The Morning herald., 1877-10-05
THE nnorro OF HAN.

THE 6no1ro OF HAN.
Leaving tho Hotel Diron at Roehefost,
the road turns to the right after tvs and
half miles. passing through picturesque
valley, and gradually ascending sntil q
point is reached overlooking the village Of
Han-sur-Lesse. Hsrs deep desseus brings
one to the Hotel do y Belle Vus, from
which We started for the Grotto Do Han,
having first bespoksn seats at She table d
hote.
The entrance to these wonderful eave,ns
is at considerable height on the slope Of
the hill, at some little distance from the
village A pasty Of about twelve persons,
with one guide to each three persons, enter
ed the cavern. Tho guide under whose
care we found ourselves was q child about
four years old; the paradtns larny he carried
was consequently just under our noses.
Another drawback, besides the smell Of the
lamp, was the exceeding slipperiness Of the
ground, which constantly brought "AAea-
ton au n,archs" from our Juvenile guide,
shouted in a shriN treble voice, OF "AHension
a la teteF' from the men, spoken in a deep
bass.
How I wish that I could convey to the
mind of the reader some faint idea of some
of these marvellous cavsrns. Passage after
passage, room after room, followed one
another for four hours in the very bowels
of the earth, each chamber decksd with the
most beautiful stalactite formations, or sup
ported by natural columns, some of pure
white marble, and glistening with the mois-
ture from all sides. Fanciful forms, re-
sembling in their quaintness things one
reads of only In the guone kingdom, rise
from the ground or hang pendant from the
roof. The "Trone de Pluton," "Bodoir de
Prosperine," "Galeria de la Grenouille,'
are some of the names given to these curl
ious formations. But when, after many
windings through innumerabls passages,
we came to the splendid 'Balls du Dome,"
our wonder and admiration came 10 a eli
max. This magnificent chamber rises to'a
height Of sixty feet. Its vast proportions
were brought out to great advantage by the
guides, who, torch in hand, ascended by
natural steps nearly to the summit while
others lit up the scene from below.
At this moment the fantastic weirdness
of the tout ensemble was perfect. One extra
ordinary feature Of these caverns 10 the con-
tinuous sound Of rushing waters heard from
the River Lssse; which runs completely
through the caverns, forming for itself. an
underground passage through tho hill. The
water, when reached, looks cold and dark
indeed, and reminds one forcibly Of Daute's
Inferno" Charon's boat is ready and we
step on board. Gradually pale light be-
gins to steal In; the lamps are sxtinguished.
One can scarcely believe that u is daylight
we see creeping in, SO still is u in the pale
moonlight. Suddenly . fearful noise is
heard, louder than any thundes, which dies
away again low rumblinsa. 1t iaathe
gun fred BY the guides to awaken the
echoes Of the cavern. The noise r. simply
appalling. Nearer and nearer We approach
the light, and again, after four hours dark
ness, we see, framed Ike picture by the
cavern's mouth, the bright sunlight and the
green halds.
Have We been in another worldi One
might almost fancy 80; but the stern reality
Of feeling the guides soon dipels the illu-
sion. zable dhote followed, 70 which we
did ample justice. -,: t'a'
Let me, in conclusion, urge any one who
may find themselves at Jemille or Rochefort
to make q point Of seeing the Grotto Of
Hau.-London Society.
REEORM I'M SPELLING.