,,the ,,netherworld ,,of ,,mendip ,,netherworld ,,of ,,mendip ,,explorations ,,in ,,the ,,great ,,caverns ,,of ,,somerset1 ,,yorkshire ,,derbyshire1 ,,and ,,elsewhere ,,by ,,ernest ,a4 ,,baker1 ,m4,a47,,lond47 ,,author ,,of ,,moors1 ,,crags1 ,,and ,,caves ,,of ,,the ,,high ,,peak ,,etc4 ,,joint-,,editor ,,of ,,the ,,voice ,,of ,,the ,,mountains ,,and ,,herbert ,e4 ,,balch ,,clifton ,j4 ,,baker ,,son ,,london ,,simpkin1 ,,marshall1 ,,hamilton1 ,,kent ,,co4 #aijg ,,preface ,the objects of this work are twofold3 to describe the actual incidents of various interesting episodes in the modern sport of cave exploring1 and to give an account of the scientific results of underground investigations in the ,mendip region of ,somerset4 ,speleology is the latest of the sporting sciences3 like orology and ,arctic exploration1 it has two sides1 sport and adventure being the lure to some1 whilst others are chiefly attracted by the new light thrown by these researches on the geology1 the hydrology1 and the natural history of the subterranean regions explored4 ,the chapters dealing with the scientific results are by ,h4 ,e4 ,balch1 who has been working on the geology of ,mendip1 more especially among the caves1 for upwards of twenty years3 the accounts of actual experiences1 in which the sporting side is predominant1 are by ,e4 ,a4 ,baker1 who described the recent exploration of the ,derbyshire caves in his ,moors1 ,crags1 and ,caves of the ,high ,peak1 #aijc4 ,no attempt is made to traverse the ground so perfectly covered by ,professor ,boyd ,dawkins in his fascinating volume on ,cave ,hunting1 and elsewhere1 most of the work described here being supplementary to that done by him1 and1 largely1 outside the scope of his aims4 ,the authors are indebted to the kindness of the ,editors of the ,liverpool ,courier and ,daily ,post1 the ,manchester ,guardian1 the ,standard1 the ,yorkshire ,post1 the ,irish ,naturalist1 and the ,climbers' ,club ,journal for permission to use the substance of various articles which have appeared in their pages1 and to ,m4 ,martel1 ,mr4 ,c4 ,blee1 and ,messrs4 ,gough for permission to reproduce a number of excellent illustrations by them4 ,,contents ,,page ,,the ,,cave ,,district ,,of ,,the ,,mendips #a ,,the ,,cheddar ,,group ,,of ,,caverns #af ,,antiquity ,,of ,,the ,,caves ,,of ,,mendip #ba ,,cave ,,exploring ,,as ,a ,,sport #cb ,,exploring ,,wookey ,,hole #de ,,strenuous ,,days ,,in ,,the ,,eastwater ,,swallet #fj ,,swildon',s ,,hole #gj ,,the ,,great ,,cavern ,,at ,,cheddar #hb ,,five ,,caverns ,,at ,,cheddar #ia ,,the ,,burrington ,,caverns #ii ,,the ,,coral ,,cave ,,at ,,compton ,,bishop #ajf ,,lamb',s ,,lair #aae ,a ,,cave ,,in ,,the ,,quantocks #abc ,,cave ,,exploring ,,at ,,abergele #abg ,,cave ,,discoveries ,,on ,,the ,,welsh ,,border #acc ,,the ,,exploration ,,of ,,stump ,,cross ,,cavern #ach ,,swallet-,,hunting ,,in ,,derbyshire #add ,,exploring ,,new ,,caves ,,in ,,derbyshire #aeb ,a ,,visit ,,to ,,mitchelstown ,,cave #aei ,,index #afi ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations ,,page ,,map ,,of ,,the ,,mendip ,,district ,,of ,,somerset1 ,,showing ,,swallets1 ,,caves1 ,,and ,,outlets #e ,,the ,,great ,,gorge ,,of ,,cheddar #af ,photo by ,,dawkes ,,partridge1 ,wells4 ,,romano-,,british ,,pottery1 ,,coins1 ,,human ,,remains1 ,,etc41 ,,wookey ,,hole ,,cave #bb ,photo by ,h4 ,e4 ,,balch4 ,,hy,,na ,,den ,,and ,,badger ,,hole1 ,,wookey ,,hole #bc ,photo by ,,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,,plan ,,and ,,section ,,of ,,wookey ,,hole ,,cavern #be ,by ,h4 ,e4 ,,balch4 ,,the ,,great ,,swallet ,,on ,,bishop',s ,,lot1 ,,priddy #bh ,photo by ,,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,,st4 ,,andrew',s ,,well1 ,,wells #bi ,photo by ,h4 ,e4 ,,balch4 ,,profile ,,of ,,the ,,witch ,,of ,,wookey1 ,,wookey ,,hole ,,cavern #df ,photo by ,h4 ,e4 ,,balch4 ,,among ,,the ,,pools1 ,,wookey ,,hole ,,cavern #dg ,photo by ,h4 ,e4 ,,balch4 ,,mass ,,of ,,stalagmite1 ,,wookey ,,hole #dh ,photo by ,h4 ,e4 ,,balch4 ,,in ,,the ,,first ,,chamber1 ,,wookey ,,hole ,,cavern #di ,photo by ,,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,,stalactite ,,terrace1 ,,wookey ,,hole #ej ,photo by ,h4 ,e4 ,,balch4 ,,great ,,river ,,chamber1 ,,wookey ,,hole #ea ,photo by ,,dawkes ,,partridge1 ,wells4 ,,second ,,great ,,chamber1 ,,wookey ,,hole #eb ,photo by ,,dawkes ,,partridge1 ,wells4 ,,entrance ,,of ,,third ,,chamber1 ,,wookey ,,hole #ec ,photo by ,,dawkes ,,partridge1 ,wells4 ,,stalactite ,,grotto3 ,,new ,,chambers1 ,,wookey ,,hole ,,cave #ed ,photo by ,h4 ,e4 ,,balch4 ,,stalactite ,,grotto1 ,,wookey ,,hole #ee ,photo by ,,claude ,,blee4 ,,stalactite ,,pillars1 ,,wookey ,,hole #ef ,photo by ,,claude ,,blee4 ,,new ,,stalactite ,,grotto1 ,,wookey ,,hole #eg ,photo by ,,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,,the ,,grille3 ,,new ,,chambers1 ,,wookey ,,hole #eh ,photo by ,,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,,the ,,source ,,of ,,the ,,axe1 ,,wookey ,,hole #ei ,photo by ,,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,,entrance ,,to ,,great ,,cavern ,,of ,,eastwater #fb ,photo by ,,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,,section ,,of ,,eastwater ,,cavern #fc ,by ,h4 ,e4 ,,balch4 ,,the ,,descent ,,of ,,eastwater ,,cavern1 ,,the ,,second ,,vertical ,,drop #fd ,from ,sketch by ,h4 ,e4 ,,balch4 ,,the ,,great ,,canyon1 ,,eastwater ,,cavern #fe ,from ,sketch by ,h4 ,e4 ,,balch4 ,,entrance ,,of ,,swildon',s ,,hole #gb ,photo by ,m4 ,,martel4 ,,waterfall1 ,,swildon',s ,,hole #gc ,photo by ,h4 ,e4 ,,balch4 ,,entrance ,,of ,,stalactite ,,chamber1 ,,swildon',s ,,hole #gh ,photo by ,,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,,stalactite ,,curtains1 ,,swildon',s ,,hole #gi ,photo by ,,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,,stalactite ,,chamber1 ,,swildon',s ,,hole #hj ,photo by ,,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,,stalagmite ,,pillars ,,in ,,gough',s ,,great ,,cavern #hd ,photo by ,,gough1 ,cheddar4 ,,the ,,pillars ,,of ,,solomon',s ,,temple1 ,,gough',s ,,caves1 ,,cheddar #he ,photo by ,,gough1 ,cheddar4 ,,organ ,,pipes1 ,,gough',s ,,caves1 ,,cheddar #hf ,photo by ,,gough1 ,cheddar4 ,,niagara1 ,,gough',s ,,cave1 ,,cheddar #hg ,photo by ,m4 ,,martel4 ,,in ,,cox',s ,,cavern ,,at ,,cheddar #ib ,photo by ,,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,,great ,,rift ,,cavern1 ,,cheddar ,,gorge #ic ,photo by ,,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,,entrance ,,to ,,lamb',s ,,lair1 ,,harptree #aaf ,photo by ,,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,,plan ,,and ,,section ,,of ,,the ,,great ,,cavern ,,of ,,lamb',s ,,lair #aag ,by ,h4 ,e4 ,,balch4 ,,the ,,beehive ,,chamber1 ,,lamb',s ,,lair #aah ,photo by ,,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,,stalactite ,,wall1 ,,lamb',s ,,lair #aai ,photo by ,,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,,entrance ,,to ,,great ,,chamber1 ,,lamb',s ,,lair #abj ,photo by ,,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,,largest ,,chamber ,,in ,,somerset1 ,,lamb',s ,,lair1 ,,harptree #aba ,from ,sketch by ,h4 ,e4 ,,balch4 ,,stalactites ,,in ,,entrance ,,gallery1 ,,lamb',s ,,lair #abb ,photo by ,,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,,the ,,ogo1 ,,near ,,abergele #abh ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,,baker4 ,,inside ,,the ,,ogo1 ,,near ,,abergele #abi ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,,baker4 ,,in ,,the ,,ogo1 ,,near ,,abergele #acj ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,,baker4 ,a ,,pre-,,glacial ,,cave1 ,,llandulas #acb ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,,baker4 ,,on ,,the ,,ceiriog #acd ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,,baker4 ,,upper ,,ceiriog ,,cave #ace ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,,baker4 ,,lower ,,ceiriog ,,cavern #acf ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,,baker4 ,,in ,,stump ,,cross ,,cavern #adj ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,,baker4 ,,the ,,pillar1 ,,stump ,,cross ,,cavern #ada ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,,baker4 ,,the ,,chapel3 ,,stump ,,cross ,,cavern #adb ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,,baker4 ,,ricklow ,,cave ,,in ,,flood #aef ,photo by ,g4 ,d4 ,,williams4 ,a ,,great ,,pillar3 ,,mitchelstown ,,cavern #afj ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,,baker4 ,a ,,fairy ,,lantern3 ,,mitchelstown ,,cavern #afa ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,,baker4 ,,the ,,netherworld ,,of ,,mendip ,,the ,,cave ,,district ,,of ,,the ,,mendips ,a land of caves1 whose palaces of fantastic beauty still adorn the mysterious underworld where murmuring rivers first see the light4 ,in these words an imaginative writer describes ,somerset1 which shares with ,derbyshire and ,yorkshire the title of a land of caverns4 ,across it the range of the ,mendips1 a region of ,old ,red ,sandstone and ,carboniferous ,limestone1 #ajjj feet above tide-level1 stretches in a huge1 flat-topped rampart for nearly #cj miles1 from the town of ,frome to the sea4 ,no piece of country in the kingdom offers so much to explore4 ,an abundant harvest is there waiting to be reaped2 for on every side are obvious indications of half-buried gateways to the dark and secret pathways to the netherworld1 and everywhere upon the surface of the ,mendip tableland lie the open pits and hollows which the local speech calls swallets1 that is to say1 swallow holes1 some of them dry1 some actively engulfing streams1 but all testifying to untold ages of water action4 ,this ,limestone district lies far from the busy hives of industry1 remote and secluded in the very heart of lovely ,somerset4 ,only on the darkest of nights1 with the clouds low in the sky1 can the glare of the lights of ,bristol be seen reflected far to the northward4 ,one main line of railway1 the ,great ,western from ,bristol to ,exeter1 passes near it1 and even that does not intrude beyond the margin of this ,caveland4 ,the rendezvous for the cave explorers of the district is usually the quiet little city of ,wells1 lying calm and secluded under the southern slopes of ,mendip1 in close proximity to all the principal caverns4 ,a mile to the south-east rises the bold and picturesque ,dulcote ,hill1 a fragment of the most southerly anticline of ,mountain ,limestone in the kingdom4 ,from this point1 rolling northward in a great fivefold anticline1 ,old ,red ,sandstone1 ,lower ,limestone ,shales1 and ,mountain ,limestone form the great mass of the worn-down stump of the once mighty ,mendip range4 ,the extent of the denudation which has taken place indicates that this range was originally at least #ejjj feet high1 yet now in but a few places is the height of #ajjj feet attained1 and this is reached only by the ,old ,red ,sandstone ridges laid bare in the prolonged course of that denudation4 ,the first of these high ridges rises boldly to the north of ,wells1 and a steep climb of #ijj feet in two and a half miles brings us to the summit of ,pen ,hill1 or ,rookham1 from which a grand southward view is to be obtained4 ,immediately below1 the three cathedral towers pierce the blue mist hanging over the little city we have just left4 ,beyond1 the peat moors of the ,brue and the ,axe stretch away to the ,isle of ,avalon1 sacred as the birthplace of our ,christian faith in ,england4 ,here below us is that ,island valley of ,avilion1 ,where falls not hail1 or rain1 or any snow1 ,nor ever wind blows loudly2 but it lies ,deep meadow'd1 happy1 fair with orchard lawns1 ,and bowery hollows crowned with summer seas4 ,here1 where ,arthur's bones are said to have been found1 and where traditions associated with him abound1 his memory is kept green in the names of many well-known spots2 and yonder rises ,cadbury ,camp1 looked upon by many as the ,camelot of romance4 ,on the low ridge which intervenes between the valleys of the ,axe and the ,brue lies ,wedmore1 where ,king ,alfred gained