The Republican journal., 1899-11-09

fairly doubles upon itself as it climbs the
hills, through the dry bed of mountain
torrent. The ramshackle frame buildinc
erected over hole in the ground which
leads to the caverns, is guarded by
! Chinaman and his servants. who act as
guides. The former explains, in excellent
Castilian, that the land roundabout is his
private property, and that he, himself.
| discovered the hollowness beneath abont
thirty years ago. Flowing his yam patch
one day, he tumbled a huge boulder
out of the way, and was amazed to
see it slide through thicket and sink
out of sight, with hollow reverberations
from the depths of the earth. Though
considerably scared, curiosity led him to
investigate. Following the toboggan.
slide made by the rolling stone, he came
to an immense circular chamber. wal
led as by art, from which many narrow
passages diverged to unknown regions in
total darkness beyond. Every subsequent
exploration disclosed fresh wonders. Miles
OF tunnels, winding in and out among the
coral foundations of the island. hav. baen
marked in some manner known only to
the guides; and without their clue. the
stranger would surely lose himself in the
labyrinth. There is every reason to be-
lieve that only small portion of the chain
of caverns has yet been seen by human
eyes, for comparatively few of the pass
ages have been explored, and fewer fol-
lowed to their end For several wears
the marvels of Belamar enjoyed quite a
boom. Everybody who came to Matanzas
visited them, and the lucky proprietor
abandoned his yam patch for the bounti- |
full harvest of ''tips.''
When the war broke out the Spanish |
authorities closed this entrance and sta
toned guard over it, fearing that the |
rebels would make a rendezvous in the |
subterrenean chambers. 1t has since de-
veloped that they actually did so, in spite
of Spanish soldiers posted at the Bella
mar mouth for there are other entrances.
miles away, along the coast, and the in
surgents had only to row quietly in under
cover of darkness and store their arms
and food supplies in some of the outlying
chambers. 1t is said that since time out
OF mind, smugglers and buccaneers have
hidden their plumber in the sea-ward
caves, reached by passages known only to
themselves; while the highway robbers
and the banditti of the hills also had their |
secret storehouses in other parts of the |
nate discoverer may one day come across
regular Captain Kidd treasure; and |
that is one reason why the willy Chinaman
of Bellamar refuses to let anybody go in
his way without guides in his own en-
ploy.
At present, the trip is not void of dam
ger, in various forms. In zimmerman dark
ness, but family relieved by tallow caudles,
you 60 down insecure ladders into the
depths of the earth, cross shaking bridges
over unknown waters, and skirt precipices
above black abysses. The same hand
work of Nature that appe rs at Luray. in
NlrglDla. ana the Mammoth caves OF Men
tucky-stalactlte and Stalagmites in min
iature organ pipes and cathedral spires,
mosques and minarets, frozen cascades
and delicate tracery of woven tlowers-is
here, wrought by water in the slow course
of ages.
FANNIE BRIGHAM WARD.
Big Master soap, the biggest &c. bar of
soap made, For sale by all principal
grocers.