VOLUME 3. CAMDEN, SOUTH-CAROLINA, NOVEMBER 2, 1852. NUMBER 8a
THE CAMDEN JOURNAL.
published semi-weekly and weekly by
THOMAS J. WARREN.
TERMS.
The Semi-Weekly Journal is published at Three
Dollars and Fifty Cents, if paid in advance, or Four
Dollars if payment is delayed three months.
The Weekly Journal is published at Two Dollars
If paid in advance"; Two Dollars and Fifty Cents if pay '
- 1 tl..?? tlnllorc !( >?,t
ment bo tieiayecitnree inoruns, hiiu xmvt ..
oaid till tho expiration of the year.
ADVERTISEMENTS will bo inserted at the following
terms: For one Square (fourteen lines or less) in tho
semi-weekly, one dollar for the first, and twenty-five
cents for each subsequent insertion. In the weekly,
seventy-five cents per square for the first, and thirty-seven
and a half cents for each subsequent insertion. Single
insertions one dollar. Semi-monthly, monthly and
quarterly advertisements charged the same as for a single
insertion.
jgThe number of insertions desired, and tho edition
to be published in must be noted on the margin of
all advertisements, or they will be published semi-week**
J - ? -1 oAnnnlinrrlv
y until ordered aisconunueu uuu VllCU^VU WVW.
Timely Hints to All. d
FRIENDS.?Reader, lfyou have a valued Friend,
in whose welfare you feel an interest, that friend
will prize, as a precious memorial, your Daguerreotype
Miniature, if taken in Sqcier's peculiar stylo.
PARENTS.?If you aro still blessed with Parents,
and no Artist's Pencil has or can truly trace the lineaments
of his or her familiar face or form, you may well
act the part of wisdom to advise or jperswde them to
visit, Without delay, Squier's Daguerreotype Rooms,
and have their Miniatures taken in his superior Btyle
of art.
- TO ALL.?How many have lost a Father, a Mother,
a Sistci; a Brother, or an iunocent prattling child, and
have not even the shadow of a resemblance to look upon.
After the separation, some "little toy" or trifling
article is often kept for years, and cherished as a token
of remembrance. How much more valuable would be
' w. ? A
one of Squier's perfect Daguerreotype-uinuuureoui um
"loved and lost"
There is scarcely any one who does not take pleasuro
in gazing on the features of a friend, and, when that
ftiend has been removed by death, wo often hear the
exclamation uttered with an expression of deep regret,
" Oh, what would I not give for such a picture of my
friend."
Reader, porliaps you cannot do a better tiling, while
your mind is upon the subject, than take an hour or
two now, and visit the gallery; then you may, at some
future period, have reason to feel grateful for theso
"Gentle Hints" from
SQUIElt'S DAGUERR2AN GALLERY.
Septomber 24. 77 tf
Florida Lands for Sale.
rpHE following valuable Tracts of LAND, lying in
JL Marion and Alachma counties, will be offered at
private sale during the months of October, November
and December, next, viz: "Wetcmpka Hammock,"
situated about ten miles North of Oeala, (the County
Seat of Marion Counry,) containing 3,000 acres, about
one half of which is hammock, unsurpassed by any in
the State, and the remainder White Oak and Hickory
land.
A TRACT, well known as the " Fort Dranc" I'lan nfion
eontaininar 3.000 acres of Land, principally first
4 quality hammock, between four and live hundred
acres of which are thoroughly cleared and at present
in cultivation. This place for several years averaged
two hogsheads of Sugar to the acre, and every year that
it has been cultivated has produced tine crops of Corn
and Cotton. These tracts could readily be divided into
two or three plantations, each being surrounded by
high rolling pine land.
A TRACT of 1,000 acres on Orange Lake, consisting
of hammock, orange grove and well-timbered pine
land.
TWO TRACTS of 1,000 each, near tho Alcliua
Prairie. The greater part of these tracts is rich hammode.
Also, 5,000 acres on Indian river. A ny one wishing
}o cultivate Sugar Cane would do well to examine tins
land, as, being remarkably fertile, and Ij'ing south of
the region of frost, it is as well adapted to that culture
as any in the United States.
12,000 acres, generally known as tho " B.vyar
Tract," situated on tho St. John's River, opposite
Picolata. Thoro arc many small hammocks and orange
groves on this tract, but it is principally valuable l'or
its pine timber. It lias a river front of 7 or 8 miles.