in the ,peace of ,wedmore such temporary respite from his foes as allowed him to gather strength for the great operations that resulted at last in the conquest and unity of the whole kingdom4 ,yonder1 too1 are the marshes of the ,parrett and the ,tone1 around which cluster tales familiar to every schoolchild4 ,in the marshes between the ,mendips and ,glastonbury1 exploration has unearthed a most interesting example of a swamp or lake village1 with great store of antiquarian material1 throwing a flood of light upon a period of which little was known4 ,beyond lies ,sedgemoor1 where in #afhe took place the last battle ever fought on ,english soil2 and throughout this neighbourhood the infamous ,jeffreys worked his will in the judicial slaughter of countless ,somerset men4 ,in the far distance the sunshine glints on the waters of the ,bristol ,channel1 where1 #fj miles away1 the bold promontory of the ,foreland rises sheer from the sea2 to the south1 upon the farthest limits of our vision1 ,pilsdon and ,lewsdon mark the descent of our southern counties to the ,english ,channel2 whilst1 on a clear day1 between them is seen the summit of ,golden ,cap1 the base of which is washed by our southern sea4 ,surely here is as fair a scene as eye could wish to see4 ,only a pleasant walk away1 the great chasms of ,ebbor and ,cheddar have rent the rocks asunder1 forming two of the loveliest ravines in the kingdom4 ,northward across the intervening syncline of ,mountain ,limestone1 pitted with swallets marking the entrances to many an unknown subterranean labyrinth1 are seen the ,old ,red ,sandstone summits of ,north ,hill1 crowned with its seventeen ,neolithic barrows1 and of ,blackdown beyond1 from whose bare top is seen the broad estuary of the ,severn spreading out across the view1 giving a glimpse of the coast of ,south ,wales in the far distance1 its busy factories showing their pencil-like chimneys against the dark hills behind4 ,in the ,channel the little islands of ,steepholm and ,flatholm mark the line of the original continuation of the great ,mendip range into ,south ,wales4 ,the limestone shores of the former rise sheer from the sea1 forming an impregnable fortress4 ,here1 far below the level of the salt water around1 a supply of pure water is obtained from the ,limestone1 brought1 doubtless1 from the ,limestone area of ,mendip by way of some hidden fissure4 ,hard by1 at ,clevedon1 is the grave of that great friend of ,tennyson1 who sat here and listened to ,the moaning of the homeless sea1 ,the sound of streams that1 swift or slow1 ,draw down onian hills1 and sow ,the dust of continents to be4 ,very truly and accurately his words describe the action that is going on1 by which the swallet streams are undermining and honeycombing these hills and bearing their component rocks away to the sea4 ,standing on ,pen ,hill and looking northward1 a great east and west depression is seen forming a broad low valley in the tableland of ,mendip4 ,into this valley numerous springs and a liberal rainfall are for ever pouring their waters4 ,yet nowhere is there a surface channel which can carry this water away2 and nowhere1 save in the small hollows of the ,old ,red ,sandstone and ,shales1 does water accumulate4 ,the reason is not far to seek4 ,the ,carboniferous ,limestone1 evenly stratified everywhere1 has been split by vertical joints into a series of gigantic cubes4 ,between them1 the surface waters1 laden with carbonic acid obtained from the atmosphere and from vegetation1 have for ages made their way1 enlarging them by both chemical and mechanical action1 till they have become fissures capable of giving passage to an enormous quantity of water4 ,so from one joint to another1 from one bedding plane to another1 the water percolates downwards until it meets with some impermeable rock beneath1 or until it finds an outlet at the level of the ,secondary rocks forming the valley below4 ,such impermeable beds are found in the ,lower ,limestone ,shales1 and the resulting outlets are well known in the great risings of ,st4 ,andrew's ,well in the gardens of the ,bishop's ,palace at ,wells1 in the source of the ,axe at ,wookey ,hole1 in the ,cheddar ,water and other large springs1 of all of which more hereafter4 ,illustration3 ,,map ,,of ,,the ,,mendip ,,district ,,of ,,somerset1 ,,showing ,,swallets1 ,,caves1 ,,and ,,outlets4 ,reference to the sketch map of the district will show that the majority of the more important swallets lie along the line of the great depression referred to4 ,these comprise by no means all the swallets of ,mendip1 yet they are the chief ones4 ,it is obvious that the whole of the mass of material represented by this great depression has been removed in suspension by way of these swallets2 and one is compelled to ask1 ,how long has this work been going on8 ,what time is represented by so vast a work8 ,on the threshold of the inquiry we are met by such an amount of evidence bearing upon it that the subject must be dealt with separately4 ,for1 upon the upturned edges of the ,carboniferous ,limestone rocks1 which can have been brought down to their present plane of denudation only by long-continued water action1 have been deposited1 and still remain in situ1 great masses of the basement beds of the ,secondary rocks1 lying in such a manner as to convince us that swallet action had prepared the denuded surfaces upon which they lie4 ,and upon this hinges the whole question of the antiquity of the caverns of ,mendip4 ,but whilst the age of our caverns is a debatable matter1 no one can question the accuracy of the theory of ravine formation from the collapse of cavern roofs1 as evidenced by the instances supplied by ,mendip4 ,through crevices and cracks1 here1 there1 and everywhere1 the percolating waters find their way4 ,now some crevice is enlarged into a passage2 now some weak point in the passage becomes a chamber2 and on the water rushes1 steadily joining forces and accumulating1 until on the level of the lower land it finds