American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-08-28
1f(isttllantons.
THE MAMMOTH CAVE.

For the American Citizen.l
About ten o'clock, on a sultry sum-
mer morning in the month of August,
IS, we stood at the entrance of
this vast subterranean mansion, with
the old guide, Stephen, ready and
eager to explore its hidden receSses,
wrapped i'll Egyptian gloom, and
silent as the chambers of eternal
sleep. Its broad mouth stood invit-
ingly open, and streaks of golden
sunshine reached far down into its
vast chasms and danced along its
rock ribbed sides, making merry
with the inner shades, where day
light never fingered, tinging with her
roseate fingers the solemn gloom.
Emerging from an atmosphere of $50
into temperature of 80 o; a chill
ing sensation for few minutes makes
yOu feel rather uncomfortable, but it
soon passes off, and you become de-
| Ilightfully pleasant. In these under
ground mansions there is no change
of season. Spring, summer, autumn,
winter, all pass with their varying
changes, but here they are not felt
The warm sun of summer and the
cold winds of winter bring no change
For a short time we stood enjoying
the delightful sensation which this
unexpected change of the eatmOsphere
had produced, and then plunged into
the dark bosom of this earth borr
giant. We proceeded along broat
avenue, on either side of which watts
built for the manufacture of saltpetr,
in the early settlement of the State
still stood.
The guide in front at length calle,
a halt; for daylight had faded, ant
it was necessary to bring into requi
sition those little lamps, with whicl
each of the party is supplied. The
each adventurer has his own ligh
trimmed and burning, for by no othe
can you guide your uncertain foot
steps. A thousand lights may glin
, mer in front and behind you, but
. is on your own little lamp, burnin
f with u steady blaze, that you mus
: rely for sure and certain advance
amid the perils with which you al
surrounded.
With the guide in front, each wit
a little lamp burning brightly, W
now wendcd our way far, far frol
the busy scenes of the outer worlt
leaving the sunshine, the Shad
groves and the verdant fields in til
distance.
The first halt we made was in
large rotunda called "the Church
where visitors to the cave are assen
bled together on the Sabbath, an
hear expoumded those precious trutI
by the man of God which are to lea
us from the power of Satan into IL
fulInesS of Il blessed immOrtalit
Oh how solemn and impreSsiN
must be the words uttered in tn
subteranean temple, and how mu
the blessed truths take hold of IL
heart, leading it into Il peaceful +
Cancellation with Him who has sal
"cast all your burthens on me, al
be not dismayed, for am your shic
and support, and in the dark ho,
of your atlliction will give yC
strength and comfort" The hca
which does not feel its utter unWC
thinesS and is not touched by the h
ly influences and the solcmnity of Il
place, must be as hard as the rOcl
which surround it.
Resting on one of the wide sea
with which the rotunda is supple
we raised our lamp and had vie
of the locality-thc ledge which pr
icctcd and formed the pulpit
lofty domc-and the friends wi
the guide advancing along the aN
nue., admoniShcd us that we +
should be on the move, and We jor
neycd along after our little part
enchanted with the Surroundin.
and eager TO catch II view of ca
scene as it passed like Il moving pa
Drama before us.
The Giants Coffin, Nulcan'S Forl
the Bridal Chamber and Lake ictl
r whose pure waters, SO placid a
calm, are never ruliled by su
mcr breezc--alI possess attractio
of which those who have never Sc
, them, cannot form a conception.
There was one scene, hoWCV