[CHAPTER XXX.]
GENERAL IMPRESSIONS.
When the Queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon she went to Jerusalem with a great train, with camels that bore spices and large quantities of gold and precious stones, and fully satisfied the curiosity commonly attributed to her sex. She proved the wisdom of the far-famed monarch, admired his house and its appointments, the apparel of his servants, the attendance of his ministers, and the magnificence of his daily table; and, according to Josephus, she said: "As for the report, it only attempted to persuade our hearing, but did not so make known the dignity of the things themselves as does the sight of them, and being present among them. I, indeed, who did not believe what was reported by reason of the multitude and grandeur of the things I inquired about, do see them to be much more numerous than they were reported to be." Or, as the verdict of "the Queen of the South" is given in the Authorized Version of the Old Testament, "I believed not the words until I came, and mine eyes had seen it; and, behold, the half was not told me." A similar testimony will be borne by most visitors in regard to the magnificence of the Jenolan Caves, and "the multitude and grandeur" of the objects which excite surprise or challenge admiration at almost every step. Jenolan is a veritable wonderland, as well as a most interesting geological study. It presents features sufficiently sublime to touch the deepest chords of the human heart: forms sufficiently graceful to charm the artist; situations affording novel material for the romancist; configurations, transmutations, and fascinations to move the soul of the poet; and vast, silent cathedrals which inspire a feeling of devotion, for—
"Nature, with folded hands, seems there
Kneeling at her evening prayer."
Some of the best photographs which have been taken of the most prominent features of the caves give an idea of their grandeur, but it is only a poor one. They convey no impression of their delicate sheen and dazzling beauty, of the gradations of tint and colour; of the mystic crypts and charming contours. A good photograph may aid those who have seen the caves to fill in details, but even to the most imaginative person who has not had the pleasure of a personal inspection it cannot possibly convey anything like an adequate sense of the thousand and one charms which elude both the photographer and the artist. There is as much difference between the pictorial illustration and the reality as there is between a vacant stare and an eye filled with lovelight and sparkling recognition. And the same remark will apply in greater or lesser degree to verbal description. Words are altogether too poor, and it may be folly to attempt to describe the indescribably beautiful. Among the numerous inscriptions in the cave book, a visitor has given his judgment upon this point very bluntly. He says, without periphrasis or euphemism—"The man who would attempt to describe these caves is a fool." Still, these articles as they appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, have at least brought the caves prominently before the public, and perchance in their present form may be of use to future visitors.
On leaving the Cimmerian gloom of the Imperial Cave, and emerging into the clear daylight, the sensation is strange, for after being two or three hours entombed in the heart of the limestone mountains, the darkness seems as natural as night. It is joyous, however, to be back again in the sunshine, and to find that—
"There is a tongue in every leaf,
A voice in every rill."
CAVES UNEXPLORED.
And as you glance once more along the limestone mountain ridge you wonder what hidden beauties yet remain to be revealed. To the north from the Devil's Coach House numerous caves are known to exist, and it is probable that some of them may present features more remarkable than any yet discovered. The creek, which runs quietly along, has on its way some oblique outlets before it sinks into the earth, and recalls, with its surroundings, the pleasure-place of Kubla Khan,—