I instantly stopped, full of astonishment, and eagerly asked my
guide what this might mean? He answered, "Only have patience, and
you shall soon see."
But as we advanced, the sounds of harmony seemed to die away; the
noise became weaker and weaker; and at length it seemed to sink into
a gentle hissing or hum, like distant drops of falling rain.
And how great was my amazement when, ere long, I actually saw and
felt a violent shower of rain falling from the rock, as from a thick
cloud, whose drops, which now fell on our candles, had caused that
same melancholy sound which I had heard at a distance.
This was what is here called a mizzling rain, which fell from the
ceiling or roof of the cavern, through the veins of the rock.
We did not dare to approach too near with our candles, as they might
easily have been extinguished by the falling drops; and so we
perhaps have been forced to seek our way back in vain.
We continued our march therefore along the side of the water, and
often saw on the sides large apertures in the rock, which seemed to
be new or subordinate caverns, all which we passed without looking
into.
