by GroundquestMSA » Mar 19, 2014 7:45 pm
I bought this book, and read it today. I would like to thank Mr. Matthews for making it available, I truly enjoyed it. I was interested to know what methods were used to produce the map, and how much passage it shows, but this information was not included. While the authors make a declaration of abstinence from exaggeration in the beginning of the book, they seem to get a tad carried away in a few sections. One passage dealing with a ride down Echo River was especially colorful:
Along the margin are a myriad cavities, from a few inches to many feet in diameter, that have been washed out by the stream. These cavelets gave a wag who was in our party the first time we crossed the stream his coveted opportunity for a joke, "Oh, see these little bits of caves - three for five cents," were his silly words. The solemn echos caught them up and bore them, as in derision, hither and thither and far away, till he was ashamed of himself. When the peals of laughter that followed had also died away, a quiet lady in black velvet cave costume, with tiny sleigh-bells along the edge to help people find her in case she got lost, sang the "Sweet Bye and Bye," and the echos were singularly sweet and pleasing. Then someone fired off a revolver, and the report rebounded tremendously from rock to rock. A native Kentuckian favored us with the famous "Rebel Yell," which was re-echoed as if a regiment was rallied from the recesses of the cavern... The most exraordinary effects are produced when Echo River is allowed to speak for itself, and can only be had when the party is willing to maintain utter silence. The method is simply by the guide's agitating the water by rocking the boat and striking the water vigorously with his paddle. The first sound to break the intense stillness is like the tinkling of myriads of tiny silver bells (at this point I wondered if that was because the lady in the black velvet suit fell out of the rocking boat). Then larger and heavier bells take up the harmony as the waves seek out the cavities in the rocky wall. Then it is as if all the chimes in all the cathedrals had conspired to raise a tempest of sweet sounds. These die away to a whisper, followed by mutterings and a noise as if of an angry multitude, mingled with unearthly shrieks. Alarmed, we are ready to go to the rescue; but the guide motions to us to keep quiet and await what is to follow. We sit in expectation. Lo, as if from deep recess (ya think?) that had hitherto been forgotten, comes a tone tender and profound; after which, like gentle memories are reawakened all the mellow sounds, the silver bells, the alarm bells, the chiming cathedral bells, till River Hall rings again with the wondrous, matchless harmony.
It's a very nice book Larry, thank you.