an outlet1 and rushes forth a considerable stream4 ,in its headlong course the water again and again leaps down some great series of potholes1 as down some giant stairway1 forming many fine cascades1 whose deafening roar goes on for ever where there is no ear to hear and where no footstep ever treads the rocky ways4 ,along the course of the larger streams huge chambers occur2 for the ever-eddying water1 bearing sand along in its course1 eats out the sides of its channel1 or1 revolving stones in its bed1 carves out the pothole by friction4 ,or some pendent mass of rock has its support undermined and comes crashing into the streamway1 only to be broken up and carried away by the ceaseless energy of the stream1 so ever enlarging the chambers upwards towards the light of day4 ,but whilst this action is going on underground1 a more potent factor is at work where the subterranean stream first sees the light4 ,here very soon the action of the water alone gives rise to a little cliff overhead4 ,now rain and frost1 wind and tempest1 loosen1 bit by bit1 the fragments of rock forming the face of the cliff1 which fall away into the river1 to be broken up and carried away4 ,little by little the face of the cliff recedes1 along the line of the subterranean river1 until the first underground chamber is reached4 ,the undermined archway of rock is less able to withstand the agents of denudation1 and the cliff front recedes apace4 ,such is the present stage at ,wookey ,hole1 the chamber whence the river ,axe issues being still in process of destruction4 ,thus the work goes on slowly1 yet none the less surely1 until along the whole course of the subterranean river the roof of the cavern is destroyed1 perhaps effectually hiding the stream under huge blocks of ,limestone1 such as those of ,ebbor ,gorge1 near ,wells1 or until the water finds another course for itself1 as at ,cheddar1 to begin the whole story over again4 ,every stage is abundantly illustrated by our ,mendip swallets and caves4 ,the large swallets of ,eastwater1 three and a half miles from ,wells1 of ,swildon's or ,swithin's ,hole1 a half-mile nearer ,priddy1 and the more recent swallet of ,stoke ,lane1 half-way between ,wells and ,frome1 are excellent examples of streams engulfed on the summit of ,mendip4 ,the whole of the country surrounding the two first-named caverns is dotted with innumerable small pits and hollows4 ,the great swallet of ,hillgrove1 three miles north of ,wells1 in the exploration of which we are at present engaged1 in an endeavour to penetrate the labyrinth of ways to which it will undoubtedly afford access1 is a fine example of an intermittent swallet4 ,here three ways1 carved deeply through the stream-borne sands and clays of some uncertain epoch of geological history1 converge in a deep glen1 beautiful with its tropical wealth of ferns4 ,in the bottom of the glen huge spurs of ,limestone stand up boldly1 dipping towards the ,old ,red ,sandstone exposed to the south1 and pointing to a great fault1 along the line of which the ,limestone water is bound to accumulate in a huge triangular reservoir1 the outflow from which may account for the summer flow of the ,axe when the majority of the swallets are dry4 ,in winter the converging torrents here find ingress into the ,limestone1 but1 though pits and hollows abound on every hand1 no foot of man has ever yet trod the hidden ways beneath4 ,at a depth of #aj feet we have reached the first open channel1 only to have it blocked subsequently by a fall of the treacherous gravel through which we have been working4 ,vast dry swallets are represented by a great depression which we call the ,bishop's ,lot ,swallet1 on the road from ,wells to ,priddy4 ,here a huge hollow in the ground1 perfectly circular and #cjj yards round1 shows us the largest swallet in ,mendip4 ,though the surrounding land slopes gently to the edge of the great pit1 which is #fj feet in depth1 there is but the smallest trace of water penetrating it4 ,it is ages since the drainage of the surrounding land gravitated towards it1 for it lies at a considerable height above the level of most of the other swallets in the neighbourhood4 ,a mile and a half to the west1 a similar pit occurs called ,sand ,pit ,hole4 ,here too water has ceased to flow1 and it remains1 with precipitous sides1 a problem for us to investigate in the near future4 ,to enter either of the active swallets of ,eastwater or ,swildon's ,hole1 and to follow it to its greatest depth1 is to gain an insight into the action of subterranean streams such as no other method can give4 ,the former is well illustrated by the annexed section1 in which its profound depth and its labyrinth of passages may readily be understood4 ,the difficulties and disappointments which we encountered when ,i conducted the operations which at last resulted in our effecting an entrance into this cavern1 the existence of which was not even suspected previously1 need not here be recapitulated4 ,altogether1 what with volunteers and labourers1 nearly a dozen of us were occupied ten days in the determined effort which we made1 and which at last was crowned with success4 ,from the point of view of the subsequent explorer the reader is referred to the ensuing chapter upon ,eastwater ,cavern1 which will convey some idea of what the first explorers must undergo in any such place when to the ordinary difficulties of such an exploration is added the great uncertainty felt at every step taken1 and when every boulder upon which our weight is to rest must first be carefully examined4 ,the difficulty of our work at ,eastwater is practically what must be experienced in any new work undertaken in the ,mendip region1 and there is much waiting to be done4 ,if there is one thing more than another to be learned from ,eastwater ,cavern1 it is the great importance of chokes in determining the lines of subterranean drainage4 ,here they are seen in every stage of formation and destruction1 and the channels which have been carved by the