but the water has turned to stone. Above the waterfall is an
opening, but it is twenty-five feet up a smooth wall and we have no
ladder. The journey was at an end. Tired, wet and muddy, we started
on our return trip; recrossed the dark lake, and retraced our steps
to the place under the opening without realizing that we had spent
six hours under ground. While the other members of the party, and
the specimens, were being raised to the surface, the writer sought
to learn the flora and fauna of this new region. The flora is
blank. Even the white mold so common in many caves is absent; and
no fungus grows on the poles, bark and rotten wood that have at
some past time been cast in.

"In animal life the range is greater. I have mentioned the
ever-present bats, and dozens of them were seen. There were also
small, white eyeless salamanders, small, yellow, speckled
salamanders, with signs of eyes but no sight; also a jet black
salamander, which like the rest, was blind. The bats were of two
species--the common brown bat and the larger light grey or yellow
species. But this was not the time of the year to see many bats in
caves. In the summer season most of them go out and remain until
cool weather, and then return to the caves with their young; so I
was rather surprised to see as many as we did.

"Down comes the rope for the last time, and taking my place, I soon
feel myself spinning around and slowly rising. As I again pass the
magic city I saw going down, a stronger wish than ever takes
possession of me to go there, and I look for any chance to solve
the problem of how such a journey can be made. 'Thou art so near
and yet so far.'