1,000 acres on Lake George, and several small tracts
cj and near the St John's river, well situated for farmin!*
the rearing of orange groves, Ac.
The above tracts of Land were purcliaseu ny mo
lato Gen. Clinch immediately after the accession of
Florida to tho United States. From his position at
that time, his facilities for selection were unusually
great, and it is believed they include as good land as
can bo found in the State.
On accouut of their accessibility from Charleston
and Savannah, they offer great inducements to planters
in Carolina and Georgia wishing to remove.
Tho titles are clear and indisputable.
Terms cash, or payable at Charleston or Savannah,
on or before the first of January.
Any further information on tho subject, can be obtained
by addressing the subscriber, at Orange Spring,
Marion County, Florida.
J. H. M. CLINCH, Ex'or.
September 2L 77 3m
Three Days from New York.
I HAVE just opened a magnificent assortment ol
FRENCH EMBROIDERIES, purchased in
New York last week, consisting Jof Worked Muslin
Collars of tlio newest stylos, from 10c. up to $G; Muslin
Sleeves and Cuffs, new shapes and patterns; Kmb'd;
Chemisetts, plain and frilled; Swiss Edgings and Insertings;
Cambric do.. 6 in great abundance. 20 dozen
Cambric Ildkfs. Also, a completo stook of Bonnet,
Neck and Cap RIBBONS, selected from tbo latest
French Importations; black Velvet Ribbons all widths,
colored do., for Trimmings.
I also had tho good fortune to receive 35 boxes and
bales of DRY GOODS, before tho destruction of the
Congaree Bridge, tho contents of which are now open
and ready tor public inspection. They consist of white,
?i ?i ?viannols; Kerscvs. Sattinots, Jeans.
rt-u aiiu juuvn * mm. , ? ? .
Tweeds and Cassircorea; Plaid Linseys; Cotton Stripes,
bleached and brown Homespuns and fteotiiyr jjo
pieces of fust colored CALICO^, to^incr witha general
assortment of YaLL Ai B WINTER GOODS,
all^of whien are ollercd at my usual small profits,
24. JAMES WILSON.
Watches and Jewelry.
THE subscriber has received and opened his Full
supply of JEWELRY; consisting of new and elegant
styles of Gold Broaches, plain and ornamental?
Cuff Pins, Kings and Ear-rings; Cold Chains, for fob*
and vest; Buckles, Seals and Keys. Cold and Silver
Lover "Vetches, single aud hunting cases. Gold Spectacles,
Pens and Pencils. Gold and Coral Armlets
and Necklaces. Silver Spoons, Forks, Ladles, Ac.
Oct. 8.?80tf ALEXANDER YOUNG.
Rich Dress Goods.
A BEAUTIFUL assortment of DRESS
*- ' 1. : 11 T . . ,'
Jl_ opcnea lo-uuy, um waving an ijiian iva, itj which
I would invito the attention of tlio Unii. ;', as tlioy aro
handsome, and will bo offered low by
Oct. 0?It. W. ANOJiHSON.
*?| *
From the International Magazine.
The Underground Territories of the
United States.
The extraordinary caverns which under-lic various
parts of this country arc of a description
suitable in extent and magnificence to the general
scale of nature here, in lakes, rivers, cataracts,
valleys in which empires arc cradled, prairies of
scarcely conceivable vastness, and mountains
w hose bases are amid perpetual flowers and where
; frozen seas have never intermission of their crashing
thunders. In Virginia, New-York, and other
states, the caves of AVeyer, Schoharie, and many
that are less famous but not inferior in beauty or
grandeur, are well known to travellers ; but the
Mammoth Cave, under Kentucky, is world renowned,
and such felon states as Naples might
hide in it from the scorn of mankind. Uunsidorinrr
tho common curiositv respecting that strange
subterranean country, and the fact of its being
resorted to in winter by valetudinarians, on account
of its admirable climate?so that our article
is altogether seasonable?we give, chiefly
from a letter by Mrs. Child, a very full description
of this eighth wonder of the world?illustrated
by engravings from recent drawings made
under the direction of the Hev. Horace Martin,
who proposes soon to furnish for tourists an ample
volume on the subject.