arrested water may be readily recognised4 ,there is a fascination in exploration work such as that at ,eastwater1 where corridors1 hitherto untrodden by the foot of man1 open up all around as you make your way ever downwards into the heart of the hills2 and even now there are many accessible passages into which as yet no one has penetrated4 ,reference to the section annexed will show an upper way1 which terminates abruptly in a choke of stones and gravel1 holding up a little water1 whilst allowing a considerable quantity to pass4 ,it is a remarkable fact that in all the labyrinths of galleries which we have explored in the profound depths of this cavern we have not yet alighted upon any portion which gives access to the continuation of this channel4 ,there1 rendered inaccessible by the barrier of dbris1 is1 without doubt1 a cavern as extensive as that which we have proved to exist in the sister watercourse hard by2 and these two channels1 starting from practically the same point1 must diverge widely1 and certainly do not unite again before the depth of #ejj feet is attained4 ,farther eastward in ,mendip1 too1 are similar swallet caverns4 ,not far to the north-west of ,stoke ,lane is an interesting cavern locally known as ,cox's ,hole4 ,it is situated in the ,limestone forming the southern edge of the great basin in which lies the ,radstock ,coalfield4 ,owing to the existence of this coalfield1 there are no deep caves accessible in this part of ,mendip4 ,yet a good deal of water must be absorbed through the innumerable fissures into the depths of the ,carboniferous ,limestone underlying the coalfield1 and it is by no means unlikely that this water1 heated to a high point by the subterranean temperature1 gives rise to the hot springs at ,bath4 ,cox's ,hole was at a remote period1 when the form of the hill was very different from that presented now1 an active water-channel1 evidently draining towards ,st4 ,dunstan's ,well4 ,it has two distinct entrances1 one1 the more westerly1 being a cavity of considerable size4 ,for about #ajj feet the cavern consists of a roomy gallery running more or less horizontally4 ,then it pinches in1 until the height is less than a foot1 and only those can get along who are able to compress themselves into small compass4 ,in a few feet1 however1 it widens out into a good-sized passage1 with fine stalactites here and there1 especially at a point on the northern side where an aven opens into a chamber more than #cj feet high4 ,now roomy and now contracted1 the passage leads on until1 at a distance of #ajj yards from the entrance1 it becomes so small that there is considerable difficulty in proceeding4 ,beyond this point the cavern becomes a simple water-tunnel1 of a type common in ,yorkshire4 ,at #acj yards there is a sharp descent1 the floor is littered with boulders1 and #bj yards farther the passage is choked with silt4 ,a very small passage1 which had water in it when ,i was there1 is said to be passable at times1 though ,i am inclined to doubt this4 ,an almost vertical ascent amongst treacherous boulders1 however1 seems an indication of a possible route onwards1 which may1 ,i trust1 with care be yet explored4 ,the last #ej yards of the cave run to the south-east--that is1 away from the direction of ,st4 ,dunstan's ,well--a beautiful spring rising from the ,carboniferous ,limestone hard by2 yet ,i feel sure that it must of necessity be a part of the same waterway4 ,either it was an inlet which received the waters of some vanished ,old ,red ,sandstone spring1 or it was a former outlet for the waters of that well4 ,i am inclined to favour the former theory4 ,as to the present source of the waters of ,st4 ,dunstan's ,well there can be no doubt whatever4 ,in the valley below ,stoke ,lane1 and three-quarters of a mile distant from the well and from ,cox's ,hole1 there is a most interesting swallet1 of comparatively recent age4 ,it is obviously certain that1 not so long ago1 the stream which courses down the valley flowed unchecked down its whole length1 and so reached the larger stream below4 ,slightly retarded1 in all probability1 by some flood-borne silt1 the water found a little joint in the western bank of the valley1 and by slow degrees so enlarged it that it at last became capable of swallowing the whole4 ,even now a few hours' work would divert the water and cause it to resume its former course4 ,upstream is a mill1 the owner of which has courteously given every facility for testing and for exploration4 ,it was found that the effect of damming the mill stream entirely was to reduce the flow at ,st4 ,dunstan's ,well enormously1 and to render the entrance of the swallet passable4 ,mr4 ,marshall of ,stratton-on-the-,fosse with his party made a successful descent1 and travelled a considerable distance1 mainly parallel with the valley without and to a great extent horizontally1 through water-tunnels of small size4 ,as no measurements were taken one cannot say yet how far it is passable1 but he says that they did not get to the limits of possible exploration1 as the time which they spent there was getting dangerously near the hour up to which it is possible to dam the water1 and they most wisely beat a hasty retreat4 ,the first opportunity will be taken by us to make use of a spell of fine weather to carry this exploration to a successful issue4 ,not far distant1 too1 is another swallet1 from which the water has been diverted to be used for water-supply4 ,this is in the vicinity of a ruined hunting lodge1 and is said to lead in the same direction as the ,stoke ,lane ,swallet4 ,the whole of this district is likely to be very interesting1 there being a series of remarkable rifts or fissures in the ,dolomitic ,conglomerate which deserve attention4 ,one of these1 called ,fairy ,slats1 has been known for many years1 and is indeed shown on the ,ordnance map2 and the fact that such fissures abound has been forcibly brought home by a disaster to a new reservoir1 only recently completed by the authorities