an island in the Archipelago, opposite to Paros, from which it is separated by a strait about seven miles over. It is the Olearos, or Olearos, mentioned by Strabo, Pliny, Virgil, Ovid, &c.; and was, according to Heraclides Ponticus as quoted by Stephanus, first peopled by a Phoenician colony from Sidon.—According to Mr Tournefort's account, it is about 16 miles in circumference, produces a little wine and cotton, with as much corn as is necessary for the maintenance of 60 or 70 families, who live together in a village at one end of the island, and are mostly Maltese and French corsairs.

This island is remarkable for a subterraneous cavern or grotto, accounted one of the greatest natural curiosities in the world. It was first discovered in the last century by one Magni an Italian traveller, who has given us the following account: "Having been informed (says he) by the natives of Paros, that in the little island of Antiparos, which lies about two miles from the former, of a gigantic statue that was to be seen at the mouth of a cavern in that place, it was resolved that we (the French consul and himself) should pay it a visit. In pursuance of this resolution, after we had landed on the island, and walked about four miles through the midst of beautiful plains and sloping woodlands, we at length came to a little hill, on the side of which yawned a most horrid cavern, that with its gloom at first struck us with terror, and almost repressed curiosity. Recovering the first surprize, however, we entered boldly; and had not proceeded above 20 paces, when the supposed statue of the giant presented itself to our view. We quickly perceived, that what the ignorant natives had been terrified at as a giant, was nothing more than a sparry concretion, formed by the water dropping from the roof of the cave, and by degrees hardening... hardening into a figure that their fears had formed into a monster. Incited by this extraordinary appearance, we were induced to proceed still farther, in quest of new adventures in this subterranean abode. As we proceeded, new wonders offered themselves; the spars, formed into trees and shrubs, presented a kind of petrified grove; some white, some green; and all receding in due perspective. They struck us with the more amazement, as we knew them to be mere productions of Nature, who, hitherto in solitude, had, in her playful moments, dressed the scene, as if for her own amusement.

"But we had as yet seen but a few of the wonders of the place, and we were introduced as yet only into the portico of this amazing temple. In one corner of this half-illuminated recess, there appeared an opening of about three feet wide, which seemed to lead to a place totally dark, and that one of the natives assured us contained nothing more than a reservoir of water. Upon this we tried, by throwing down some stones, which rumbling along the sides of the descent for some time, the sound seemed at last quashed in a bed of water. In order, however, to be more certain, we sent in a Levantine mariner, who, by the promise of a good reward, with a flambeau in his hand, ventured into this narrow aperture. After continuing within it for about a quarter of an hour, he returned, carrying some beautiful pieces of white spar in his hand, which art could neither imitate nor equal. Upon being informed by him that the place was full of these beautiful incrustations, I ventured in once more with him, for about 50 paces, anxiously and cautiously descending by a steep and dangerous way. Finding, however, that we came to a precipice which led into a spacious amphitheatre, if I may so call it, still deeper than any other part, we returned; and being provided with a ladder, flambeaux, and other things to expedite our descent, our whole company, man by man, ventured into the same opening, and, descending one after another, we at last saw ourselves all together in the most magnificent part of the cavern.

"Our candles being now all lighted up, and the whole place completely illuminated, never could the eye be presented with a more glittering or a more magnificent scene. The roof all hung with solid icicles, transparent as glass, yet solid as marble. The eye could scarce reach the lofty and noble ceiling; the sides were regularly formed with spars; and the whole presented the idea of a magnificent theatre, illuminated with an immense profusion of lights. The floor consisted of solid marble; and in several places, magnificent columns, thrones, altars, and other objects, appeared, as if nature had designed to mock the curiosities of art. Our voices, upon speaking or singing, were redoubled to an astonishing loudness; and, upon the firing of a gun, the noise and reverberations were almost deafening. In the midst of this grand amphitheatre rose a concretion of about 15 feet high, that, in some measure, resembled an altar; from which, taking the hint, we caused mass to be celebrated there. The beautiful columns that shot up round the altar, appeared like candlesticks; and many other natural objects represented the customary ornaments of this sacrament.

