第8部分(第3/7 頁)

The　pillars　sustaining　the　vaulted　roofs；　whose　curves　allowed　of　every　style；　the　massive　walls　between　the　passages；　the　naves　themselves　in　this　layer　of　secondary　formation；　were　posed　of　sandstone　and　schistous　rocks。 But　tightly　packed　between　these　useless　strata　ran　valuable　veins　of　coal；　as　if　the　black　blood　of　this　strange　mine　had　circulated　through　their　tangled　work。　These　fields　extended　forty　miles　north　and　south；　and　stretched　even　under　the　Caledonian　Canal。 The　importance　of　this　bed　could　not　be　calculated　until　after　soundings；　but　it　would　certainly　surpass　those　of　Cardiff　and　Newcastle。

We　may　add　that　the　working　of　this　mine　would　be　singularly　facilitated　by　the　fantastic　dispositions　of　the　secondary　earths；　for　by　an　unaccountable　retreat　of　the　mineral　matter　at　the　geological　epoch；　when　the　mass　was　solidifying；　nature　had　already　multiplied　the　galleries　and　tunnels　of　New　Aberfoyle。

Yes；　nature　alone！ It　might　at　first　have　been　supposed　that　some　works　abandoned　for　centuries　had　been　discovered　afresh。 Nothing　of　the　sort。　No　one　would　have　deserted　such　riches。 Human　termites　had　never　gnawed　away　this　part　of　the　Scottish　subsoil；　nature　herself　had　done　it　all。　But；　we　repeat；　it　could　be　pared　to　nothing　but　the　celebrated　Mammoth　caves；　which；　in　an　extent　of　more　than　twenty　miles；　contain　two　hundred　and　twenty…six　avenues；　eleven　lakes；　seven　rivers；　eight　cataracts；　thirty…two　unfathomable　wells；　and　fifty…seven　domes；　some　of　which　are　more　than　four　hundred　and　fifty　feet　in　height。　Like　these　caves；　New　Aberfoyle　was　not　the　work　of　men；　but　the　work　of　the　Creator。

Such　was　this　new　domain；　of　matchless　wealth；　the　discovery　of　which　belonged　entirely　to　the　old　overman。 Ten　years'　sojourn　i