The hill on which this curious and interest ing cavern is formed, belongs to one of those groups which border on Blue River; that stream running within a hundred yards of its base, about three hundred feet from which, fronting W. S. W. opens the

MOUTH OF THE CAVE,

Which forms the half of an irregular oval, about five feet in height Passing under the projecting ledges of rock, you immediately enter a low passage opening downward to the first chamber or vestibule, which is a vaulted apartinent of an oval figure, whose longest diameter is forty yards. There is nothing here to claim any particular notice, if we except the beauty of the arch formed by the ceiling, which springs from the floor.

And leaving this, a passage presents itself, that winds considerably to the right, varying in breadth from fifteen to twenty feet, and in height from forty to a hundred. The rock, which has hitherto been composed of a bluish grey limestone (the whole formation belonging to the newest flætz) lying in very distinct hori

zontal strata, two feet thick, placed immediately over each other, without any intervening substance, is here of a softer kind of the same stone, with a yellow calcareous, and in some places a blue argillaceous earth interposed between them. The ceiling, which, as was before observed, is in some places one hundred feet high, is as perfectly smooth as though it had been plastered by the hand of a mason, its continuity being interrupted only by large fissures of a spheroidal or oval figure, that seem to communicate with cavities above. The inferior (and, as far as can be discerned, the superior) edges of these holes are perfectly smooth, and bear ample testimony, as well as do the appearances throughout the cave generally, that water was the agent employed in rounding them.

In this passage the Epsom salt, or sulphate of magnesia, first makes its appearance. It is seen upon the rocks in every direction, shooting into small crystals, whose lustre is dimmed by the quantity of dust showered on them from above. This salt appears to be incxhaustible, not only from the quantities seen incrusting the surface, and filling up the spaces

between the different strata of rock, throughout the vast extent of this passage, but from its rapid and continual reproduction; as a proof of which, the owner once had a small projection that was covered, swept perfectly clean, when in a few months it was found as thickly studded as before.

Having gained the end of this hall, which is at least one hundred and forty yards from the mouth of the cave, you come to an arched door-way, twelve feet in height, that admits you into a narrow vaulted gallery, running straight forwards for the distance of forty yards, where it turns to the right, and, gradually winding to the left, makes a descent of from ten to twelve feet, at an angle of 15°. Here you enter a second passage, which enlarges from ten to fifteen feet in width, and which contains most irrefragable proof, that the whole cavity was once filled by a stream of water, whose rapidity and volume has scooped and furrowed out the rock in every direction, leaving no angular points or projections whatever. In this place I cut out of the left wall a small madrepore, the only fossil vestige of any animal,

shell, or plant, that I could discover in the

cave.

About the middle of the passage we are describing, on the right side, at the height of forty feet from the ground, there appears to be an immense chasm, occasioned by the recession of the roof from the side that supports it. This aperture having been always considered as opening into another cavern over head, I had a ladder constructed, which, with much toil and labour, we succeeded in dragging to the spot. and elevating against the rock. One of the party then ascended, and discovered that what had appeared an opening from below, was an optical illusion, occasioned by the oblique direction of the rocks constituting the side, which, at the height before mentioned, instead of continuing to the roof, slaunts off at an angle of 60°, which it is impossible to see from below, owing to the darkness that, notwithstanding your torches, always prevails in front of it.

The earth on which you now tread, contains about five pounds of the nitrate of lime or magnesia, to the bushel, and is composed of decayed animal and vegetable matter, principally

of bats' dung, which may be seen hanging in tufts on every rock. A little beyond this, and near the end of the passage, is a small opening, originating from a deep gully to the left, that seems to wind under the main road that leads to the right. It is, however, at a little distance from its commencement, rendered impassable by fragments of rock that choak up the passage. Continuing on the main route for some distance further, the eye is involuntarily attracted by immense pebbles, weighing from one to five hundred tons, that lie precisely in the middle of it. I say pebbles, because, although they are composed of carbonate of lime, they are as completely rounded as any fragment of a primitive rock that can be produced in a water

course.

At a little distance from these ponderous masses, the cave forks, at the distance of threequarters of a mile from its mouth; the left hand, however, is passable but for a little distance, the roof having fallen in from above, prevents your further progress. At this spot are the remains of two Indian drawings; the one resembling a savage, armed with a bow and arrows;