The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1901-05-30
where they commanded the entrance q

where they commanded the entrance to
passes, the vital points of every road.
The ponderous bridges, constructed
with enormous stones and cement.
seem as invincible to time as the ever.
lasting hills. One of these ancient
roads, probably constructed about the
time that Christ was born, leads
through the main gateway is Iveza's
medieval walls, off into the country.
and all day long it is crowded with
water-peddlers and their donkeys. who
as in most of old Spain, supply the
Balearic villages with water. Happily
there are few wheeled vehicles in these
Acadian islands, and no heavy tires cut
up the roads. The unshod hoofs of the
little donkeys and the bare feet of men
and women make no impression upon
Roman pavements of basalt, porphvry
and granite.
There are other ruins, much older
than the Roman Structures-so old in
fact, that nobody knows their origin.
Most OF them are in the form of round
towers, similar to those of Ireland,
TalJots. Bi-lethons and Megalithic en-
closures-a subject too lengthy to
touch upon at this time. Coming down
to later times, but in an age preceding
our own, are many fortified churches.
which tell of day when even sanctu-
aries We're not safe from despoiling
noblemen and greedy brigands. Each
ancient church is surrounded by thick,
high walls, pierced at intervals with
narrow Sits. through which the archers.
and later the musketeers, could aim:
and occasionally larger portfolio is
seen, indicating that sometimes cannon
were necessary to protect the monks
and their property.
The most important natural feature
of Majorca, the largest island. are the
famous Dragon Caves, which are prob
ably the most extensive in the world
They have never been fully explored,
the passages being intricate and almost
lnnumerable, but some of them have
been followed for twenty miles or
more without coming to the end. The
Balearics are undoubtedly of volcanic
origin, though the subterranean fires
burned out ages ago and the limestone
strata, penetrated everywhere by
caverns, overlies the volcanic rock. In
the Dragon Caves are dark. swift under
ground rivers, lakes of unknown depth
and extent, and lofty roofs which for
miles are masses of glittering stalacti-
ties. In exploring one of them, we
passed a towering Stalagmite, called
FL Fraile, the Friar,' because of its
resemblance to cowled monk; crossed
a strange section known as Ell Car
bonera, the coal Mines" where the
walls blacken the hands like coal: walk
ed beneath Las Alanas, 1.-The chan
deliers' Immense clusters of stalac-
titles hanging from the roof like cluster
ed candelabra: and emerged upon a
promontory jutting ont. in precarious,
unfenced fashion, upon a large subter-
ranean lake. At this point the guide
left us. taking his torch with him and
leaving us in total darknesS-only for a
moment, but quite long enough for hui
man nerves. Having clambered over
some rocks into the next cavern. he
held his light amid the opposite stalac-
titles in such way as to illuminate
the chandeliers with wonderful eff
feet. Below us stretched the still,
transparent sheet of water, rejecting
upon its mysterious bosom the fantastic
columns and filigree work surrounding
us. The most impressive of the caverns
yet discovered is named Eel Negro. ;"
A lake of motionless water, whose ex-
tent is lost in obscurity and whose
soundings no line and plummet has
been able to make, is surrounded by
huge columns. black as ink: while
slighter columns hang from above, al
most to the surface of the lake. 1t is a
gruesome place, far below the surface
of the earth, in total darkness except
for the feeble torch of the guide, which
might be extinguished at any moment;
and by what intricate passages we
reached it, past what unknown perils,
we dared not imagine. The stalactites
are of every shape and size In one
place they form perfect feudal castle,
with turrets and battlements all COM
plete FANNIE B. WARD.