Indians of North America -- Juvenile fiction; Pioneers -- West (U.S.) -- Juvenile fiction; Slavery -- Juvenile fiction
The next cavern we entered was called "Martha's Vineyard;" the trunk of
a vine climbed up the sides, and spread its branches over the roof from
which hung suspended what looked like clusters of delicious grapes.
Seeing also several which appeared to have fallen on the ground, I ran
forward to examine them, when what was my disappointment to find that
they were of a stony nature, thus formed by the dropping of the water.
In another cave our guide, having lighted two of the largest torches,
waved them about, when we appeared to be standing in a wintry scene.
Ice above us, ice on the ground, with here and there patches of snow.
We did not get nearly to the end of the cavern, and therefore missed
seeing a beautiful grotto which our guide told us was called "Serena's
Arbour," and that the walls are covered with a drapery resembling yellow
satin falling in graceful folds, while through it murmurs a rivulet,
falling into one of the many rivers running through the cavern, which is
said to be nine miles in extent. It appeared to me that we had been
walking all day amid vast towering rocks. Often the roof was so far
above us that even the light of our torches failed to reach it. We now
entered another hall, when our guide told us to seat ourselves on some
rocks and to extinguish our lights.
"Don't be alarmed," he said; "I'm not going to be guilty of treachery."
My father and Uncle Denis agreed to his proposal, and there we sat far
down in the depths of the earth, not a ray of light reaching us. I
could feel my mother's hand, but although I placed it close to my eyes,
I could not see it. After waiting some time I began to grow uneasy,
when greatly to my relief the guide returned with a lantern in his hand.
"Look up!" he said, "see to what a region I have transported you."
On gazing upwards, we saw stars innumerable glittering in the sky, so it
seemed, but in vain we looked for those to which our eyes were
accustomed, though it was difficult to persuade ourselves that they were
not veritable stars. The guide, holding a stone in his hand, threw it
upwards, when it struck the roof above our heads, and we found that the
seeming stars were produced by pieces of mica imbedded in the roof on
which the light from the lantern, being thrown in a peculiar way, was
brightly reflected.
Relighting our torches, we saw that the walls were of a yellow colour,
while the ceiling appeared to be of a dark undefined blue, resembling
the midnight sky. We visited several other caverns, some of which
appeared to be of immense height, though the ceiling in most parts is
not more than thirty feet from the ground.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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