Part 8 (1/2)
[Ill.u.s.tration: Drawn & Etched by George. Cruikshank, from a Sketch by the Author.
Interior of the Grotto of Antiparas.
Published by Longman & Co. April, 1835.]
[Sidenote: ENTRANCE TO THE CAVERN.] Pa.s.sing over the brow of a tolerably high mountain, we found that it declined towards the south into the plain; and thence to the sea by a gentle slope. The ground was covered with myrtle and arbutus, and presented a wild but beautiful aspect. We had now nearly reached the further end of the island, where a narrow promontory extends far into the calm blue waters. Far off in the distance appeared the islands of Sikyno and Raclia, floating like huge birds upon the bosom of the waves. Close under the western sh.o.r.e, where the island of Paros terminates in bold perpendicular cliffs, lay the little island of Spotico; while all around, the sea bristled with rocks as far as the eye could reach. On one side of a steep path, which we were now slowly ascending, the guides pointed out a huge fissure or break in the rock, which they said was the platform in front of the grotto. At the further end of this cavern, behind a vast stalact.i.te, reaching from the roof to the ground, and suggesting to the imagination the idea of some gigantic sentinel before the pit of Acheron, yawned a low narrow opening, the interior of which presented to the view a more than Egyptian darkness. Around this spot were a.s.sembled a band of kirtled Greeks, provided with ropes, ladders, and flambeaux. Our appearance was the signal for a general uproar: each commenced talking, screaming, and fighting for possession of the ladies, and every now and then edging in a word of French or English, by way of additional recommendation. Much time was lost in squabbling for the torches, the number of which proved to be less than that of the adventurers; and it was only fair that ”first come should be first served.” Those who had loitered behind complained bitterly of the deficiency in this respect; especially the chevalier d'industrie from Milan, who, being less expert with his feet than with his hands, had been one of the last to arrive.
Of his adroitness with the latter, he quickly gave us a specimen; for, while one of my friends was peering into the entrance of this Acherontic cave, he very cunningly appropriated his torch; and it was not until the matter became serious, that he could be induced to restore it.
[Sidenote: PERILOUS DESCENT.] It was with feelings wrought up to a high degree of excitement, in which I believe all my companions partic.i.p.ated, that I heard the order given to advance, when the whole party trod closely on the footsteps of the guides, who preceded us with torches.
Our speed, however, soon received a check; for by the time we had advanced fifteen or twenty paces, the light of day entirely failed us.
All now became enveloped in utter darkness, except a small s.p.a.ce in front, where the tapers of our conductors, nearly extinguished by the damp and unwholesome atmosphere, emitted a pale and livid blaze, which, failing to reveal the extent and termination of this frightful cavern, produced a ”darkness visible,” and magnified every danger. It was a long, narrow, winding chasm, gradually increasing in the abruptness of the descent as we advanced; and the floor, that consisted of carbonate of lime, was rendered slippery as ice by the damp and the friction of the feet of those who, for the last three thousand years, have visited this extraordinary place from motives similar to our own. A single cable of no very satisfactory appearance was all we had to depend upon for support, and it chafed against the sharp, rugged, angular projections of the rocks in a fearful manner, when violently dragged from side to side by the united action of the forty individuals who clung to it. The feelings of insecurity to which this naturally gave rise were not at all diminished by the shrieks and exclamations of terror proceeding from such as lost their footing upon the polished floor, and lay struggling in ineffectual efforts to get up, without letting go the rope. My own personal safety did not so wholly occupy my attention as to prevent me from being affected with wonder and admiration at the exceeding beauty of some portions of this subterranean corridor, which glittered in the torch-light with a splendour no language can describe; for the innumerable minute crystals scattered over its surface, glowed at one moment with a deep blood-red, and at another exhibited all the different hues of the most brilliant rainbow.
[Sidenote: MELODRAMATIC SCENE.] It is hardly possible to conceive a more extraordinary spectacle than that in which I was now an actor: it was perfectly melodramatic, and would make the fortune of any minor theatre in London, though the pen of a Dante is alone equal to its description.
