The herald., 1898-01-09

sink-hole was a quarter Of g. mile to
the southwest.
This sink was in the middle of q
patch of bushes and small trees. The
ground sloped in that direction all
around, and shallow ravine led to ii
from the northwest. The sink itself
was about ten rods across, very rocky,
and the sides ran down to the middle,
just like funnel, only not so steep.
We found a great lot of limbs, tree
trunks, and roots in the bottom, and
set ourselves to clear it out. This was
a good two hours work, and by the
time we had finished it (first eating
breakfasD the sun looked down at us
pretty hot. The hole which we had
uncovered was jagged and irregular,
some four feet one way by three the
other, though down about the height
of man it was rather smaller and
worn smooth by the water. We placed
a young poplar stick, ten feet long
and six inches through, across the mid
die Of the hole. Then we tied O stone
to the end of the rope and sounded.
This stone struck something about
thirty feet down, but rolled off and
went on, and at last seemed to rest on
a good bottom and leave about ten feet
of the rope to spare.
That's a good hole to get down."
cried the Captain, land not so deep
as bark's main-mast is high"
I was afraid to risk going down the
rope, never having done such thing,
so the Captain proposed to go first, he
being an old sailor as you know, get
the lay of the land, and then come up
and lower me like well-bucket, If
the prospect proved good; but as !
saw this would make him extra work,
I told him to let me down first and then
come down himself. So he made a
loop in the end of the rope with a
queer knot, into which I slipped my
left foot. Then he put small strap
around just under my arms, buckling
in the rope. took the lantern, which
was an old-fashioned square one with
four glass panes and a candle inside,
slipped an extra candle in my pocket,
with some matches, and I was ready;
and will say that my heart had never
beat so fast before, though it soon
found good excuses to beat much
faster and that on more than a few
occasions.
The Captain lowered me slowly, and
1 soon pulled my wits together and felt
less fear. When my eyes got little
used to the darkness. / made out that
the sides were slanting away all
around like the roof in a garret. but as
IL got lower saw them coming in
again like the sides of a hopper. ]
thought the place might be thirty or
forty feet across at it's widest. Soon
my feet struck on the shelf where the
stone had rolled over. This ledge went
all around, leaving the opening into
the depths below ten or twelve feet
across. I slid over it, though by this
time pretty dizzy, having spun around
a good deal on account of the new rope
untwisting.
r now found that was under the
ledge and could no longer see the light
Of the opening above. My poor lantern
made little impression on the darkness
Sometimes I brushed against the wall
and again I was so far from it that ]
Gould not tell where 1t was. kept
turning round, but pumped onto the
bottom at last, with my head whirling
hike a top. When I lit my other can
Rdle I found myself in a pretty large
J space, with a floor almost as steep as
q a roof. 1 ventured down 1t few steps
Z and saw 1t was a high, arched tunnel
crooked and irregular, leading down
to lower depths. There were other
holes and tunnels on all sides, but
( smaller. When I looked up could now
= see the sink-hole opening, and shouted