THE CAVES AT EPSOM. A FRAGMENT.—( By Units )

New Zealander, Volume I, Issue 3, 21 June 1845, Page 3

THE CAVES AT EPSOM. A FRAGMENT. — ( By Units )

— 0 Early one morning, a few months *go, I was surpi ibcd to hear my friend Wilton come into my room in considerable haste : "Up, Fred ," sani ho, " I have found something at la&t to break the monotony of this confounded place. I have scalded mv hands in the hot spring, and scrambled into all tlie craters far and near 5 but the) are all '• Honhon" when one has once seen them j but, now, I have found something of real interest, something that will repay our researches, and no doubt create no end of a sensation, both hear and at home." " What, have you discovered a gold, mine?" "Poh! Pol) !" he exclaimed. "Then pei haps )0u have fallen headlong into the famous valley of diamonds " " You are quite wrong m> good fellow. The fact is, I have heard that there are caves at Epsom." "Caves at Ep6om?" 1 ejaculated. " Yes, caves, so the country people call them ; but, no doubt, those caves or caverns, are something like, if not supeiior, to the grotto of Antiparos, for the man who told me, said he had not cxploied them > but that the entrance was choked up w ith human bones. I have scarcely slept a wink all night, with thinking about them. Heel a perfect Belzoni, and shall no doubt bring to light subjects of interest to the Antiquary, the Historinn, and the Naturalist. You shall go with me, Fied," continued he, placing his back to the fire, and assuming a semitragical attitude. "Who 1 knows but we may prove that this numerous race of uncultivated intelligence may not have around them the air of majesty, and that by turning over the fragments of other ages, we may biing to light, relics of ancient grandeur, or of chivalric glory Do not look to stupid and incredulous. Did not my friend Belzoni, craw 1 on his hands and knees to leveal the amazing beauties and wonders of Eg\pt? Are not the stupendous •spleiidouis of Babylon buried in brick dust, and the gorgeous unrivalled ruins of Balbec almost unknown ? Have not the pick and the spade been \\p great instruments of levealing to the world the iiihpiiation and sublimity of Sculpture, Paint ing, and Poetry ; and of turning up the pioud Sarcophagus, the pillared Obelisk, and the bloody Cramelch? My very frame thiills, to think o! finding myself amidst relics untouched by human hands since theiffifst destiuction. You will be ready to-morrow, .ajj^ten 5 1 shall tell my man, Jem, togetieady toHies and ropes. Good morning. By the bye, do ot forget the brandy flask." Now, the fact was, J. had been at the cares mjs<|jf, and had found^^ the exception of a few bones, as little to interebt me, as I should have found in a common sewei, or a superannuated watercourse; but was unvi illmg to clash the pleasure of my-friend's enthusiasm ; nevertheless, I felt dcteVmi'nld iifo make an adventure of it, and by getting in before him, test whether Ins courage was equal to his spirit of research. So leaving a note next morning to say, that an une\pected engagement would deprive me of the pleasure of his company, I set out to the caves with candle's, matches, and a preparation of^ phosphorus, Those who have been up the principal cave v il] lemember, that after having crep^a considerable distance over laige stones, the adventurer finds rliiinsell in a tolerably large cavern, on one side of which, there is a convenient place for conceal merit. Here, then,! stationed myself, after having placed a Etick across the entrance, a few inches from the ground, and waited for the first signal, to apply the phosphorus to my hands and face I had not m ailed long before I heard 60ine one making preparation to enter, and soon recognised my friend's voice, ds with tot chin hand he'groped his way. ' Come along Jem," he exclaimed, " what a bljurulet ing hole this is. Don't you smell brim stone ?" Onwards he came to within a few yards of the place of my concealment, and finding the place widening, he lifted his head to take obseivations, and as I anticipated, got his feet entangled with thij'jstick : — down he came, and extinguished tholij}uion the wetground. Springing out, I stood at some distance bci'oie him, my fea tines quivering with flame, as he rose, muttering an exclamation of anger, his eyes appeared to detect me. There was a dead pause oi" some seconds: — then he cried, "Oh ! murder ! Jem ' Oh! murctei I" as Jem approached, I iclrealed further into the daikness. " What is the mallei , master?" "Look there." Jem held up the torch, and peeping over his master s shoulder, they both, at once, sent foith a yell, that would have awakened the dead, and at the same moment, a quantity of loube cart If Tailing upon them, knocked out the remaining torch. Nothing could exceed the confusion of their tetreat ; the pushing, muttering, and sci ambling, was enough for twenty people, and soon left me libei ty of egress The same ni^ht Wilton came limping 11110 my room. "Oh 1 , my sinus 1 they are us bare as a couple of lamiods." "Well, have you been to the caves?" 1 rephqd. " Yes, I have been to the caves." e> And pm >• what did )ouiind ?" "Why ! I found the Devil." "Found ti.ie Devil, what was ho like?" "Come noneof )our joking, Fred^ foi as tiue as I see) cm now, I saw the Devil, 01 some one, belviiguu, to lmn f in the 'caves at Kpsom." [