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Show 1836- 1837] Fogg's Far West 73 opening of some size, through which trickles a limpid stream, and forming an entrance to a second chamber, said to be more extensive than that below. The extreme length of this cavern is given by Schoolcraft' 7 as one hundred and sixty feet, the floor, the roof, and the walls gradually tapering to a point. The rock is a secondary limestone, abounding with testacea and petrifactions, a fine specimen of which I struck from the ledge while the rest of our party were recording their names among the thousand dates and inscriptions with which the walls are defaced. Like all other curiosities of Nature, this cavern was, by the Indian tribes, deemed the residence of a Manito " or spirit, evil or propitious, concerning [ 44] whom many a wild legend yet lives among their simple- hearted posterity. They never pass this dwelling- place of the divinity without discharging their guns ( an ordinary mark of respect), or making some other offering propitiatory of his favour. These tributary acknowledgments, however are never of much value. The view of the stream from the left bench at the cave's mouth is most beautiful. Immediately in front extends a large and densely- wooded island, known by the name of the Cave, while the soft- gliding waters flow between, furnishing a scene of natural beauty worthy an Inman's pencil; and, if I mistake not, an engraving of the spot has been published, a ferocious- looking personage, pistol in hand, crouched at the entrance, eagerly watching an ascending boat. This design originated, doubtless, in the tradition yet extant, that in the latter part of the last century this cavern was the rendezvous of a notorious band n For Schoolcraft, see Gregg's Commerce of the Prairies, in our volume xx, p. 986; note 178.- ED. * It is a remarkable circumstance, that this term is employed to signify the same thing by all the tribes from the Arkansas to the sources of the Mississippi; and, according to Mackenzie, throughout the Arctic Regions.- FLAGG. |