First and foremost, were seen the Greek guides exciting us to persevere, and
[Sidenote: STRIFE OF TONGUES.] beckoning us onwards by waving the flaming torches high above their heads; and when the light flashed upon their savage countenances, wild streaming locks, and picturesque garments, as well as over the pale, stumbling, struggling crowd which followed, it required no great stretch of fancy to imagine that I saw the attendant demons of some mighty sorcerer, the inhabitant of this rocky den, deluding us onwards to destruction. The laughter, screams, and hallooing, which accompanied our efforts to maintain a hold upon the cable, our only hope of safety, united to the smoke and stench of the flambeaux, rendered the whole scene no unapt representation of Pandemonium. The Greeks shouted forth oaths, warnings, entreaties, and directions, in their native tongue: with these were intermingled, in indescribable confusion, the English ”d--n,” the French ”sacre,” the German ”mein Got,” the Italian ”corpo di Bacco,” and the gentler exclamations of certain of the fair s.e.x who, strange to say, accompanied us in this hazardous expedition.
[Sidenote: SYMPTOMS OF ALARM.] On reaching the brink of a most frightful precipice, we were instructed to crawl down by means of some rude steps cut in the surface of a sloping b.u.t.tress or inclined plane of rock, which appeared to extend to the bottom. The sight of this horrible den acted as a ”pretty considerable” sedative to our enthusiasm. Each exclaimed to himself, (at least I did for one) ”Can I venture?”--as he contemplated the dismal, and, to all appearance, bottomless gulf, where nothing was visible but the strange figures of our guides at a prodigious distance beneath us, clinging to the wall with one hand, while they brandished their torches with the other. However, there was little s.p.a.ce for reflection; and though, by this time, I shrewdly suspect most of the party had pretty well ”satisfied the sentiment,” as Sterne says, none were heard to say so; and after a short delay we pushed on again, apparently regardless of danger. Our progress, however, became every moment more and more difficult and discouraging; for this rude and imperfect staircase, also slippery as ice, was covered with loose stones, that came rattling down on our devoted heads at every false step of those above; and many who had eagerly contested at the outset for the distinction of leading the party, would now have gladly made an inglorious retreat rearward, to escape the contusions, or something worse, with which they were momentarily threatened; convinced, with Falstaff, that ”honour hath no skill in surgery.”
[Sidenote: PETRIFIED GARDEN.] After remaining for a few minutes suspended from the cord, like a cl.u.s.ter of bees in the act of swarming, we again found ourselves on _terra firma_; and a pa.s.sage behind some ma.s.ses of projecting rock brought me to a platform, in front of which rose a stalagmite, admirably adapted by its position for the display of my fireworks. Accordingly I let off a blue-light, which illuminated the grotto beneath, the arches of which were of immense size; and their vast ribs, protruding from the rock, and extending to a great height, formed a magnificent dome, from which hung innumerable concretions of pointed form. Ma.s.ses of crystallised limestone grew from the floor in every shape that fancy could picture. There were trees, teeth, flowers, houses, men, &c.: in short, imagination never could exhaust itself in pointing out resemblances between these phenomena, and the ordinary productions of nature and art.
The predominance of the figures of trees, plants, and flowers among these fantastical creations, gives to the whole grotto the appearance of a petrified garden; but it was no slight drawback on our gratification to find these objects covered with slime and mud, obscuring the brilliant ever-changing hues of the myriads of crystals with which they are studded, and which former travellers have alluded to in terms of admiration. It was only when the blue flame shed its beautiful light upon the scene, that it at all realised my preconceived ideas of this ”Palace of the genii, the most beautiful of fairy land,” as it has been frequently styled.
By a ladder fastened to the stalagmite, we descended into another frightful cavern, where on one side several dismal-looking pits, like the entrances to coal mines, and black pools of dirty, stagnant water, menaced us with death under a twofold aspect, until we reached the uneven and shelving floor of the grotto. There were several chambers, more or less resembling each other, being separated from the grand nave of this magnificent temple by the acc.u.mulation of the crystallising ma.s.s for ages.
