the earth, appeared the still glowing horizon, and higher up, the deep blue firmament glittering with the starry splendor of a winter night. This scene was in full view, for an hour, as we proceeded on our way, during which time, we were frequently startled by a deception, which I think must have arisen from our being entirely unaccustomed to look at objects, whose dimensions are so far beyond the limits of ordinary calculation, and with which nothing within the circle of our knowledge, can bear a comparison. Perhaps it might have been from our suddenly realizing the height of the object before us-for it would, for a few moments, appear rapidly approaching. We would stop and call to those of our party who were on horse back, to witness this phenomenon: but to their eyes the cloud was stationary. At another moment the same delusion would take place with them, and they would make the same claim on our attention. It was now ten o'clock, and one can hardly witness a scene unconnected with danger, more truly sublime than was before us for the last half hour of our ride. The awful majesty of this black and massy column: standing, to appearance, almost within our reach-of such vast diameter, its base upon the water, and rising to an immeasurable height, with accompaniments so appropriate; the solemn calm of the atmosphere, the sullen roar of the çataract, and the death-like stillness of the night.

Port Folio..

Description of a remarkable cave on the banks of Canadoguinnet creek, near Carlisle, Pa.

SOME sensations of awe were pretty generally felt by the party on entering the cave. Our footsteps were echoed with a heavy dead reciprocation of sound, and the gleam of the candles through the thick, moist air, gave a pallid and melancholy hue to the countenances of each, that, for a few moments prevented us from indulging in any thing like merriment. Feelings of this kind were, however, soon dissipated; mirth and jollity quickly succeeded, and our scrutiny was enlivened by the liveliest

sallies of humor, and the brightest effusions of gaiety and wit.

The largest part of the cave extends ninety yards, and then branches off in three directions. The passage to the right is broad, but low, and, from the moisture of the stones, was very difficult of access. After passing this opening, the cave is enlarged to the dimensions of its first division, and we were in some places, able to stand upright. A very minute search was made to see if there were any other passages from this part, but our scrutiny was unsuccessful. We were incited to use considerable pains in this examination, from learning that some time before a stranger had visited this curiosity, and, in one of the compartments discovered a chasm sufficiently large to admit the body of a child, and, to all appearance of considerable extent. Should we have found the opening we were told he had discovered, we would have spared no labour to render it accessible, but we were disappointed. One difficulty in our way was, the ignorance we were under as to the division where the stranger had noticed the opening. Had this been known we might have recognized it, but our searches were directed at random, and on that account alone, perhaps, were unfortunate. All we could perceive, was a small round hole, near the ground, not quite a foot in diameter, and two and a half feet deep, in the solid stone.

After a very attentive and anxious investigation, we quitted this compartment, which is called very elegantly, the Devil's Dining Room," and proceeded to the centre passage. This is very narrow, and, in direction, somewhat similar to a winding stair. The ascent is steep and irregular, and, after a tedious and ineffectual endeavour to ascertain its precise extent, we desisted from pursuing it. It is inaccessible after proceeding little better than nine yards, and ends in a perpendicular excavation, the height of which we were without the means of determining.

The left hand passage next claimed our attention. At first view, it seems to extend no further than three or four feet, but it takes a sudden turn to the right, and would measure in length, near thirty yards, with sufficient breadth and height to enable a boy to creep along it; but, after this, it becomes so narrow as not to be penetrable, except by very diminutive animals. The floor of

this passage, owing to the rain which had fallen for two or three days before, was entirely covered with mud and water, to the depth of from one to five inches, so that we had by no means, a cleanly appearance on issuing from it. About seven feet from the entrance of this minor excavation, there are five or six little pools of water in the rock, formed from drippings from its roof and sides, and which are sufficiently large to contain a quart, and a little better, each. I had the curiosity to taste this water, and found it not unpleasant; filtration seemed to have deprived it of any bad taste it may have originally had. Many in Carlisle are ignorant enough to think that there are seven springs here, and a number of curious tales were told me of the water they contained. The slightest observation is sufficient to show, that they are but stagnated pools of water; only full during wet weather, and, when not replenished with rain, sinking through the small fissures of the stone, and remaining dry. As it would require a long spell of dry weather to effect this desiccation, the vulgar find some countenance to their conjectures in the holes Being almost always full.