"Below even this spacious grotto, there seemed another cavern; down which I ventured with my former mariner, and descended about 50 paces by means of a rope. I at last arrived at a small spot of level ground, where the bottom appeared different from that of the amphitheatre, being composed of soft clay, yielding to the pressure, and in which I thrust a stick to about six feet deep. In this, however, as above, numbers of the most beautiful crystals were formed; one of which, particularly, resembled a table. Upon our egress from this amazing cavern, we perceived a Greek inscription upon a rock at the mouth; but so obliterated by time, that we could not read it. It seemed to import, that one Antipater, in the time of Alexander, had come thither; but whether he penetrated into the depths of the cavern, he does not think fit to inform us."

From this account Mr Tournefort's differs considerably. Mr Magni mentions only one descent or precipice from the entry of the cave to the grotto, or most magnificent part: Mr Tournefort says that there were many very dangerous precipices and rugged ways, through which they were obliged to pass sometimes on their back, and sometimes on their belly; but gives no particular account of his journey till he comes to the grand cavern. This indeed he describes very pompously; but as by it he evidently wants to support a favourite hypothesis, namely, the vegetation of stones, perhaps the particulars are not altogether to be depended upon. He informs us, that, at the entry into the cavern, he met with a Greek inscription almost defaced, containing a good number of proper names; and that there was a tradition among the inhabitants, that these were the names of some who had conspired against Alexander the Great, and having missed their aim, had taken refuge in this grotto.