of ,downside ,monastery1 to supply the neighbouring villages4 ,here a finely designed basin1 having been constructed over one of these fissures1 had its massive concrete bottom burst out as if it were an egg-shell the moment the water filled it1 and in a single hour the whole fabric was absolutely ruined4 ,some measure of the extent of the concealed fissures may be gathered from the fact that #ejj1jjj gallons of water were absolutely swallowed up without a drop coming to light in the neighbouring valley4 ,an early visitor to the adjoining field reported that air was being ejected through the grass all around him1 much to his alarm1 as he was quite unaware of what had occurred4 ,it will be a most interesting subject for inquiry1 as to how far such fissures as these are the results of water action or otherwise1 and it is most desirable to descend one of them at the first opportunity in search of evidence4 ,at present ,i am inclined to attribute their presence to movements in the ,secondary rocks1 due to the intersection of the district by valleys4 ,the ,conglomerate mass has parted along the lines of the principal joints1 and the rifts thus formed have become lines of drainage4 ,this theory1 in view of possible future discoveries1 may have to be modified4 ,above ,stoke ,lane ,swallet1 and evidently connected with it in some remote way1 is a cavity without a name1 the exploration of which would probably be interesting1 and would be most likely to yield remains of primitive ,man4 ,mr4 ,marshall also reports the existence of a fissure of considerable size1 where1 after a very small entrance1 a point is reached with a vertical descent of great depth4 ,all these things indicate that there is a splendid field here for further work4 ,indeed there are abundant evidences of this all over ,mendip4 ,one of the most interesting problems has had further light thrown upon it by work recently done by us at ,wookey ,hole4 ,the ,hyna ,den and the ,badger ,hole are testimony that a large amount of underground action has taken place upon the east side of the ravine1 yet nothing has been known hitherto of any series of dry channels upon that side4 ,recently1 however1 we have succeeded in gaining access1 by way of the smallest of fissures1 into what will turn out most likely to be a portion of this very series4 ,here is to be seen a choked-up chamber of precisely the same type as the ,hyna ,den1 but far deeper in the wall of the ravine4 ,without doubt it contains prehistoric remains1 yet its excavation will entail great labour4 ,we have already reached a distance of #hj feet from the entrance1 and only a partially choked passage bars the way4 ,high up in the ravine at ,ebbor1 too1 there is a very promising field for further research4 ,this is immediately beneath a cliff on the western side of the valley1 where we have already done much preliminary work4 ,there is also a very promising little cave1 slightly north of ,tower ,rock in the same gorge and high up in its side4 ,here a narrow entrance gives access to a small chamber1 on the floor of which is a deep deposit of cave earth1 from which ,i have obtained ,deer bones4 ,at ,dulcote1 again1 there is a series of waterways and dry caves of great interest1 which in themselves bear corroborative evidence of the great antiquity of the caverns of the district4 ,from time to time the quarrymen have broken in upon these waterways1 which have been lost in subsequent operations4 ,not many years ago a blast blew off the top of an almost vertical shaft1 carved out in the ,limestone by water action and descending to a great depth4 ,the mass of rock blown off by the charge turned over and fell down the shaft1 blocking it at #cj feet from the surface4 ,it was possible to descend to this point and throw down stones1 which fell for a considerable distance2 but the block was never moved1 and in the process of quarrying the hole became filled1 and is now lost in the general level of the quarry4 ,hard by1 also1 a cavern of considerable extent was opened1 and still remains4 ,it contains nothing of peculiar interest1 though when ,i was first lowered into it1 from a hole #fj feet above its floor1 it contained very pretty coral-like splash stalagmite2 and also1 in the mud floor1 the tubular linings of calcite1 formed from the drip from above4 ,in this quarry1 too1 were found a considerable quantity of the bones of ,bear1 ,deer1 ,bos1 ,horse1 etc41 and these are now in the ,wells ,museum1 where they were deposited some years since by ,a4 ,f4 ,somerville1 ,esq4 ,there are numerous other minor caves in this locality4 ,farther up the same valley1 above ,croscombe1 is a small cave known locally as ,betsy ,camel's ,hole1 and it appears to have been occupied by a woman bearing that name for some years4 ,she was1 of course1 carried away by the devil1 according to the same popular report4 ,it may very well have been a rock shelter at some stage of its history4 ,mr4 ,somerville informs me1 too1 that in ,dinder ,wood there is a small cave which was almost certainly a rock shelter4 ,this also has never been explored4 ,in fact1 the whole district may be described as an unexplored field1 and there is abundant room for willing helpers4 ,the landowners1 for the most part1 are exceedingly kind and ready to offer every facility for scientific research4 ,h4 ,e4 ,b4 ,,the ,,cheddar ,,group ,,of ,,caverns ,the great gorge of ,cheddar and its caverns form a subject of surpassing interest to the student of ,geology4 ,presenting some of the most stupendous cliff scenery in ,england1 the great wall of rock on the southern side of the valley towers nearly #ejj feet into the air1 defying all attempts at mapping contour lines2 and the road which traverses the ravine winds1 with many a sudden turn1 along the base of this noble cliff1 ever upwards1 until in four miles the actual summit of the ,mendip downs is reached4 ,at the entrance to the gorge1 and close to the caverns owned by ,gough1 the hidden river bursts into the light1 pouring forth a