The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1876-09-21
AUSTIN.
THURSDAY =. ..SEPTEMBER 81, 1876
Womas's discoveries cavernous
wonders, and the Beauties OF the
Colorado River

a Womas's Discoveries : cavernou.
wonders, and the Beauties or the
Colorado River.
Editors Democratic Stdtesman-Whlle So
Journing in Lsmpasas during the summer
we heard much OF q certain cave and falls
on the Colorado, some sixteen miles sway,
and possessing peAehant for natural see
hery, we decided to visit them. When we
arrived at the Colorado the visit to the cave
WA, OF course, the uppermost thought in
our minds, for we had heard il spoken Of
oy those who visited IL as great Curl
oGry, while the falls were only second
consideration. Supplied with torches and
lanterns, our party started on an exploring
expedition underground. We had bur one
guide, 9 young man who had been TO the
cave the previous summer, but those of an
sdventuEesome disposition pressed forward,
leaving the timid ones to their fears of
snakes and other "varmints." which some
Of the young ladies vowed infested the
place. For short time the light of day
CLEANED from the opening, but when we
reached q place where the roof and floor
seemed almost to meet, We babe goodbye
TO daylight and boldly started in. We
were now reduced to the sad necessity of
crawling over the rocks in style which
none Of US had practiced since we were
babies. At il we went, the girls first Civ
Ing glance at their white hands, then a
disguised look at the Shiny rocks, but final
ly succumbing and crawling along in
the wake Of the others. Suddenly
one gentleman sided off steep
place and retired into oblivion for
q few seconds, then appeared with the
beauty of his countenance somewhat
ma hu oh ~ ID
nately the creeping process did not con-
tinue long, and we soon found ourselves in
4 an open chamber, the sides covered with
glitterIng quartz and perfect forest of
stalactites hanging like spears above US.
The curiosity seekers were armed with
hammers, and the cavern rang with the
blows on the bright and sparkling rock, as
piece after piece found its way into box
and satchel. We prosaic Americans never
invest our caverns with the spirits that
other nations give them or we might have
feared that the gnomes would change us
into rock for our dissertations of their
abode. Suddenly figure arrested our at
tentioD, and before US, in the solid rock,
was the form Of a little boy, perfect as life,
leaning. as il tired, on a log, while cap
lay at his feet. Further on we found an
immense basin Of stone, as white as Parian
marble, and formed of odd-shaped pieces
placed together, with the regularity of the
nnest mossic work. Next we entered q
room OF greater height than the others,
and gazing around or its grand proper
tions, found, to our delight, that it was a
perfect theater, with frescoed ceiling and
pendant chandeliers; here was the stage and
there ths private boxes, while several of
the gentlemen who bad climed up to where
the sides jutted out might have represented
I'VE gods Of the gallery" When we had
vented our admiration for the underground
theatet, we passed along a large hall till we
reached pthe lake" as it is called, though
IL Ia not large enough to merit the name
Here the ladies of the party said they
would go no further, for it was well known
that the lanterns always went out when |
crossing, though we found they would burn
on the other side. One of them, however, !
more reckless than the others, and wishing
to gain the glory OF being the first who |
had crossed the lake, went on, determined |
to 60 through the test, and not faint, as her |
companions wofully predicted. Heretofore |
this little pool Of water has stopped most |
Of the explorers, but our party penetrated |
almost to the end of the cave, when their (
torches burning low warned them to re- |
turn. 'Madge Wildfre," having covered |
n0iooh Win BlOIy, Cdme Duck none the |
worse for her adventure, and said in regret
full tones that ''she wished she had tainted
II would have been so romahtlcl" The next |
object OF interest was the fall, but as we |
had heard very little of it, we were scarce
ly prepared for the scene OF loneliness that
met our eyes. The path that leads to it is |
very rough and tiresome, but at last we
heard the murmur of the falling water like
The tinkle of silyer-tongued fountains,