" The Mammoth Cave is in the southwest part
of Kentucky, about a hundred miles from Louisville,
and sixty from Harrodsburg Springs. The
word cave is ill calculated to impress the imagination
with an idea of its surpassing grandeur.
It is in fact a subterranean world ; containing
within itself territories extensive enough for half
a score of German principalities. It should be
named Titans' Palace, or Cyclops' Grotto. It
lies among the Knobs, a range of bills, which
border an extent of country, like highland prairies,
willed the Barrens. The surrounding scenery
is lovely. Fine woods of oak, hickory, and
chestnut, clear of underbrush, with smooth, verdant.
oneniiMTs. like the narks of English noble
^ - - "3 7 - JL ?-?
men.
The cave was purchased by Dr. John Croghan,
for ten thousand dollars. To prevent a disputed
title, in case any new and distant opening sh uld
be discovered, lie has likewise bought a wide circuit
of adjoining land. His 'enthusiasm concerning
it is unbounded. It is in fact his world ;
and every newly-discovered chamber fills him
with pride and joy, like that felt by Columbus,
when he first kissed his hand to the fair Queen
of the Antilles. He has built a commodious hotel
near the entrance, in a style well suited to
the place. It is made of logs, filled in with lime;
with a fine large porch, in front of which is a
beautiful verdant lawn. Near by, is a funnelshaped
hollow of three hundred acres; probably
a cave fallen in. It is called Deer Park, because
when those animals run into it, they cannot escape.
There are troops of wild deer in the immediate
vicinity of the hotel; bear-hunts arc
frequent, and game of all kinds abounds.
Walking along the verge of this hollow, you
come to a ravine, leadincr to Green Rivet, whence
you command a view of what is supposed to be
the main entrance to the cave. It is a huge cavernous
arch, filled in with immense stones, as if
giants had piled them there to imprison a con
quered demon. No opening has ever been effected
here, nor is it easy to imagine that iteould
be done by the strength of man. In rear of the
hotel, is a deep ravine densely wooded, and covered
with a luxuriant vegetable growth. It
leads to Green ltivor, and was probably onee a
water course. A narrow ravine, diverging from
this, leads, by a winding patb, to the entrance
of tbe cave. It is a high arch of rocks, rudely
piled, and richly covered with ivy and tangled
vines. At the top, is a perennial fountain of
sweet and cool water, which trickles down continually
from the centre of the arch, through the
pendant foliage, and is caught in a vessel below.
The entrance of this wide arch is somewhat obstructed
by a large mound of saltpetre, thrown
up by workmen engaged in its manufacture, (luring
the last war. In the course of their excavations,
the}- dug up the bones of a gigantic man ;
but, unfortunately, tliey buried tliein again,
without any memorial to mark the spot. They
have been sought for by the curious and scientific,
but are not yet found.
As you come opposite the entrance of the
cave, in summer, the temperature changes instantaneously,
from about 85 deg. to below 60 dog.
and you feel chilled as if by the presence of an
iceberg. In winter, the effect is reversed. The
eriontifin bnve Jiulnlnrnrl in various sneenlatiollS
concerning the air of this cave. It is supposed
to get completely filled with cold winds during
the long blasts of winter, and as theic is no outlet,
they remain pent up till the atmosphere
without becomes warmer than that within;
when there is, of course, a continual effort toward
equilibrium. Why the air within the cave
should be so fresh, pure, and equable, all the
year round, even in its deepest recesses, is not so
easily explained. Some have suggested that it
is continually modified by the presence ot chemical
agents. * Whatever may V? ti,c causC) its
agreeable salubrity is observed by every visitor,
and it v.i s^.J to have great healing power in
diseases of the lungs. The amount of exertion
which can be performed here without fatigue, is
astonishing. The superabundance of oxygen in
the atmosphere operates like moderate doses of
exhilarating gas. The traveller feels a buoyant
sensation, which tempts him to run and jump,
and leap from crag to crag, and hound over the
stones in his path. The mind, moreover, sustains
the body, being kept in a state of delight
fill activity, by continual new discoveries and
startling revelations.
