The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1901-06-08

ne who succeeds in cutting it down with
a sword being entitled to some sort Of a
prize. OF course, after the turning, the
blind olded youth is utterly bewildered
as to directions, and his antics-slashing
the air. yards away from the cock-are
as ludicrous as the attempts to pin on
the tai" which we used to see when
donkey parties were fashionable.
Scattered all over these islands are most
interesting Roman remains. Nearly all
the roads and bridges now in use were
nullt BY the Romans 1000 years ago. and
after twenty centuries are as solid as
ever. The Romans held every strategic
point by means of a fort, and their castles
were placed with infallible Judgment in
situations where they commanded the en-
trance to passes, the vital points Of everv
road The ponderous bridges, constructed
with enormous stones and cement. seem
as invincible to time as the eyerlastinp
hills. One OF these ancient roads, prob.
ably constructed about the time that
Christ was born, leads through the main
gateway to Iyiza's medieval wallis Off
into the country, and all day long it Is
crowded with water-peddlers and their
oonkeys, who, as in most of old Spain.
supply the Ba1earic villages with water.
Happily, there are few wheeled vehicles
IN these Acarian Islands, and no heavy
tires to cut up the roads, The unshod
hoofs or the little donkeys and the bare
rect or men and women make no impress
sion upon the Roman pavements of ba.
salt porphyry and granite.
There are other ruins, much older thar
mi,
that nobody knows their orisin. Most n,
them are in the form of round towers
similar to those. of Ireland, Taliots. Ri.
lethons and Megalithic inclosures-a sub
ject too lengthy to touch upon at this
time. Coming down to later times, bu,
in an age preceding our own, are man,
fortified churches, which tell of da,
when ev Ell sanctuaries We're not safe
from despoiling noblemen and greedy
brigands. Each ancient church is sur
rounded by thick, high walls, pierced a.
intervals with narrow Sits, through
which the archers and later the muske
teers could aim; and occasionally a larger
portfolio is seen. indicating that some
times cannon was necessary to protect
the monks and their property
The most important natural feature of
Majorca. the largest island, are the IA.
nous Dragon caves, which are probably
the most extensive in the world. They
nave never been fully explored, the pas
sages being intricate and almost innu-
merable, but some of them have been fol-
lowed 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, ano limestone strata, penetrated
everywhere by caverns, overlies the vol
can1c rock. In the Dragon caves are
dark, swift underground rivers, lakes OF
unknown depth and extent, and lofty roofs
which for miles are masses Of glitterne
stalactites. In exploring one Of them we
passed a towering staIagmite called Eel
Fraile, 1.-THE -Friar" because of its resem-
blance to a cowled monk; crossed a
strange section known as Ell Carbonera,
the coal mines,' where the walls blacken
the hands like coal; walked beneath Las
Aranas, 1.-The chandeliers" immense clus-
tiers of staiactites hanging from the roof
like clustered candelabra; and emerged
upon promontory jutting out IN pre-
carious. unfenced fashion, upon a large
subterranean lake. At this point the
guide left us, baking his torch with him
and leaving us in total darkness-only
for moment, but quite long enough for
human nerves. Having clambered over
some rocks into the next cavern, he held
his light amid the opposite stalactite in
such a way as to illunine the "'chanGe-
liers' with wonderful effect. Below us
stretched the still, transparent sheet OF
water. rejecting upon it's mysterious
bosom the fantastic columns and filigree
work surrounding US.
The most impressive of the caverns yet
discovered is named Ell Negro. A lake
OF motionless water. whose extent is az
most in obscurity and whose soundings
no line. and plu1nmet has been able to
make. is surrounded by huge columns,
black as ink while slighter columns hang
from above almost to the surface of the
lake. 1t is 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 mo-
ment. and by what intricate passages we
reached 1T, 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 complete.
Fannie b. Ward.