stream of great volume1 which1 after serving the purposes of various millers in the village1 hurries on to join its sister stream from ,wookey ,hole1 the two then flowing into the sea near ,weston-super-,mare4 ,it is strange that in all the exploration work that has been done at ,cheddar1 the underground channel of the stream has not once been reached4 ,near the entrance in ,gough's ,cave a fairly deep hole contains water1 which changes in level along with the river itself1 but no open passage leads from it4 ,a vertical rope descent of #ajj feet from the upper and practically unknown caverns belonging to ,gough brings the explorer to what must be regarded as the nearest point which has yet been reached to the subterranean river of ,cheddar4 ,as this gorge is the most stupendous in the ,mendip region1 so is this stream the most considerable in volume4 ,mr4 ,sheldon of ,wells has gauged its minimum flow to be not less than three million gallons per day1 whilst its torrent at flood time must be many times as much1 probably not less than eight or ten millions4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,great ,,gorge ,,of ,,cheddar4 ,photo by ,dawkes ,partridge1 ,wells4 ,this is considerably larger than the other two great outlets of the subterranean waters of ,mendip1 those of ,wookey ,hole and ,wells1 each of which1 however1 pours forth an enormous volume4 ,that it is the ,cheddar stream which is responsible for the existence of the gorge itself no one can doubt1 and it is a most interesting subject for discussion as to how this has been brought about4 ,it is not difficult to determine what points must mark the boundaries of the catchment area1 the waters of which drain to ,cheddar4 ,the road from ,castle ,comfort to ,charterhouse on the north-east1 the outcrop of ,shales south of ,blackdown on the north1 and a line drawn from ,rowberrow ,farm north of ,priddy to the gorge itself on the south1 enclose the whole area from which the supply is obtained4 ,this is somewhere about #ab square miles in extent4 ,to this must be added1 possibly1 some water from slightly more to the eastward4 ,it is now the commonly accepted theory that the whole of this water1 or at any rate the bulk of it1 found inlet into a series of caverns along the line now occupied by the gorge1 and that then the processes which are so well known to be going on gradually enlarged these to the point of collapse1 the falling dbris being removed by the still flowing stream4 ,it is only right to add that ,m4 ,martel1 arguing from his long experience1 which probably exceeds that of any man who has ever studied the subject1 sees in the gorges of ,cheddar1 ,burrington1 and presumably ,ebbor1 the superficial channels worn by the escaping streams from the ancient ,mendip plateau4 ,he says1 ,the numerous dried valleys 7,burrington ,combe1 ,cheddar ,cliffs1 etc471 which cut through the circumference of the ,mendips1 witness1 as everywhere1 to the ancient superficial flowing off of the rivers1 and to their capture by the natural wells1 successively opened and enlarged in the cracks of the ,limestone rock4 ,that even small streams acting through a sufficient period of time are capable of doing enormous erosive work it would be idle to deny1 but the difficulties in the way of accepting this theory as alone sufficient are too great to admit of its acceptance4 ,it demands that the water of a very large area could find access to the eastern end of the ravine1 which itself demands that the general configuration of the ,mendips must have been very different from that presented now4 ,this1 from the existence of the ,secondary beds in their present position1 say near ,harptree1 was not the case2 and therefore1 for the theory to hold good1 we must suppose that the superficial gorge was pre-,triassic4 ,as it was not filled in1 either in ,triassic time or subsequently1 it could not have been superficial4 ,of course it may be contended that the reversal of this line of argument demonstrates that the gorge is post-,liassic and may then have been a superficial channel1 but ,i hold this to be disproved in my chapter on the antiquity of the ,mendip ,caves4 ,i am1 accordingly1 forced to the conclusion that the ,cheddar gorge was during the whole of the ,secondary period a roofed-in cavern4 ,the only difficulty which arises is a doubt as to the ability of the stream to remove so vast a bulk of falling material as must be accounted for2 but when we see the process in actual operation1 as at ,wookey ,hole1 it is only necessary to demand sufficient time1 and the difficulty vanishes4 ,that a time did arrive when the rate of collapse more than kept pace with the destructive energy of the stream is indicated by the rapid rise which takes place in the road through the gorge4 ,this favours the cave theory as opposed to the superficial channel theory1 inasmuch as a superficial channel would probably have maintained a more nearly equal depth throughout4 ,that the portion of ,m4 ,martel's theory which explains the absence of the stream from the gorge is correct is very clear1 there being obvious indications1 notably at the western end of the ravine1 where points of absorption might be traced beneath the high cliffs1 any one of which1 if excavated1 would almost certainly lead to the present channel of the river beyond ,gough's ,caves4 ,the ,long ,hole above1 as pointed out in my chapter upon the antiquity of the ,mendip ,caves1 is corroborative evidence which tends to disprove the superficial valley theory1 as it is without a doubt an old cavern of absorption1 which could not have existed had the ravine been a superficial valley4 ,everyone must lament the recent developments in the ,cheddar gorge by which the northern side is being hacked to pieces to provide road metal4 ,there are thousands of places where the same stone could be obtained1 with almost equal ease2 and it does seem pitiful that one of the finest places in the kingdom should be sacrificed to the most callous and sordid