The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-02-05
their way, to the pla1ntain groves,
everything being so restful and delight

tnelf way, to the plaintain groves,
everything being so restful and delight
full to the eye. After a rest we again
started, our patch leading along ridge
from which you try to guess how near
you can miss slipping, and you are
willing to wager odds on the dangerous
side. Further the narrow path was
bordtted by coffee plants, just in
bloom, and sweet as a pretty summer
girl. A little ahead Of us could be
seen bunch of bananas hanging over
the road, as il to save the trouble Of
dismounting to cut when ready for
market. Orange trees offered their
own special attractions, so new to those
fresh from the north countries; in
fact, to enumerate each separate
beauty presented to our gaze would re-
quire more of your time than descrip-
tion could cover.
The mysterious regions which we
were to enter We're at the foot of lime
stone hill in a narrow gorge, which
seems in danger of being choked by
falling powders loosened by the terrific
storms which are frequent during the
rainy spell. Here were enormous ferns
with the curled, budded, unfured
smaller ones, resembling those found in
Cuban swamps. Great roots swung
in bare lengths. though some wer.
covered with glossy leaved vines and
climbing plants strange to even our
botanical professor.
Before entering we arranged our
lights and torches. The native guides
made theirs of dried banana leaves.
rolled and filed with some kind of
t,1,
lamp and couple of dark lanterns.
ON entering the cave you are rather
disappointed, for the root is only six-
teen or twenty feet in height and
everything is wet and dripping, sim
liar to smaller lime caves seen in some
parts of the United States. AS We
advanced further the stalactites re-
treated further above us, and instead
Of being messy become cleaner and
white marble colorcd. II you have
never experienced the sensation Of
hearing a few Thousand bats over
head, you can have no idea Of the rush
ing sound of the countless winks we
heard. Sometimes in iiying too low
they would nearly extinguish a TORCH
on striking any one suddenly in the
face, make man drop back with 4
time calculations not made for print
Tho soft little bodies seem 10 crush
in;o'a bunch of fur-covered meat that
the boldest need have horror OF.
I'VE examined two or three miles of
the underground surface. peering into
chambers, calling up echoes, throwing
stones into unfathomed depths, listen
ing as they bounded from ledge to
.lnIS hn-
cause too distant to be heard. Our
guides told of other chambers further
on, which would take too long for us
to reach at the time. They also amused
and Mortified some OF the party by
catching some of the hideOus land
crabs. which seem to abound in great
numbers.
after five hours of walking, crawl
ing and climbing among the grim sta
lactites we emerged from the cavern
in a different route ii being too great
distance to go back 10 the first en-
trance.
"Regaining our horses. we again fol-
lowed the tortuous back track TO Aguas
Buenas, only too glad to arrive at our
destination an hour later,
IF good road We're built to this
point and large hotel erected, 1t
would soon become an attraction tn
the globe trotter, who is ever looking
for new scenes and adventures
1.-THE trip to the caves, counting
sights seen while journeying there and
back, Is worth trip from Europe. II
is instructing and amusing. and viii
furnish more fuel for ambitious story
tellers than can be hal In double the
time spent elsewhere"