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Thencameastartlingexpansionofthetunnelforwhichthecarvingshadnotpreparedus—abroadeningandrisingintoalofty,natural-lookingellipticalcavernwithalevelfloor,someseventy-fivefeetlongandfiftybroad,andwithmanyimmensesidepassagesleadingawayintocrypticaldarkness.
Thoughthiscavernwasnaturalinappearance,aninspectionwithbothtorchessuggestedthatithadbeenformedbytheartificialdestructionofseveralwallsbetweenadjacenthoneycombings. Thewallswererough,andthehigh,vaultedroofwasthickwithstalactites;butthesolidrockfloorhadbeensmoothedoff,andwasfreefromalldebris,detritus,orevendusttoapositivelyabnormalextent. Exceptfortheavenuethroughwhichwehadcome,thiswastrueofthefloorsofallthegreatgalleriesopeningofffromit;andthesingularityoftheconditionwassuchastosetusvainlypuzzling. Thecuriousnewfetorwhichhadsupplementedthenamelessscentwasexcessivelypungenthere;somuchsothatitdestroyedalltraceoftheother. Somethingaboutthiswholeplace,withitspolishedandalmostglisteningfloor,struckusasmorevaguelybafflingandhorriblethananyofthemonstrousthingswehadpreviouslyencountered.
Theregularityofthepassageimmediatelyahead,aswellasthelargerproportionofpenguin-droppingsthere,preventedallconfusionastotherightcourseamidstthisplethoraofequallygreatcavemouths. Neverthelessweresolvedtoresumeourpapertrailblazingifanyfurthercomplexityshoulddevelop;fordusttracks,ofcourse,couldnolongerbeexpected. Uponresumingourdirectprogresswecastabeamoftorchlightoverthetunnelwalls—andstoppedshortinamazementatthesupremelyradicalchangewhichhadcomeoverthecarvingsinthispartofthepassage.
