Ossian Collection > Journey to the western islands of Scotland

340 A JOURNEY TO THE
advanced was fpread over with fmooth fand.
The breadth is about forty-live feet : the
roof rlfes in an arch, almoft regular, to a
height which we could not meafure ; but I
think it about thirty feet.
This part of our curiofity was nearly
fruftrated ; for though we w^ent to fee a
cave, and knew that caves are dark, w^e
forgot to carry tapers, and did not difcover
our omiffion till we were weakened by our
^vafits. Sir Allan then fent one of the boat-
men into the country, who foon returned
with one little candle. We were thus en-
abled to go forward, but could not venture
far. Having pafTed inward from the fea to
a great depth, we found on the right hand
a narrow paflage, perhaps not more than
fix feet wide, obflruded by great ftones,
over which we climbed and cam.e into a
fecond cave, in breadth twenty-five feet.
The air in this apartment was very warm,
but not oppreffive, nor loaded with vapours.
Our