--Jack carrying one bundle,
with the torch; I the other, with the things for producing fire.

"Now don't weary for us, Peterkin, should we be gone some time," said
Jack. "We'll be sure to return in half-an-hour at the very latest,
however interesting the cave should be, that we may relieve your mind."

"Farewell!" said Peterkin, coming up to us with a look of deep but
pretended solemnity, while he shook hands and kissed each of us on the
cheek--"farewell! And while you are gone I shall repose my weary limbs
under the shelter of this bush, and meditate on the changefulness of all
things earthly, with special reference to the forsaken condition of a
poor shipwrecked sailor-boy!" So saying, Peterkin waved his hand,
turned from us, and cast himself upon the ground with a look of
melancholy resignation, which was so well feigned that I would have
thought it genuine had he not accompanied it with a gentle wink. We
both laughed, and springing from the rocks together, plunged head first
into the sea.

We gained the interior of the submarine cave without difficulty, and on
emerging from the waves, supported ourselves for some time by treading
water, while we held the two bundles above our heads. This we did in
order to let our eyes become accustomed to the obscurity. Then, when we
could see sufficiently, we swam to a shelving rock, and landed in
safety. Having wrung the water from our trousers, and dried ourselves
as well as we could under the circumstances, we proceeded to ignite the
torch. This we accomplished without difficulty in a few minutes; and no
sooner did it flare up than we were struck dumb with the wonderful
objects that were revealed to our gaze. The roof of the cavern just
above us seemed to be about ten feet high, but grew higher as it receded
into the distance until it was lost in darkness. It seemed to be made
of coral, and was supported by massive columns of the same material.
Immense icicles (as they appeared to us) hung from it in various places.
These, however, were formed, not of ice, but of a species of limestone,
which seemed to flow in a liquid form towards the point of each, where
it became solid. A good many drops fell, however, to the rock below,
and these formed little cones, which rose to meet the points above.
Some of them had already met, and thus we saw how the pillars were
formed, which at first seemed to us as if they had been placed there by
some human architect to support the ro