also more difficult journey than
the one just described may be taken by those in whom the desire to see
is greater than the fear of fatigue, or possibly, some little danger.
With this object in view the Fair Grounds' Route is followed through
Monte Cristo's Palace and into Milliner's Avenue. Here we leave it by
dropping off the bridge into a rough hole, which proves to be a passage
descending into Castle Garden directly beneath the Avenue, and a room of
considerable size, plentifully supplied with bowlders. Although
interesting to visit, it has no points of such special merit as would
seem to require a detailed account, the main importance attaching to it
being the fact that it is the first portion of the eighth level visited.
A little beyond, however, is something quite new. The floor is covered
with a light yellow crust of calcite crystal, sufficiently strong to
bear the weight of a limited number of guests without much fracture. It
generally gives a hollow sound when struck, which is easily accounted
for as there are small holes noticed by which steam evidently made its
escape, and through these cavities can be seen but they are shallow. One
place shows the crust broken up and with the edges of the pieces
overlapped, like ice broken by a sudden rise of back-water, and in this
position they have been firmly cemented.

This is where the slowly receding waters of the cave lingered in shallow
pools above the small crevices long after the main portions had become
dry. That the crust was formed on top of the water, instead of beneath
its surface, has been proved by the only body of water now standing in
the cave. This is called Silent Lake, and being situated on another
route will be described in its proper place, but when discovered no
water was visible nor its presence even suspected until the crust gave
way under the weight of an explorer. The thin sheet of yellow calcite
crystal thus broken was the same as that seen in great abundance in the
now perfectly dry eighth level. The gradually decreasing volume of water
has left a smooth yellow coat on portions of the walls where
irregularities or slopes were favorable, and at least one such place is
vividly remembered if once seen. A steep incline of about fifteen feet
leads to a small oval hole through the wall; towards this we crawled
with no great ease; but getting to the hole was far easier than going
through it into a tiny cubby not high enough to sit comfortably upright