a fhort defcription of the form and appearance
of the caverns, which are peculiar
to this ftratum in this county; and are
obje&s of great ctiriofity and admiration.
The charader and form of caverns have
not been noticed by any to1 my knowledge.
I f they were more accurately noticed, it
might probably be the means of throwing
more light on their formation. The
entrances into many caverns are fpaci-
ous, the openings are large, more particularly
thofe from the furface, as Peaks
hole : while others are found by mining,
confequently the entrance to them is no
larger than neceflary for the purpofes of
the miners.. The entrance and roofs generally
aflume an arched appearance, and
though the tops of the caverns are frequently
irregular, they almoft always form
a fegment of a circle ; the fides generally rife
nearly perpendicular, while the bottoms are
more
more flat. Large detached mafles of lime*
ftone frequently lié at the bottom in rude
forms : marine figures prefent themfelves
in abundance, projeding in many places
above an inch from the rock; chert, or
hornftone in nodules, and various forms,
appears prominent in every diredion. Caverns
in the interior are frequently found
above 200 feet high, and probably much
higher, inclining to the form of an inverted
cone. A prodigious variety of round
or fpherical holes occurs in the roofs,
Pome two, three, four, and fix feet diameter,
and as deep; they preferve a very corred
round form : and often fmaller ones appear
in them, as . if formed by arr. In various
places the rock forms feftoons, and
where it hangs from the roof, it frequently
is extremely thin (as if worn by water)
and aflumes the appearance of drapery.
Tfie fides and roof of caves are commonly
covered