The National tribune., 1899-05-25
YARRANG0BILLY CAVES.
Numbered Among the Grea: Natural Wen
ders of New South Wales,

NOW SOutn NaleS Is rlcN III pedutilu
stalactite caves, several of great extent
and containing numerous chambers, all
more or less beautiful and interesting.
Among the largest and most important
are the Yarrangobilly caves, situated on
the fringe of the Australian snow country
and readily accessible by rail and coach
from Sydney. The surroundings OF the
caves are highly picturesque, the descent
into the gorge in which the entrances are
placed being, according 10 the special
correspondent of the Sydney Morning
Herald, fringed with pretty wild flowers,
and before long the gorge opens out be
meath the eye in a most idylilc manner
quite in the style of some of the Scotch
Highland glens which have been com
mitted to canvas by the ablest British
artists, presenting waving masses Oh
many -hued foliage, glimpses OF green
sward, rocks in abundance, and, through
| the trees, a limpid mountain stream in
the center of the view rejecting the blue
| and the fleecneSs of the heavens.
| There are trout in these waters, which
also afford facilities for fine cold SWIM
| ming. After rest at the accommodation
house the cliffs on the opposite side OF the
gorge have to be assembled for about a
mile and half, when the entrances,
protected by iron gates, are reached. Six
large chambers are open TO visitors, but
there are many others which have to be
fully explored and made safe for insPec-
ton. AS a rule, says the writer from
whose articles these extracts are made,
the walls of the passage are uninteresting,
the glories of the show being concen-
trated within their strangely-shaped
chambers.
To describe adequately what those
glories are is simply impossible, and that
fact is, of course, complimentary to the
mise en- scene Still, something suggest
i've may be said. Most of the caverns
seemed as though they had been the
Laboratories of some great waxwork artist,
who had done most fanciful work IN
splendid, though quite unconventional,
STYLE and left much unfinished, along
with a great deal of raw material Melted
wax, white, yellow, rose, salmon color,
amber sepia green, and even black is
represented in stalactites depending rom
the roofs. in stalagmites rising from the
ground, in nodded formations against the
walls like huge instal!ments OF blanc
mango. in shapclcss mounds, in solitary
pillars 1t sometimes maniieS;S ltSei In
the form of parti-colorCd waxcn cascades,
or in the likeness OF the piped front OF
great organ, and frequently it hangs down
from rocky arches in exquisitely -draped
folds like ladies' shawls. Where the lat
ter occur they often shade basins in the
limestone floor containing very cold, clear
water On tapping the shawls with the
hand they emit, in some cases, clear,
ringing notes Of music.
Bestrewn amongst the greater masses OF
colored matter are all sorts OF rudely-
made natural images of wedding cakes,
statuets, candlcSticis, grillins, sea
horses, and grotesqueries in ornament.
Sometimes between the colored staIac-
tites the limestone roofs are engralned
with a pretty groIning OF metailiierous
seams, or underfOOt amidst the staiag-
mites a garden OF crystals is seen SPRING
ing from the earth. The waxen furniture
of these caves, which is always ample, IS
marble to the touch and quite dry, al
though it displays such polished sur
face. It's wonderful completely enchains
admiration, and how it ut times develops
into striking contours may be iElaglleu
from the christening OF various items IN
the exhibition. Thus in the South Cave
is Lots Wife, an attractivc-looking dry
salted female statue 20 feet high, ana the
Ruined CathedralS, composed manly OF
great blocks Of alabaster. In the Castle
Cave is Solomon's Temple and the Queens
BOudoir whilst the Jersey Cave includes
Chaos, the Centennial Hall, the Alhambra,
Creopatra's Needle, Pompey's Pillar, the
Madonna, Jack Frost's Hall, the Queens
Canopy, Titania's Bower, and the forcu-
pine Chamber. Seen under the mag
nesium light carried by the guide the DIS
play is often bewilderingly pretty. How
the beauty of the caves acts on different
temperaments may be gauged by the re-
marks one hears. Some people compare |
them to the home of the gods, others say
it reminds them of the Cavern OF the
Forty Thieves. Occasionally calls are
heard for someone to kindly sing "Ihe
Holy City" Ladies are frequently below.
They gush a great deal, and shy at some
of the narrower passages or most uncanny
descents.
Cinnamon who explore the caves chat
ter amusedly, and clap their hands at the
wealthy stores of carrots and parsnips
auerywhara view HinNOS
peer gravely about in reverential attitudes,
and if anyone lays hold of a stalactite or
stalagmite clutch him nervously by the
arm and whisper, "No touch; this is
Gods house." Assyrians, on the other
hand, seem to understand great deal of
the chemical processes which have con-
spired to produce the show, and chat |;
about it. Practical geologists, who have
been much diverted by the explanations
offered by the guide OF sundry phenomena
surmise that he has been conversing
with the Assyrians. The air is invariably
good, and of comfortable temperature.
Only those who enter in a state of per
spiratiOn are apt to take a chill.
The largest caves at Yarrangobilly ex-l
tend from 700 feet to 800 feet into the lime
stone. The entrances to the north and
south caves open out from beneath an
arch of rock co feet high, with span OF
at least the same width, and having a
hole 80 feet in diameter in the crown Of it.
This is known as The Glory Hole. A
stream Of considerable volume
disappears entirely into the ground oppo-
site the accommodation house and runs
into the Yarrangobilly River out of hill
side three-quarters Of a mile further on.
Near one Of the caves, in a glen, there is Il
handsome waterfall bewcen 800 and 400
feet high a briskly running hotwater
creek is in the valley, which is clear,
non -odorOus, free from poisonous metals,
and has excellent therapeutic properties.
A bath has been constructed into which
it runs, and this is constantly patroniZed
by visitors, the temperature being not too
warm. The caves are included in Il State
reserve Of 920 acres, the protected game
three black wallabies, so tame
that they cannot be scared into activity
from the safe distance at which they
sraZc; also Il large number Of lyre-birds
and phcasants. Good shooting may be
had at ibiscs, wild turkeys, harcs, rabbits
and dingoes.
Terrible Dilemma.