Nothing further happened until we reached the remarkable wall of rock that I have mentioned, which I suppose is composed of some very hard stone that remained when the softer rock in which it lay was disintegrated by millions of years of weather or washings by the water of the lake.  Or perhaps its substance was thrown out of the bowels of the volcano when this was active.  I am no geologist, and cannot say, especially as I lacked time to examine the place.  At any rate there it was, and there in it appeared the mouth of a great cave that I presume was natural, having once formed a kind of drain through which the lake overflowed when Pongo-land was under water.

We halted, staring dubiously at this darksome hole, which no doubt was the same that Babemba had explored in his youth.  Then the Kalubi gave an order, and some of the soldiers went to huts that were built near the mouth of the cave, where I suppose guardians or attendants lived, though of these we saw nothing.  Presently they returned with a number of lighted torches that were distributed among us.  This done, we plunged, shivering (at least, I shivered), into the gloomy recesses of that great cavern, the Kalubi going before us with half of our escort, and Komba following behind us with the remainder.

The floor of the place was made quite smooth, doubtless by the action of water, as were the walls and roof, so far as we could see them, for it was very wide and lofty.  It did not run straight, but curved about in the thickness of the cliff.  At the first turn the Pongo soldiers set up a low and eerie chant which they continued during its whole length, that according to my pacings was something over three hundred yards.  On we wound, the torches making stars of light in the intense blackness, till at length we rounded a last corner where a great curtain of woven grass, now drawn, was stretched across the cave.  Here we saw a very strange sight.

On either side of it, near to the walls, burned a large wood fire that gave light to the place.  Also more light flowed into it from its further mouth that was not more than twenty paces from the fires.  Beyond the mouth was water which seemed to be about two hundred yards wide, and beyond the water rose the slopes of the mountain that was covered with huge trees.  Moreover, a little bay penetrated into the cavern, the point of which bay ended between the two fires.  Here the water, which was not more than six or eight feet wide, and shallow, formed the berthing place of a good-sized canoe that lay there.  The walls of the cavern, from the turn to the point of the tongue of water, were pierced with four doorways, two on either side, which led, I presume, to chambers hewn in the rock.  At each of these doorways stood a tall woman clothed in white, who held in her hand a burning torch.  I concluded that these were attendants set there to guide and welcome us, for after we had passed, they vanished into the chambers.