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sheep have often been suddenly swallowed up by this gaping wonder
of nature. To say that no living creature ever came out of its
mouth, would be a proposition too general; trouts of a
protuberant size have been drawn out of it, where they had been
long nourished in safety; their habitation being seldom disturbed
by the insidious fisherman.
A little further to the east, we came to another curiosity of
nature, called Barefoot-wives-hole: we had noticed it in our
ascent up the side of Ingleborough. It is a large round pit, in
the form of a funnel, the diameter at the top being about fifty
or sixty yards, and its depth twenty-six. It is easily descended
in most places, though on the south side there is a high rocky
precipice, but is dry; the waters that are emptied into it being
swallowed up among the rocks and loose stones at the bottom. In
our way back we also saw Hardrawkin, and some other subterranean
passages of less note, which had been formed by the waters in
their descent from the mountain adjoining to Ingleborough, to the
vale beneath. Indeed the whole limestone base of this monster of
nature is perforated and excavated in all directions, like a
honeycomb. [1]
From the Chapel-in-the-Dale we shaped our course towards the
south-east corner of Whernside, along the road leading to the
village of Dent. As we proceeded, the curate entertained us with
an account of some singular properties observable in the black
earth, which composes the soil in the higher parts of the vale,
in various morassy places. It is a kind of igneum lutum, or
rather a sort of putrified earth, which in the night resembles
fire, when it is agitated by being trodden upon. The effect it
produces in a dark evening are truly curious and amazing,
Strangers are always surprised, and often frightened, to see
their own and horses' legs be-
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[1]
Limestone has all the appearance of having been once in a soft
state, and easily soluble in water. This principle will account
for the scallops on the surface of limestone rocks, being made
perhaps by the water draining off while the stone was soft; also
for the chinks and crevices amongst them, made by their shrinking
together when dried by the sun. The caves themselves proceed,
most probably, from a great part of the rock being dissolved and
washed down by the streams pervading the different strata.
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