The wide entrance to the cavern soon contracts,
so that but two can pass abreast. At this place,
called the Narrows, the air from dark depths be
yond blows out fiercely, as if the spirits of the
cave had mustered there, to drive intruders hack
o the realms of day. This path continues
about fourteen CT .fi,tecn rods, and emerges into a
wider avenue, floored with saltpetre earth, from
which the stones have boon removed. This leads
directly into the Rotunda, a vast hall, comprising
a surface of eight acres, arched with a dome
a hundred feet high, without a single pillar to
support it. It rests on irregular ribs of dark
gray rock in massive oval rings, smaller and
smaller, one seen within another, till they terminate
at the top. Perhaps this apartment impresses
the traveller as much -as any portion of
the cave; because from it lie receives his first
idea of its gigantic proportions. The vastness,
the gloom, the impossibility of taking in the
boundaries by the light of lamps?all these produce
a deep sensation of awe and wonder.
From the Rotunda, you pass into Audubon's
Avenue, from eighty to a hundred feet high with
! galleries of rock on each side, jutting out farther
1 and farther till they nearly meet at top. This
j avenue branches out iuto a vast half-oval hall,
called the Church. This contains several projeeting
galleries, one of them resembling a cathedral
' choir. There is a gap in the gallery and at the
J point of interruption, immediately above, is a rostrum,
or pulpit, the rocky canopy of which juts,
; over. The guide leads up from the adjoining
naileries, and places a lamp each side of the put
pit, on flat rocks, seem made for the purpose.? I
: There has been preaching from this pulpit; but
I unless it was superior to most theological teacli|
ing: it must have been pitifully discordant with
: the sublimity of the place. Five thousand peoI
pic could stand in this subterranean temple with
ease.
So far, all is irregular, jagged rocks, thrown
together in fantastic masses, without any particular
style; but now begins a series of imitations
which grow more and more perfects, in gradual
, progression, till you arrive at the end. From
the Church you pass into what is called the GoI
tliic Gallery, from its obvious resemblance to that
J style of architecture. Here is Mummy Hall; so
1 called,,because several mummies have been found
: seated in recesses of the rock. Without any
j process of embalming, they were in as perfect a
; state of preservation as the mummies of Egypt:
j for the air of the cave is so dry and unchaugui
able, and so strongly impregnated with nitre, that
decomposition cannot take place. A mummy
f..iuifl lftia wns ilu; 1?.mIv of a woman live
feet ten inches high, wrapped in half-dressed doer
skins, on which wore rudely drawn white veins
and leaves. At the feet lay a pair of mocca|
sins, and a handsome knapsack, made of bark ;
containing strings of small shining seeds; neckO
O 3 '
laces of bear s teeth, eagles' claws, and fawns'
red hoofs, whistles made of cane,, two rattlesnakes'
skins, one having on it fourteen rattles;
coronets for the head made of erect feathers of
rooks and eagles; smooth needles of horn and
bone, some of them crooked like sail-needles;
deer's sinews, for sewing, and a parcel of thrcccorded
thread, resembling twine. I believe one
of those mummies is now in the British Museum.
From Mummy Hall you pass into Gothic Avenue,
where the resemblance to Gothic architecture
very perceptibly increases. The wall jut*
out in pointed arches, and pillars on the sides of
which arc various grotesque combinations of rock.
One is an elephant's head. The tu>ks and sleepy
eves arc quite perfect; the trunk at first very
distinct gradually recedes, and is lost in the rock.
On another pillar is a lion's head; on another is
a human head with a wig called Lord Lyndhnrst, j
from its resemblance to that dignitary.
From this gallery you can step into a side
cave, in which is an immense pit, called the Lo
ver's Leap. A huge rock, fourteen or fifteen
feet long, like an elongated sugar-loaf running
to a sharp point projects halfway over this abyss.
T? /%n/. uluwl,l,,r tn the rruide walk lo i
the end of this projectile bridge, over such nn
awful chasm. As you pass along, the Gothic
Avenue narrows, until you come to a porch composed
of the first separate columns in the cave.
The stalagmite formations unite in these irregular
masses of brownish yellow, which, when the
light shines through them, look like the transparent
amber. They are sonorous as a clear-toned
U ll. A pcnder mass called the Bell, has been
unfortunately broken, by being struck too powfully.