The most particular account, however, of this famous grotto that hath hitherto been published, appeared in the British magazine, in a letter signed Charles Saunders, and dated Feb. 24th, 1746-7; which, as it is very particular, and seems to bear sufficient marks of authenticity, we shall here insert. "Its entrance lies in the side of a rock, about two miles from the seashore; and is a spacious and very large arch, formed of rough craggy rocks, overhung with brambles and a great many climbing plants, that give it a gloominess which is very awful and agreeable. Our surgeon, myself, and four passengers, attended by six guides with lighted torches, entered this cavern about eight o'clock in the morning, in the middle of August last. We had not gone 20 yards in this cavity when we lost all sight of day-light: but our guides going before us with lights, we entered into a low narrow kind of alley, surrounded every way with stones all glittering like diamonds by the light of our torches; the whole being covered and lined throughout with small crystals, which gave a thousand various colours by their different reflections. This alley grows lower and narrower as one goes on, till at length one can scarce get along it. At the end of this passage we were each of us presented with a rope to tie about our middles; which when we had done, our guides led us to the brink of a most horrible precipice. The descent into this was quite steep, and the place all dark and gloomy. We could see nothing, in short, but some of our guides with torches in a miserable dark place, at a vast distance below us. The dreadful depth of this place, and the horror of the descent thro' a miserable darkness into it, made Antiparos made me look back to the lane of diamonds, if I may so call it, thro' which we had just passed; and I could not but think I was leaving heaven, to descend into the infernal regions. The hope of something fine at my journey's end, tempted me, however, to trust myself down. After about two minutes dangling in this posture, not without much pain as well as terror, I found myself safe, however, at the bottom; and our friends all soon followed the example. When we had congratulated here with one another on our safe descent; I was inquiring where the grotto, as they called it, was. Our guides, shaking their heads, told us, we had a great way to that yet; and led us forward about 30 yards under a roof of ragged rocks, in a scene of terrible darkness, and at a vast depth from the surface of the earth, to the brink of another precipice much deeper and more terrible than the former. Two of the guides went down here with their torches first; and by their light we could see, that this passage was not so perpendicular indeed as the other, but lay in a very steep flant, with a very slippery rock for the bottom; vast pieces of rough rugged rocks jutting out in many places on the right hand, in the descent, and forcing the guides sometimes to climb over, sometimes to creep under them, and sometimes to round them; and on the left, a thousand dark caverns, like so many monstrous wells, ready, if a foot should slip, to swallow them up for ever. We stood on the edge to see these people with their lights descend before us; and were amazed and terrified to see them continue descending till they seemed at a monstrous and most frightful depth. When they were at the bottom, however, they hallowed to us; and we, trembling and quaking, began to descend after them. We had not gone 30 feet down, when we came to a place where the rock was perfectly perpendicular; and a vast cavern seemed to open its mouth to swallow us up on one side, while a wall of rugged rock threatened to tear us to pieces on the other. I was quite disheartened at this terrible prospect, and declared I would go back; but our guides assured us there was no danger; and the rest of the company resolving to see the bottom now they were come so far, I would not leave them; so on we went to a corner where there was placed an old slippery and rotten ladder, which hung down close to the rock; and down this, one after another, we at length all descended. When we had got to the bottom of this we found ourselves at the entrance of another passage, which was terrible enough indeed; but in this there was not wanting something of beauty. This was a wide and gradual descent; at the entrance of which one of our guides seated himself on his breech, and began to slide down, telling us we must do the same. We could discover, by the light of his torch, that this passage was one of the noblest vaults in the world. It is about nine feet high, seven wide, and has for its bottom a fine green glossy marble. The walls and arch of the roof of this being as smooth and even in most places as if wrought by art, and made of a fine glistering red and white granite, supported here and there with columns of a deep blood-red shining porphyry, made, with the reflection of the lights, an appearance not to be conceived. This passage is at least 40 yards long; and of so steep a descent, that one has enough to do, when seated on one's breech, not to descend too quickly. Our guides, that we kept with us, could here keep on each side of us; and, what with the prodigious grandeur and beauty of the place, our easy travelling thro' it, and the divertion of our now and then running over one another whether we would or not; this was much the pleasantest part of our journey. When we had entered this passage, I imagined we should at the bottom join the two guides we had first set down; but alas! when we were got there, we found ourselves only at the mouth of another precipice, down which we descended by a second ladder not much better than the former. I could have admired this place also, would my terror have suffered me; but the dread of falling, kept all my thoughts employed during my descent. I could not but observe, however, as my companions were coming down after me, that the wall, if I may so call it, which the ladder hung by, was one mass of blood-red marble, covered with white sprigs of rock-crystal as long as my finger, and making, with the glow of the purple from behind, one continued immense sheet of amethysts. From the foot of this ladder we slid on our bellies through another shallow vault of polished green and white marble, about 20 feet; and at the bottom of this joined our guides. Here we all got together once again, and drank some rum, to give us courage before we proceeded any farther. After this short refreshment, we proceeded by a strait, but somewhat flanking passage, of a rough, hard, and somewhat coarse stone, full of a thousand strange figures of snakes rolled round, and looking as if alive; but in reality as cold and hard as the rest of the stone, and nothing but some of the stone itself in that shape. We walked pretty easily along this descent for near 200 yards; where we saw two pillars seemingly made to support the roof from falling in; but in reality it was no such thing; for they were very brittle, and made of a fine glittering yellow marble. When we had passed these about 200 yards, we found ourselves at the brink of another very terrible precipice; but this our guides assured us was the last; and there being a very good ladder to go down by, we readily ventured. At the bottom of this steep wall, as I may call it, we found ourselves for some way upon plain even ground; but, after about 40 yards walking, were presented by our guides with ropes again; which we fastened about our middles, though not to be swung down by, but only for fear of danger, as there are lakes and deep waters all the way from hence on the left hand. With this caution, however, we entered the last alley; and horrible work it was indeed to get through it. All was perfectly horrid and dismal here. The sides and roof of the passage were all of black stone; and the rocks in our way were in some places so steep, that we were forced to lie all along on our backs, and slide down; and so rough, that they cut our clothes, and bruised us miserably in passing. Over our heads, there were nothing but ragged black rocks, some of them looking as if they were every moment ready to fall in upon us; and, on our left hands, the light of our guides' torches showed us continually the surfaces of dirty and miserably looking lakes of water. If I had heartily repented of my expedition often before, here I assure you I was all in a cold sweat, and fairly gave myself over for lost; heartily cursing all the travellers that had written of this place, that they had described it so as paros, to tempt people to see it, and never told us of the horrors that lay in the way. In the midst of all these reflections, and in the very dismallest part of all the cavern, on a sudden we had lost four of our six guides. What was my terror on this fight! The place was a thousand times darker and more terrible for want of their torches; and I expected no other but every moment to follow them into some of these lakes, into which I doubted not but they were fallen. The remaining two guides said all they could, indeed, to cheer us up; and told us we should see the other four again soon, and that we were near the end of our journey. I don't know what effect this might have upon the rest of my companions; but I assure you I believed no part of the speech but the last, which I expected every moment to find fulfilled in some pond or precipice. Our passage was by this time become very narrow, and we were obliged to crawl on all-fours over rugged rocks; when in an instant, and in the midst of these melancholy apprehensions, I heard a little hissing noise, and saw myself in utter, and not to be described, darkness. Our guides called indeed cheerfully to us, and told us that they had accidentally dropped their torches into a puddle of water, but we should soon come to the rest of them, and they would light them again; and told us there was no danger, and we had nothing to do but to crawl forward. I cannot say but I was amazed at the courage of these people; who were in a place where, I thought, four of them had already perished, and from whence we could none of us ever escape; and determined to lie down and die where I was. Words cannot describe the horror, or the extreme darkness of the place. One of our guides, however, perceiving that I did not advance, came up to me, and clapping his hand firmly over my eyes, dragged me a few paces forward. While I was in this strange condition, expecting every moment death in a thousand shapes, and trembling to think what the guide meant by this rough proceeding, he lifted me at once over a great stone, let me down on my feet, and took his hand from before my eyes. What words can describe at that instant my astonishment and transport! Instead of darkness and despair, all was splendor and magnificence before me; our guides all appeared about us; the place was illuminated by 50 torches, and the guides all welcomed me into the grotto of Antiparos. The four that were first missing, I now found had only given us the slip, to get the torches lighted up before we came; and the other two had put out their lights on purpose, to make us enter out of utter darkness into this pavilion of splendor and glory. I am now come to the proper business of this letter; which was, to describe this grotto. But I must confess to you that words cannot do it. The amazing beauties of the place, the eye that sees them only can conceive. The best account I can give you, however, pray accept of.