[Sidenote: DESCRIPTION BY A NAVAL OFFICER.] It is a scene that ought to be visited by a few congenial spirits, quietly and leisurely. On the present occasion the effect and the illusion were dissipated by the glare of the torch lights, the hallooing and screaming of those present, and the thumping of hammers and blocks of stone to get fragments of the crystal. This part of the grotto is certainly the heaven, the paradise; though, of a truth, the descent into it is through purgatory; an opinion in which I am by no means singular; and in confirmation I shall beg leave to introduce a portion of the narrative of a gallant officer belonging to one of our vessels cruising in the Levant, who saw the grotto under more favourable auspices than we did; though, like the poor Frenchman, whom I shall have occasion to mention hereafter, he acknowledges that he purchased the gratification at the cost of some mortal terror.
[Sidenote: MAGNIFICENT Pa.s.sAGE.] Speaking of the deepest and most gloomy of the caverns into which we had penetrated, he says:--”I was quite disheartened at this horrible prospect, and declared I would go back, but our guides a.s.sured us there was no danger, and the rest of the company resolving to see the bottom after having come so far, I would not leave them: so we went to a corner where was placed an old slippery rotten ladder, which hung down close to the wall, and down this, one after another, we at length descended. When we reached the bottom we found ourselves at the entrance of another pa.s.sage, which was indeed horrible enough; but in this there was not wanting something of beauty.
It was a wide and gradual descent, at the entrance of which one of our guides seated himself, and began to slide down, telling us we must do the same. We could discover by the light of his torch that this pa.s.sage was one of the n.o.blest in the world. It was about nine feet high, seven wide, and had for its bottom a fine green glossy marble. The walls and arch of the roof, being in many places as smooth as if wrought with art, and made of a fine glittering red and white granite, supported here and there with columns of a deep blood red s.h.i.+ning porphyry, made with the reflection of the lights an appearance not to be conceived. Our guides could here keep on each side of us; and what with the prodigious beauty and grandeur of the place, our easy travelling through it, and the diversion of now and then running over one another whether we would or not, made this the pleasantest part of the journey.
[Sidenote: EXCESSIVE TERROR.] ”When we had pa.s.sed about two hundred yards, we found ourselves on the brink of another very terrible precipice; but this our guides a.s.sured us was the last, and there being a very good ladder to go down by, we readily ventured. After about forty yards' walking, we were again presented by our guides with ropes, which we fastened around our waists, though not to be swung by; but only for fear of danger, as there are lakes and deep wells all the way hence on the left hand. With this precaution, we entered the last alley; and horrible work, indeed, it was to get through it. The sides and roof of the pa.s.sage were of black stone, and the rocks in our way were in some places so steep, that we were forced to lie all along on our backs and slide down; and so rough, that they cut our clothes and bruised us in pa.s.sing. Over our heads there were nothing but rugged black rocks, some of them looking as if they were every moment ready to fall on us; and on the left hand the light of our torches showed us continually the surfaces of dirty and miserable-looking lakes of water.
[Sidenote: DISAPPEARANCE OF THE GUIDES.] ”If I heartily repented my expedition before, here I was in a cold perspiration, and fairly gave myself up for lost, heartily cursing all the travellers that had written of the place, because they had described it so as to tempt people to visit it, without telling them of the horrors they must encounter in the way. In the midst of these reflections, and in the very dismallest part of the cavern, on a sudden we lost four of our six guides. What was my horror on this occasion! The place was a thousand times more dark and terrible for the want of their torches; and I expected no other but every moment to follow them into one or the other of these lakes, into which I doubted not they had fallen. The remaining two guides said all they could to cheer us up, and told us we should see the other four again soon, and that we were near the end of our journey. I do not know what effect this might have had on my companions, but I believed no part of their speech but the last, which I expected very soon to find fulfilled in some pond or precipice: in that sense, indeed, we were near our journey's end!
[Sidenote: SPLENDID TRANSITION.] ”While engaged in meditating on the perils that environed me, I suddenly heard a little hissing noise, and found myself in utter and indescribable darkness. Our guides, indeed, called cheerfully to us, and told us they had accidentally dropped their torches into a puddle of water, but that they should soon reach their companions, when they would light them again, and we had nothing to do but crawl forward. I cannot say but that I was amazed at the courage of these people in a place where I thought four of their number had already perished, and from whence none of us could ever escape; and I determined to lie down and die where I was.
”One of our guides, perceiving that I did not advance, came up to me, and, clapping his fingers over my eyes, dragged me a few paces forward.