The porch of columns leads to tho Gothic
Chapel, which has the circular form appropriate
to a true church. A number of pure stalactite
columns fill the nave with arches, which in many
places form a perfect Gothic roof. The stalactites
fall in rich festoons, strikingly similar to the
highly ornamented chapel of Jlenry V"II. Four
columns in the centre form a separate arch by
themselves, like trees twisted into a grotto, in all
irregular and grotesque shapes. Undor this arch
stands Wilkins' arm-chair, a stalactite formation
well adapted to the human figure. Tho Chapel
is the most beautiful specimen of the Gothic in
the cave. Two or three of the columns have
richly foliated capitals, like the Coriuthian.
it you turn back to the main avenue, and strike
otl in another direction, you enter a vast room
with several projecting galleries, called the Ball
Room, In close vicinity, as if arranged by the
severer school of theologians, is a large amphitheatre,
called Satan's Council Chamber. From
the centre rises a mountain of hig stones, rudely
piled ono above another, in a gradual slope,
nearly one hundred feet high. On the top rests
a huge rock, as big as a bouse, called Satan's
Throne. The vastness, the gloom partially illuminated
by the glare of lamps, forcibly remind
one of Lucifer 011 his throne, as represented by
Martin in his illustrations of Milton. It requires
little imagination to transform the uncouth rocks
all around the throne, into attendant demons.
Indeed, throughout the cave, Martin's pictures
" 1 -' ? niiiiil l?v I ho unearth
arc continually urou^nt iu v
ly effect of intense gleams of liiflit on hlaek masses
of sliarlow. In t.liis Council Chamber, the
rocks, with singular appropriateness, change
from an imitation of Hothie architecture, to that
of the Egyptian. The dark massive walls resemble
a series of Egyptian tombs, in dull and
heavy outline. In this place is an angle which
forms the meeting point of several caves, and is
, therefore considered one of tlii finest points of
view. Here parties usually stop and make ari
rangements to kindle the Bengal Lights, which
9
travellers always carry with them. It has a strange
and picturesque effect, to see groups of people
dotted "'about, at different points of view, their
lamps hidden behind stones, and light streaming
into thick darkness through chinks in the rocks.
"When ihc lights begin to burn their intense,
radiance c:ists a strong glare on Satan's Throne;
the whole of the vast amphitheatre Is revealed
to view and you can peer out into the deep recesses
of two other caves beyond. For a few moments,
gigantic proportions and uncouth forms
stand out ir. the clear, strong gush of brilliant
light! and then?all is darkness. The effect
is so like magic, that one almost expects to see
towering genii striding down deep declivities, or
startled by the brilliant flare, shake off their long
sleep amongst the dense black shadows.
If y iu enter one of the caves revealed in the
distance, you find yourself in a deep ravine, with
huge piles of gray rock jutting out more and
more, till they nearly meet at top. Looking upward,
through this narrow aperture, you see,
high, high above you, a vaulted roof of llack
rock, studded with brilliant spar, like constellations
in the skv, seen at midnight, from the deep
i a * - i -*? mt !. it i it., o. ?
ciciis or a mountain. mis is caueu me oiar
Chamber. It makes one think of Schiller's grand
description of William Tell sternly waiting for
Gcsslcr, among the shadows of the Alps, and of
Wordsworth's picture of
" Yorkshire dales
Among the rocks and winding scars,
Where deep and low the hamlets lie,
Beneath their little patch of sky,
And little lot of stars."
In this neighborhood is a vast, dreary chamber,
which Stephen, the guide, called Bandit's
llall, the first moment his eye rested on it; and
the name is singularly expressive of its character.
Its ragged roughness and sullen gloom arc indescribable.
The floor is a mountainous heap of
loose stones, and not an inch of even surface
could be found on roof or walls. Imagine two
or three travellers, with their lamps, passing
through this place of evil aspect. The deep,
suspicious-looking recesses and frightful crags are
but partially revealed in the feeble light. All at
once, a Bengal Light blazes up, and every black
rock and frowning clitt'stands out in the brilliant
glare. The contrast is sublime beyond imagination.
It is as if a man had seen the hills and
trees of this earth only in the dim outline of a
moonless night, and they should, for the first
time, be revealed to him in the gushing glory of
the morning sun. But the greatest wonder in
this region of the cave, is Mammoth Dome?a
..nlnnts If 5a an imnmnenlv liirrh
^ 111 111/ illUUIl^ III I J I/O* iU WV IIIIUlVMUVj >..Q ?
and vast, that three of the most powerful Bengal
Lights illuminate it very imperfectly. That'
portion of the ceiling which becomes visible, is
three hundred feet above your head, and remarkably
resembles the aisles of Westminister Abbey.
