Capitolo 87
the earth. We can quickly see as this water that strains it is able
dissolves and hands away the surface of the stones long such
splits, and in process of time we would have the phenomenon of
a brook of water that flows under earth.
Owing to a lot of causes--so, for example, as the reunion
of another crack--we would wait for there that it divides of this
underground way would have widened to salt spacious.
In such some way as this is now understood that all the caverns
you/he/she has originated.
Owing causes to a lot of dispositions the river is able, after some the cessation
to flow, leaving portions widened of his/her channel behind as a
succession of rooms in a cavern. But water would still come
dripping in from the tops and sides, and it is continually
dripping to the floor, where it quickly evaporates. When this way
it is the case that leaves behind him the limestone in which you/he/she has contained
solution. Then, in process of time, if the deposition is
unperturbed, there it will be formed on the floor of the cavern a
more continuous layer of the matter of limestone known as
stalagmite. The same formations on the top and sides of the cavern
you/he/she has called stalactites. In places where the dripping is continuous
the stalactite gradually supposes the form of an immense icicle;
while the stalagmite on the floor of the cavern, under the
drops, increases in a mass of columnar to satisfy the descendant
stalactite. An union of these is not common not, and, we have
pillars and columns that introduce the strange one fantastic aspect,
on that tourists delight to indulge in theirs notes of trip.
While these accumulations are in all the cases very slow, still us
don't measure the time from when it started from the percentage of
present growth, because this various percentage greatly to different
times and it puts also in the same cavern. And we also owe comment
what this complete series of changes only happens in some
place, the majority of caverns that I/you/they am meaningless
in ransom.<2>
From what has been said as to the formation of caverns, we am able,