The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-09-01

or those wonders of vegetation produced
by the fertile nature of the Philippines.
One day Mr.. Lindsay, the most intrepid
traveller had ever known, and who had
recently accompanied me TO the Lake OF
Socolme, proposed to me to go with him to
the Crotto of San-Mateo, a place that
several travellers and myself had visited
more than once, but always in so IncOm-
plete manner that we had only teen
able TO explore small portion OF it.
was too well pleased with the propose
not to accept it with eagerneSS, but this
time ] resolved that / would not return
from this expedition, as had from former
ones, without having made every pos
sble effort to explore its dimensions and
receSScS.
Lindsay, DR.. Genu, and my brother
participated in my resolution of verifying
whether there was any Semblance OF
truth in what the Indians related con-
corning that grotto, or if, as had so often
experienced it myself their poetic minds
did not create what had never existed.
Their old indian traditions attributed to
that cavern an immense extent. There,
they would say, are to be seen fairy
palaces, with which nothing could be
compared, and which were the residences
OF fantaSt;ca1 beings.
Determined then ON seeing with our own
eyes all these wonders, we set out for San
Mateo, taking with us an Indian, having
axes, to dig us out way should We have
the chance of prolonging our subterrane-
Gus walk beyond the limits which we all
already knew. We also took with us a
good provision Of fiambeaus, so necessary
to put our project into execution.
We arrived early at San-Mateo, and
spent the remaining part of the day IN
visiting admirable views and situations
in the ncighborhood.
At the next days dawn we were on our
way to the grotto, which is about two
hours walk from the village. The road,
which is bordered by natures most beautl-
fuI productions in vegetation, traverses
the finest rice plantations, and is OF most
easy access. About halfway it suddenly
becomes dangerous and even difficult.
| Here we leave the cultivated fields and
follow along the banks OF the river. Moth
ing, until at a very short distance from
the grotto, interrupts the monotony oil
rural sites and situations.
Farther on, and in forming itself into
continuous number q niror cascades
this same river flows with vast sllNcTy
surface over Il bed of marble as white ana
as brilliant as alaba$ter ard falls uror
others OF still equal wEiteness.
THE FAMOUS GRoTTo.
The famous grotto is situated in Tie
mountain On the right Size of the river
which the traveller crosses over by Jump
ing from one block OF marble 10 another
and then, after having aScended a sleepy
hight of about 2C0 yards, he finds himsel
at the entrance to the grotto, whittier
shall conduct the reader step by step.
The entrance, the form of which is al
most regular, represents pretty well the
pOrtico of a church, with full arch
adorned with verdant festoOnS, composed
of creeping plants and bind weeds. When
the visitor has once passed under the
pOrticO he enters into a large and spacious
hall studded with stalactites of very
yellOwish color, and there dense crowd
of bats frightened by the light of the
torches, fly out with great noise and pre-
cipitatiOn.
ing towards the interior the vault con-
tinues to be very lofty, and the gallery is
spacious, but suddenly the former de-
clines immensely and the latter becomes
so narrow that it scarce admits of pas
sage for one man, who is obliged to crawl
on his hands and knees to pass through
and continue in this painful position for
about 100 yards.
And now the gallery becomes wide
again, and the vault rises several feet
high. But here again a new difficulty
Overc0me: a sort of wall, three or four
yards high, must be climbed over and
Immediately behind which lies most
dangerous subterraneOus place, where two
enormous precipices, with open mouths
on level with the ground seem ready to
swallow up the imprudent traveller who,
although he have his tOrch2lighted, would
not walk step by step and with the
greatest precautiOn through this gloomy
labyrinth.
A few stones thrown into these gulfs at