It is supposed that the top of this dome is near
the surface of the ground. Another route from
the Devil's Council Chamber conducts you to a
smooth, level path, called Pensocola Avenue.?
Here arc numerous formations of crystallized gypsum,
but not as beautiful or as various as are
found farther on. From various slopes and openings,
caves above and below are visible. The
Mecca's shrine of this pilgrimage is Angelica's
Crot to, completely lined and covered with the
largest and richest dog's tooth spar. A person
who visited the place, a few years since, laid his
sacrilegious hands upon it, while the guide's back
was turned towards him. He coolly demolished
a magnificent mass of spar, sparkling most con
- ? ?.1?_?i.
spicuousty on mc very cemrc 01 uic uitu, auu
wrote his own insignificant name in its place.
This was hi? fashion of securing immortality! It
is well that fairies and giants are powerless in
the nineteenth century, else had the indignant
genii of the cave crushed his bones to impalpable
powder.
If yon pass behind Satan's Throne, by a narrow
ascending path, you come into a vast hall
where there is nothing but naked rock. This
empty dreary place is appropriately called the
Deserted Chamber. Walking along the verge,
yon arrive at another avenue, inclosing sulphur
springs. I lore the guide warns you of the vicinity
of a pit, one hundred and twenty feet deep,
in the shape of a saddle. Stooping over it, and
looking upward, you see .an abyss of precisely
the same shape over your head; a fact which indicates
that it began in the upper region, and
was merely interrupted by this chamber.
From this you may enter a narrow and very
tortuous path, called the Labyrinth, which leads
to ati immense split or chasm in the rocks. Here
is placed a ladder, down which you descend '25
or 3U feet, and enter a narrowcavo below, which
brings you to a combination of rock called the
Gothic Window. You stand in this recess, while
the guide ascends huge clifts overhead, and kindles
Bengal Lights, by the help of which you
see. two hundred feet above you, a Gothic dome
of oiio solid rock, perfectly over-awing m its
vastncss and height. Below, is an abyss of
darkness, which 110 eye but the eternal can tathom.
If, instead of descending the ladder, you
pass straight alongside the chasm, you arrive at
the Bottomless Pit, beyond which no one ventured
to proceed till 1838. To this fact wo probably
owe the meagre account by Lieber, in the
Encyclopedia Americana. lie says, "This cave
is more remarkable for extent, than the variety
or beauty of its productions; having none of the
beautiful stalactites of other caves." For a long
period, this pit was considered bottomless, because
when stones were thrown into it, they reverberated
and reverberated along the sides till
lost to the ear, but seemed to find 110 resting
place. It has since been sounded and found tc
be one hundred and forty feet deep, with a soft
and uiuddy bottom, which returns no noise
when a stone strikes upon it. In 1838, the ad
venturous Stephen threw a ladder across the
chasm, and passed over. There is now a narrow
nf two nlanks. with a little railing on
?>i ~ ~ ;
each side; but as it is impossible to sustain it by
piers, travellers must pass over in the centre, out
by one, and not touch the railing, lost they dj,s
turb the balance and overturn the bridge.
*
This walk brings you into Pcnsico Avenue.?
Hitherto, the path has been rugged, wild, aud
rough, interrupted by steep acclivities, rocks and
big stones; but this avenue has a smooth aud level
floor, as if the sand had been spread out by
gently flowing waters. Through this, descending
more and more, you come to a deep arch,
by which you enter the Winding Way; astraugely
irregular and zig zag path, so narrow that a
very siout man couid not squeeze through. In
some places, the rocks at the sides arc on a lino
with your shoulders, then piled high over your
head; and then again, you rise above, and overlook
thein all, and see them heaped behind you
like the mighty waves of the Red Sea, parted
for the Israelites to pass through. This toilsome
path was evidently made by a rushing winding
torrent. Towards the close, the water not having
force enough to make a smooth bed, has
bored a tunnel. This is so low and narrow, that
the traveller is obliged to stoop and squeeze himself
through. Suddenly he Dasses into a va?st
hall, called the Great Relief; and this leads to the
River llall, at the side of which you have a
glimpse of a small cave called the Smoke House,
because it is hung with rocks perfectly in the
shape of hams. The River Hall descends like
slopes of a mountain.| The ceiling stretcheslaway?away?before
you, vast and grand as the
firmament at midnight. No one, who has never
seen this cave, can imagine the excitement
and awe, with which the traveller keeps his eye
fixed on the rocky ceiling, which, gradually revealed
in the passing light, continually exhibits
some new and unexpected feature of sublimity
and beauty.
