of something under quarter Of
mile in lergtb, but tie merely rugged and gloomy,
merging into rough rocks, both over head and uader
foot through which you ProSess by toilsome ascent
of loose stoIes At the extreme end other sta ~
miles and stalacttes, though Of no extraordinary
beauty.
Longs Cave as heretofore stated is at greater Dis.
tance from the hotel. And here le, do justice to
the five miles Of leafy loveliness by which it Is ap
preached. Oh, the Autumn glory Of those Kentucky
woods Brave poueers following in Boonea tack,
With trap apd life, into the dark and bloody
ground" ouLd this western part Of the State vast
prahe i.s streams only frnged By tall trees second
growth has covered it with thick forest of which
ash hickory and varieties of the oak species form the
stspe. But how shall describe the Fail fashions
Of tie hamadpads Of those woods the eA1aSI'
colors, the puppies, reds, oranges, e'er'cHa"ss
lows and pitem.nent ever, the uxarian', iuoyiod u
back.nrg sumach l.av,s, with ts blood fcd oe'f'e'
Eehtipe up the world OF greenery around a. though
they were the iui, Of vei.sble fairy oE;nafd Lev
the resder stimulate h.s imagination by dip into the
n. t ron aptically picturesque plseae 10 od opeasef
AID then picture FOR himself.
The hot poontde sun shed glory al around U: as
We rode toward Longs Cave As usual, ia entrsnce
tes IN hiB.de. bu. quite out Of the wayof rosd or
n.,hs von have 10 ride through the forest fJr some
hu,Sr,d r.ds to ,esoh L: Whte preparing oar
smps, or /. de Aired .ss &c desperately i)l.cI