The wonders of the world : $b a complete museum, descriptive and pictorial, of the wonderful phenomena and results of nature, science and artAbbott, John Loraine
Science
The wonders of the world : $b a complete museum, descriptive and pictorial, of the wonderful phenomena and results of nature, science and art
Abbott, John Loraine
Curiosities and wonders
In exploring these avenues, the precaution was taken to cut arrows,
pointing to the mouth of the cave, on the stones beneath the feet, to
prevent any difficulty in the return. The first which was traversed,
took a southerly direction for more than two miles; when a second was
taken, which led first east, and then north, for more than two miles
further. These windings at length brought the party, by another avenue,
to the chief city again, after having traversed different avenues for
more than five miles. Having reposed for a few moments on slabs of
limestone near the center of this gloomy area, and refreshed themselves
and trimmed their lamps, they departed a second time, through an avenue
almost north, parallel with the one leading from the chief city to the
mouth of the cavern; and, having proceeded upward of two miles, came to
the second city. This is covered with a single arch, nearly two hundred
feet high in the center, and is very similar to the chief city, except
in the number of its avenues, which are two only. They crossed it, over
a very considerable rise in the center, and descended through an avenue
which bore to the east, to the distance of nearly a mile, when they came
to a third area, or city, about one hundred feet square, and fifty in
hight, which had a pure and delightful stream of water issuing from the
side of a wall about thirty feet high, and which fell on a broken
surface of stone, and was afterward entirely lost to view.
Having passed a few yards beyond this beautiful sheet of water, so as to
reach the end of the avenue, the party returned about one hundred yards,
and passing over a considerable mass of stone, entered another, but
smaller avenue to the right, which carried them south, through a third,
of an uncommonly black hue, somewhat more than a mile; when they
ascended a very steep hill about sixty yards, which conducted them to
within the walls of the fourth city. It is not inferior to the second,
having an arch which covers at least six acres. In this last avenue, the
extremity of which can not be less than four miles from the chief city,
and ten from the mouth of the cavern, are upward of twenty large piles
of saltpeter earth on the one side, and broken limestone heaped up on
the other, evidently the work of human hands.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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