Year: 1879

lu lOOhluS dIOuuu YOU W" "'No 'HN
lights which were dispersed in different
parts Of the hall, the various small spars
or pillars that were pointing up-o,hers
that had been detached from the root
and lay scattered about tho floor-and
numerous large blocks of crystallzed
lin, one, produced novel and almost
indescribable feelings. 1t did not re-
quire an imagination unusually fervid to
liken this dim picture of the floor, TO
the ruins of some great city, with few
of its spires and steeples pointing up
from the mouldering ruins-or to some
mighty temple, with its shattered and
broken columns aud fallen walls, with
Just sufficient of its :naterisl, 10 show
the style OF It's former magnifcence.


When we had finished our repast, and
collected our forces to push forward IN
quest OF further discoveries, we concud-
ed TO call this room Congress Hall; its
magnifcence being equslled by nothing
else within our knowledge. We now
proceeded to the left OF the entrance by
which we came into the Hall-entered
an opening which presented itself and
by following rather au uneven and diff
cult passage, We very soon arrived IN
another room. Here we found very
pleasing subject for our admiration. "A
large block or projection Of the rock at
one side of this room was hung around
with vast number of stalactites OF ev-
cry possible variety of shape and size,
from the thickness of ones finger to that
of your arm, and six inches to three or
four feet in length. Some one OF the
party casually striking one of the larger
of these stalactites, a loud, full sound
was emitted something like the tone OF
a church bell. Several of the party then
drawing pieces Of spar across these stall
actites, alternately y and in concert with
each other, it produced a rude and not
unpleasing kind of melody, with every
eradation of note, from the deepest tone
of the organ to the finest note OF the
flute. This room We somewhat aptly
called the Music Room: finding no con-


venient outlet from this room, other
than the one by which we entered, we
returned to Congress Hall. After we
had entered this hall again, and contin-
ued to the right until we came 10 the
great stairway by which we had first
entered, we discovered greatly TO our
surprise, that this entrance projected IN
to the hall twelve or fifteen feet, and
was nearly as many feet from the floor.
You can form some idea of this singu-
lar entrance by supPosing square box
with its end open to be projected thro
a window into a room. This projected
or funnel part of the entrance, appeared
to be formed by the same process, that
the stalactites and spar had been; aud
its bottom, under which we could all
walk and view it, seemed not to De
more than nine or ten inches in thick


ness. Immediately to the right OF this
passage, commenced what we very
properly called a gallery. This gallery
was considerably above the level OF the
room, ard contained a great quantity of
very brilliant spar. The side OF the gal
lery next to tho hall was entirely open,
from which you could look down into it.


We LETT the gallery, and still continu-
ing to the right around the hall, we en-
tered cavity in the floor; and after
traversiug a tolerably long and difficult
passage, we arrived at a very regular
room, the side walls and ceiling of
which seemed to be the clear blue lime
stone, with q thin chrystalization as
clear as glass, over their surface. We
could reach the ceiling, upon which we
wrote many of our names with white
chalk,-the day of the month, year, DC.
This room we called the Glazed Cham
Der. In the passage leading to this
chamber, we discovered, attached TO the
side of the rock, what appeared 10 be a
complete and perfect conch shell. The
shape and size-the smoothness and
delicate red on the inside, and the
roughness on the outside, with the little
circle of knobs near the top, all pre-
cisely corresponded with the product of
the Sea. And it appeared that very
gentle tap would have detached it from
the rock. Within few inches Of this
was a petrifaction exactly resembling
the human heart. Its colour, shape, and
size, all precisely corresponded. And
near this again, the perfect leg. foot and
talons of bird projected from the rock.
These several objects were so clearly
aud completely defined, aud so closely
resembled their original, as to strike the
mind, even of the most inattentlye OBJ
server, with degree Of astonishmeDt.


From the glazed chamber, we all once
more returned to congress hall, and
continued our discoveries 10 the night
around the room. We perceived now
that as the arch of this great room be-
came lower, large stalactites were pro-
iected from IL and reached the floor,
thus forming a beautiful colonade or
row of shining pillars in line with the
direction of the room, and three or four
feet from its wall, leaving between this
colonade and the wall, beautiful recess.
n this recess, one of the simplest, yet
one of the most striking beauties Of the
cave, urfolded itself.


This was a spring of pure water,
which appeared as clear as ether. This
pool or basin, is about three or four feet
in diameter, and twelve or fourteen
inches deep. The bottom and sides OF
this basin where the water covers them,
are entirely covered with s:alsctites or
drops of shining spar, which have much
the appearance Of FURNISHED silver.
About the centre of this spring or pool,
stands a beautiful stalactite, Is inches
In heinht and nnlika all the resf nf