siderable way into the
interior; but it was now so perfectly dark only a few feet from the
mouth, that I could not by possibility explore it till I had made some
of the torches I intended. I collected a few large stones to sit on,
and made a platform on which to light my fire, that I might the better
roast my birds. I put the tinder with some dry leaves close to it under
the pile, and then having lighted my match, I knelt down and began to
blow away to get it up into a blaze. This, to my great satisfaction, I
had just accomplished, when suddenly I felt a pretty hard slap on the
side of my face, then another, and next my cap was knocked off, and such
a whisking, and whirling, and screeching took place around the fire, and
about my head especially, that I could not help fancying for some time
that a whole legion of imps, or fairies, or hobgoblins of some sort had
taken it into their heads to hold their revels in the cavern, totally
regardless of my presence. My sober senses, however, in a short time
returned, and as the flames blazed up more brightly I saw that my
tormentors were a vast number of bats, on whose long quiet retreat I had
intruded. There seemed to be a great variety of them, and of many
different bright colours--yellow and orange, and red and green. Some
were small, but many were of great size, formidable-looking fellows,
with wings three or four feet from tip to tip. While I kept up a bright
flame, however, they were enabled to see me and to steer clear of my
head. I soon discovered the reason why they kept so long flying round
and round the fire. It was that a number of moths and winged insects
were attracted by the flames, which they followed to gobble up. Their
presence was anything but pleasant, but I soon saw that it was utterly
impossible to avoid them. The odour they caused was very disagreeable,
while the suffocating heat of the rock on which the sun had been shining
with full force for many hours was scarcely sufferable, and I wondered
how the former inhabitants of the city could have existed there.

Just then, I must observe, my own hunger absorbed my mind, and I had to
exert my wits to convert the food I had with me into an eatable state.
I very rapidly plucked the birds, and having cut out four forked sticks,
I stuck them among the stones, and with two others as spits I soon had
my birds roasting. I had some biscuit, and some pepper and salt in my
bag, so that I had now no fear about