"The people told us, the depth of this place was 425 yards, the grotto, in which we now were, is a cavern of 120 yards wide, and 113 long, and seems about 60 yards high in most places. These measures differ something from the accounts travellers in general give us; but you may depend upon them as exact, for I took them with my own hand. Imagine then with yourself, an immense arch like this, almost all over lined with fine and bright crystallized white marble, and illuminated with 50 torches; and you will then have Antiparos. Some faint idea of the place I had the pleasure to spend three hours in. This, however, is but a faint description of its beauties. The roof, which is a fine vaulted arch, is hung all over with icicles of white shining marble, some of them ten feet long, and as thick as one's middle at the root; and among these there hang 1000 festoons of leaves and flowers, of the same substance; but so very glittering, that there is no bearing to look up at them. The sides of the arch are planted with feeming trees of the same white marble, rising in rows one above another, and often including the points of the icicles. From these trees there are also hung festoons, tied as it were from one to another in vast quantities; and in some places among them there seem rivers of marble winding through them in a thousand meanders. All these things are only made, in a long course of years, from the dropping of water, but really look like trees and brooks turned to marble. The floor we trod upon was rough and uneven, with crystals of all colours growing irregularly out of it, red, blue, green, and some of a pale yellow. There were all shaped like pieces of salt-petre; but so hard, that they cut our faces: among these, here and there, are placed icicles of the same white shining marble with those above, and seeming to have fallen down from the roof and fixed there; only the big end of these is to the floor. To all these our guides had tied torches, two or three to a pillar, and kept continually beating them to make them burn bright. You may guess what a glare of splendor and beauty must be the effect of this illumination, among such rocks and columns of marble. All round the lower part of the sides of the arch are a thousand white masses of marble, in the shape of oak-trees. Mr. Tournefort compares them to cauliflowers, but I should as soon compare them to toad-stools. In short, they are large enough to inclose, in many places, a piece of ground big enough for a bed-chamber. One of these chambers has a fair white curtain, whiter than satin, of the same marble, stretched all over the front of it. In this we all cut our names, and the date of the year, as a great many people have done before us. In a course of years afterwards, the stone blisters out like this white marble over the letters. Mr. Tournefort thinks the rock grows like oaks or apple-trees for this reason; but I remember I saw some of the finest cockle and mule shells, in the rock thereabouts, that ever I saw in my life. I wonder whether he thinks they grow there too. Besides, if this rock grows so fast, the cavern ought to be all grown up by this time; and yet, according to his measures and mine, the cavern seems on the other hand to be turned larger since. Indeed, all that I can gather from his account of this glorious place is, that he had drank a bottle or two too much before he went down into it."