While I was in this strange condition, expecting every moment death in a thousand shapes, and trembling to think what the fellow meant by this rough proceeding, he lifted me at once over a great stone, set me down upon my feet, and took his hand from before my eyes. What words can describe my astonishment and transport at that instant! Instead of darkness and despair, all was splendour and magnificence around me; the place was illumined with fifty torches; and our guides, who all reappeared about us, with a loud shout welcomed us to the Grotto of Antiparos! The four that were first missing, I now found, had only given us the slip to get the torches lighted up before we came; and the other two had put out their lights on purpose, to make us enter out of utter darkness into this pavilion of splendour and glory.
[Sidenote: DIMENSIONS OF THE GROTTO.] ”The grotto is a cavern of about 120 yards wide, 113 long, and seems about 60 yards high in most places.
Imagine, then, an immense arch like this, almost entirely lined with fine bright white marble, and the mind will then acquire some faint idea of the place I had the pleasure to spend three hours in: this, however, is but a very insufficient description of its beauties. The roof, which consists of a fine vaulted arch, is hung all over with icicles of fine white marble, some of them ten feet long, and as thick as one's middle at the root; and among these there hung a thousand festoons of leaves and flowers of the same substance, but so very glittering that there was no bearing to look at them. All the sides of the arch are planted with the representations of trees of the same white crystal, rising in rows one above the other. From these trees were also hung festoons, tied, as it were, from one to another, in vast quant.i.ties; and in some places among them are seen rivers of marble flowing in a thousand meanders. All these things have been produced, during a long series of years, by the dropping of water, but really look like petrified trees and brooks. Our guides had tied torches two or three to a pillar, and kept continually beating them to make them burn bright: imagine, then, what a glare of splendour and beauty must be the effect of this illumination among such rocks and columns of marble. All around the lower part of the sides of the arch are a thousand white ma.s.ses of crystal, in the shape of oak trees, which are in many places large enough for a bedchamber. One of these chambers has a fine white curtain, whiter than satin, of the same marble, stretching all over the front of it. In this we cut our names and the date of the year.”
[Sidenote: TERRIFIED FRENCHMAN.] I shall not dwell upon our return, though it was, if possible, more laborious and difficult than the descent. Just as I had got upon the first ladder and my white light was extinguished, there arose the most shrill and piercing shriek I ever remember to have heard, followed by loud exclamations of ”Sauvez moi!
sauvez moi! je suis perdu!” It immediately occurred to me that some unfortunate creature had fallen into the abyss; and, lowering my torch, I beheld a figure convulsively grasping the rock with one hand and the ladder with the other; while a Greek, who stood underneath, was endeavouring to force him onwards. There he hung, in perfect safety, though unable to a.s.sist himself; trembling like an aspen leaf, pale as death, and crying like a child. After we had drawn him up, he sat down for some time, to recover his scattered senses; and, positively, I could hardly refrain from laughing as he made his piteous complaint. It seems, without reflecting that the man did not understand a word of French, he had charged the Greek, who followed him, not to get upon the ladder until he was off. Just, however, as his hand was on the last step, he felt some one climbing after him. The poor Frenchman's terror was then at its height: he fancied the ladder slipping from under his feet, and, grasping the wood still more tightly, in doing so he got his finger pinched against the rock. In the exertion of releasing it, he nearly overbalanced himself in reality, and again he screamed out with terror and dismay! All this occurred in a brief instant; though, between his tears and his heart throbbing, many minutes were consumed in the narration.
[Sidenote: A HINT FOR THE LADIES.] I am not a little surprised that the two ladies who accompanied the party had courage to descend into such a place. In my opinion, excursions like these are by no means adapted to either the mental or corporeal delicacy of the fair s.e.x; and, however disagreeable the position might have momentarily proved to them, it was impossible to witness the tall slender figure of one of them, grasped in the arms of a bearded swarthy Greek, now squeezed against the wall, now almost astride upon his shoulders, without indulging in the laughter such a spectacle was well calculated to inspire.
Thanks to the kind influence of the guardian genii of the cave, who preserved us from falling victims to the perils of the way, we all got safely out; and as each, begrimed with dirt, and black as a chimney-sweep, emerged into upper air, enveloped in smoke, which now issued in huge volumes from the cavern's mouth, he was received by his companions with shouts of mirth that made the old vault echo again.