Af the furthest extremity of this branch, I found, on a small projection, three bones. One seemed to be a piece of the thigh bone, and the others of the vertebrae, but whether of a brute or human being, my knowledge of anatomy was insufficient to the determination. The ledge on which these bones were lying, was ten inches from the floor, and extended in length about four feet. There appeared to be a cavity between the ledge and the ceiling, six inches in width; but I was unable to thrust my arm farther in than to the elbow, though it seemed to be rather deeper.

Having now given a very close examination to every accessible compartment of the cave, and fully satisfied ourselves, that no penetrable outlet would have been discovered had our search continued for years, we made our exit, after having been deprived of the light of the sun for two hours and more. The change of temperature was so sudden and so great, that most of us dreaded the effects of our excursion would terminate in troublesome colds-bat fortunately all escaped.

Ibid.

Description of the Lehigh Water Gap.

THE Lehigh gap, in Lehigh township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, about seventy miles northwest of Philadelphia, is an opening in the Blue Ridge, a branch of the great Allegheny mountains: so called from the river Lehigh, which winds its course through this narrow passage, and, with the steep heights on both sides, forms here one of the most picturesque prospects in the state. That beautiful little river, which, in its course through a fertile country, receives numerous tributary rivulets, and at. length empties into the Delaware, at Easton, flows through the gap, in a gentle, but majestic stream, deeply shaded by the reflection of the impending mountains.

The eastern bank is bordered, for the distance of about a mile, by craggy cliffs, towering to an amazing height, and of forms the most bigarre, between which wall of rocks and the river, the road winds along. Hastening to leave these bleak abodes, which seem to afford shelter to none but the ravenous beasts of the forest, the Lehigh appears eagerly moving on towards the fertile low lands, which succeed in view of the western bank. Ascending the eastern height, the traveller is amply rewarded for the exertion of climbing from rock to rock, in scaling the pine covered side of the mountain, by the rich and exten sive prospect which the eye there commands. At his feet the waters of the majestic stream; on the opposite side a towering ridge, near the summit of which appears, right opposite, emerging from the surrounding woods, a lonely pile of rocks, whimsically styled, the Devil's Pulpit, which indignantly suffers but a few blasted pines to shade its sullen brow; at a distance an extensive country, variegated with woods and farms, watered by the meandering Lehigh, and ridge retiring behind ridge, till lost in the faint tints of the horizon-all burst upon the sight, and fill the mind with sublime ideas of the greatness of the Creator.

The shattered rocks, thrown together in wild confusion, and the frequent layers of round stones, which are found in the Gap, have given rise to the supposition that the Lehigh, being obstructed in its course by the Blue Ridge, was formerly damned up into a lake, which, at length, bursting the barrier, formed the chasm now called the Lehigh Gap. Let the learned decide the question, if of importance.

Ibid

Description of a place of Religious Ceremony in the Island of Nooaheeva or Madison's Island.

IN one of my excursions, I was led to the chief place of religious ceremony of the valley. It is situated high up the valley of the Havvous, and I regret extremely that I had it not in my power to make a correct drawing of it on the spot, as it far exceeds in splendour every thing of the kind described by captain Cook, or represented in the plates which accompany his voyage. In a large and handsome grove, formed of bread-fruit, cocoa-nut and toa trees, (the tree of which the spear and war clubs are made) and a variety of other trees with which I am not acquainted, situated at the foot of a steep mountain by the side of a rivulet, and on a platform made after the usual manner, is a deity formed of hard stone, about the common height of a man, but larger proportioned every other way it is in a squatting posture, and is not badly executed; his ears and eyes are large, his mouth wide, his arms and legs short and small, and, on the whole is such a figure as a person would expect to meet among a people where the art of sculpture is in its infancy. Arranged on each side of him, as well as in the rear and front are several others, of nearly equal size, formed of the wood of the bread-fruit tree; they are no more perfect in their proportions than the other, and appear to be made on the same model; probably they are copies, and the stone god may serve as the model of perfection, for all the sculptures of the Island, as their household gods, their ornaments for the handles of their fans, their stilts, and, in fact, every representation of the figure of a man, is made on the same plan. To the right and left of these gods are two obelisks, formed very fancifully and neatly of bamboos and the leaves of the palm and cocoa-nut trees interwoven, and the whole handsomely decorated with streamers of white cloth, which give them a picturesque and elegant appearance; the obelisks are about thirty five feet in height, and about the base of them were hung the heads of hogs and tortoises, as I was informed, as offerings to their gods. On the right of this grove, distant only a few paces, were four splendid war canoes, furnished with their outriggers, and decorated with ornaments of human hair, coral shells, &c. with an abundance of white streamers; their heads were placed towards the