Through unknown African countries; the first expedition from Somaliland to Lake Lamu (1897) (14776669444)

Identifier: throughunknownaf00smit (find matches)
Title: Through unknown African countries; the first expedition from Somaliland to Lake Lamu
Year: 1897 (1890s)
Authors: Smith, Arthur Donaldson, 1866-1939 Günther, Albert C. L. G. (Albert Carl Ludwig Gotthilf), 1830-1914 Simon, Eugène, 1848-1924 Pocock, R. I. (Reginald Innes), 1863-1947 Holland, W. J. (William Jacob), 1848-1932 Gregory, J. W. (John Walter), 1864-1932 Crick, G. C. (George Charles), 1856-1917 Culin, Stewart, 1858-1929 Jordan, Karl, 1861-1959
Subjects: Smith, Arthur Donaldson, 1866-1939 Natural history
Publisher: London, New York : E. Arnold, 1897
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries



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w us. A little farther on, andwe were at the waters edge, where marvel after marvelpresented itself. Balustrades and peristyles, huge columnsand arches, looking as though they had been cut and carvedby the Cyclops from mountains of pure white marble, brokethe waters course and lined its shores. The manner in which the water had carved the rocksinto such marvellous shapes was bewildering. There was amethod about the whole scheme of columns, with theirvery ornate capitals, round symmetrical bodies, and sjDlen-did bases, that seemed to have emanated from the divineinspiration of a wonderful sculptor. We stood for a whilecontemplating the scene, and then passed under an archand through a natural temple composed of a little groupof columns of white translucent rock, supporting a roof ofsolid granite (see illustration, page 85).^ A specimen of the white rock which I brought back has been identified byProfessor Heilprun. of the Academy of Natural Sciences, of Philadelphia, ascoral limestone.
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THE CAVES OF WVNDLAWN. 87 When we emerged at the other side, words could notexpress our astonishment. Our Somali boys, usually abso-lutely indifferent to beautiful scenery, could curb theirenthusiasm no longer, but with one accord broke out intoa prayer, so thoroughly were they convinced that whatthey beheld was the work of God, and was intended toimpress men with the greatness of his power. The river broke around a little group of rocks, andjoining again made a short dash, as it fell a couple of feet,and passed through the most superb archway it can bepossible to imagine. The whole mountain appeared to beresting on a series of columns thirty to forty feet high andtwenty to eighty feet apart, between which were spaciousvaulted chambers, with their domes rising many feet higher;and then again many columns uniting formed long archedtunnels. Along the edge of the river, as it passed throughthe mountain, the columns occurred in masses, or occasion-ally only a few yards apart, their great