One of the most picturesque sights in the world
is to see a file of men and women passing along
these wild and craggy paths?slowly -slowly,
that their lamps may have time to illuminate
the sky-like ceiling, and gigantic walls; disappearing
behind the high cliffs, sinking into ravines,
their lights shining upward through fissures
in the rocks; then suddenly emerging from
some abrupt angle, standing in the bright gleam
of their lamps, relieved against the towering
black masses around them. He who could paint
the infinite variety of creation, can alone give an
adequate description of this marvellous region. -r
At one side of River Hall is a steep precipice,
over which you can look down, by aid of blazing
missiles, upon a broad, black sheet of water, 80
feet below, called the Ded Sea. This is an awfully
impressive place, the sights and sounds of
which do not easily pass from memory. He
who has seen it will have it brought before him by
Alfieri's description of Filippo: "Only a transient
word or act gives us a short and dubious glimmer,
that reveals to us the abysses of his being;
dark lurid, and terrific, as the throat of the infernal
pool." As you pass along you'hear the roar
of invisible waterfalls, and at the foot of the slope
the River Styx lies before you deep and black,
overarched with rock. The first glimpse of it
brings to miud the descent of Ulysses into hell.
" Where the dark rock o'er hangs the infernallake,
And mingling streams eternal murmurs roak?." Across
these unearthly waters, the guide can*
convey but two passengers at once; and these
sit motionless in the canoe with feet turned apart,
so :is not to disturb the balance. Three lamps
are fastened to the Prow, the images of which
are reflected in the dismal pool.
If vou are impatient of aelay, or eager for new
. ? i? : i:_
uuvt'diurt*^ wu it'ttvu wuipaiuuus nilgoring
about the shore, and cross the Styx a
dangerous bridge of precipices over-head. In
order to do this, you must ascend a steep cliff
and enter a cave above, from an egress of which
you find yourself on the bank of the river, eighty
feet above its surface, commanding a view of
those passing in the boat, and those waiting on
the shore. Seen from this height, the lamps in
the canoe glare like fiery eyeballs; and the passengers
sitting there, so hushed and motionless,
look like shadows. The scene is so strangely funeral
and spectral, that it seems as if the Greeks,
must have witnessed it, before they imagined
Charon conveying ghosts to the dim regions of
Pluto. Your .companions, thus seen, do indeed?
" Skim along the dusky glades,
Thin airy shoals, and visionary shades."
If you turn your eye from the canoe, to tho
parties of men and women, whom you left waiting
on the shore, you will see them, by the gleam of
their lamps, scattered in picturesque groups,
looming out in bold relief from the dense darkness
around them.
When you have passed tho Styx, you soon - i
meet another stream, appropriately called Lethe.
The echoes here are absolutely stunning, A single
voice sounds like a powerful choir; and could
an organ bo played, it would deprive the hearer
of his senses. W nen you nave crossed, you enter
a high level hall, named the Great Walk, half
a mile of which briugs you to another river,called
the Jordan. In crossing this, the rocks, in one
place, descend so low, as to leave only eighteen
inches for the boat to past through. Passengers
are obliged to double up, and lie on each other's
shoulders till this gap is passed. This uncomfortable
position is, however, of short duration,
and you suddenly emerge to where the vault of
the cave is more than a hundred feet high. In J
the fall of the year, this river often rise? almost
instantaneously, over fifty feet above low-water
mark; a phenomenon supposed to be caused by
heavy rains from the upper earth.
On this account, autumn is an unfavorable
season for those who wish to explonj, Ihe cavo
throughout. If parties happen to bp caught on
the other side of Jordan, when the sudden rise |
i takes place, a boat conveys them, on the swollen
to the level of an upper cave, so low that
, ?<?*.%> **) . .
! they arc obliged to enter on hands and knees, 4
and crawl through. This place is called Purgatory.
People on the other side, aware of their J
danger, have a boat in readiness to receive them,
i The guide usually sings while crossing tho Jordan,
and his voioo is reverberated by a choir of
i sweet echoes, The only animals ever found in
. tho cavo are tisb, with which this stream abounds.
They arc perfectly white, and without eyes; at j
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