Копи царя Соломона
The Place of Death
Letthereaderpicturetohimselfthehallofthevastestcathedralheeverstoodin,windowlessindeed,butdimlylightedfromabove,presumablybyshaftsconnectedwiththeouterairanddrivenintheroof,whicharchedawayahundredfeetaboveourheads,andhewillgetsomeideaofthesizeoftheenormouscaveinwhichwefoundourselves,withthedifferencethatthiscathedraldesignedbynaturewasloftierandwiderthananybuiltbyman. Butitsstupendoussizewastheleastofthewondersoftheplace,forrunninginrowsadownitslengthweregiganticpillarsofwhatlookedlikeice,butwere,inreality,hugestalactites. Itisimpossibleformetoconveyanyideaoftheoverpoweringbeautyandgrandeurofthesepillarsofwhitespar,someofwhichwerenotlessthantwentyfeetindiameteratthebase,andsprangupinloftyandyetdelicatebeautysheertothedistantroof. Othersagainwereinprocessofformation.Ontherockfloortherewasinthesecaseswhatlooked,SirHenrysaid,exactlylikeabrokencolumninanoldGreciantemple,whilsthighabove,dependingfromtheroof,thepointofahugeiciclecouldbedimlyseen.
Evenaswegazedwecouldheartheprocessgoingon,forpresentlywithatinysplashadropofwaterwouldfallfromthefar-officicleontothecolumnbelow. Onsomecolumnsthedropsonlyfellonceintwoorthreeminutes, andinthesecasesitwouldbeaninterestingcalculationtodiscoverhowlong,atthatrateofdripping,itwouldtaketoformapillar,sayeightyfeetbytenindiameter.