commercialism4 ,the conditions under which the work is being carried on constitute also a public danger1 as has now been exemplified by the collapse into the gorge of a huge mass of the rock4 ,the dip of the ,limestone is to the southward1 and consequently any work done on the northern side is removing the support that holds up the great mass upon an inclined plane4 ,of necessity the mass above1 its support gone1 comes hurtling down to the roadway1 and it is practically certain that1 if quarrying operations continue1 some day the gorge will be entirely closed by a gigantic fall4 ,an interesting little tributary ravine and cavern1 far up the gorge1 provides a perfect example of the cave theory of the formation of the gorge itself4 ,about two miles from the village1 on the southern slopes of the ravine1 is an extensive fir wood4 ,high up on the opposite side this little ravine is visible1 and it may be reached with ease4 ,here sides that gently slope give way to precipitous walls1 between which you walk4 ,moss-grown stones give place to new-fallen stones1 and then you have before you the little ravine roofed in2 you pass beneath1 and find yourself in the darkness of the cavern itself1 which can be followed for some distance4 ,here1 at any rate1 there can be no doubt as to the process that has been at work4 ,h4 ,e4 ,b4 ,,antiquity ,,of ,,the ,,caves ,,of ,,mendip ,when we consider the question of the age of our caverns1 we are met at the outset by a mass of evidence forcing upon us the certainty that they must be credited with a very high antiquity indeed4 ,here measurement by years and centuries fails1 and the imagination must be called in to aid us to compute the epochs that have successively elapsed since the first cave1 to take one example1 began to be formed at ,wookey ,hole4 ,these evidences are of three kinds3 historical1 palontological1 and geological4 ,in the first place1 there has been obviously little change in the general configuration of our caverns since earliest historical times4 ,the dens and caves of the earth have afforded a retreat to the persecuted of all generations1 and a ready-made home when all else has failed4 ,here1 too1 with the rocky walls behind him and his protecting fires at the entrance1 early man could defy the savage beasts that roamed the land in those far-off days4 ,at ,wookey ,hole it was only necessary to scratch the very surface of the accumulated dbris within the mouth of the great cave to turn up fragments of ,romano-,british pottery and a human jaw and rib-bones4 ,these interesting relics are in the possession of myself and ,mr4 ,troup4 ,from the very nature of the place1 it is obvious that the tendency has been to accumulate more and more dbris upon the mass of cave earth which contains these remains4 ,slightly deeper1 yet still only in the loose earth of the cavern mouth1 we found pottery of still earlier date1 unwheeled and cruder4 ,the fact is borne in upon us1 that certainly for two thousand years this entrance has remained much as it is now4 ,perhaps a loose rock here and there has been dislodged from the overhanging cliff outside1 and1 crashing to the stream bed below1 has there been broken up and carried away by the river4 ,but no one can doubt that the general outline is the same now as then4 ,and farther within the cavern an interesting sidelight is thrown on the slowness with which things change in the underworld4 ,at the descent into the first great chamber a chalk inscription roughly made reads ,e ,a #agfi4 ,that inscription has been there unchanged1 to my knowledge1 for the last twenty years1 and ,i have no reason to doubt its authenticity4 ,if a chalk mark remains unerased for a century and more1 how long have those solid walls stood1 and how long will they endure8 ,as ,i have gazed upon that inscription1 the thought has come1 that such a place as this would be an ideal site for national monuments4 ,when our abbeys and cathedrals are crumbled away1 these great subterranean halls will remain practically unchanged4 ,and in the caves of ,cheddar like evidences meet the eye4 ,in the loose material in the ,roman cave there1 ,roman and ,romano-,british remains have been found in abundance2 and here again we are forced to the conclusion that no change has taken place since those remains were deposited4 ,but when we consider the evidences furnished by the remains of the extinct mammalia1 mingled with those of primitive man1 much more is it impressed upon the mind that we are dealing with relics of enormous antiquity4 ,the great assemblage of bones of the extinct animals which occurs at ,banwell ,cave1 and the numberless finds from the caves of ,cheddar1 are indications of this2 but those of the ,hyna ,den of ,wookey ,hole1 and the conditions of their deposit there1 afford us much more reliable testimony4 ,here are two principal cavities on the eastern side of the ravine1 representing two of the five river levels which the stream of the ,axe has hollowed for itself in the ,dolomitic ,conglomerate4 ,these are branch or side chambers which have not been totally destroyed in the process of erosion that formed the ravine at the expense of the cavern4 ,in the uppermost cavity1 known as the ,badger ,hole 7it was the haunt of badgers until a few years ago71 no traces of the extinct mammalia are to be found1 nor have ,i found definite traces of prehistoric man4 ,at seven feet below the surface1 however1 there is a bed of river sand of precisely the same kind as that in the upper chambers of the great cavern4 ,in the ,hyna ,den below1 on the other hand1 so thoroughly and systematically explored by ,professor ,boyd ,dawkins1 was found one of the most perfect assemblages of the remains of extinct animals ever discovered4 ,many years after his labours were completed ,i searched there again1 and was rewarded with a by no means poor collection of bones and teeth3 ,mammoth and ,woolly ,rhinoceros1 ,irish ,elk and ,reindeer1 ,red ,deer1 ,bison1 ,cave ,lion and ,bear1 ,hyna and ,wolf1 ,wild ,goat1 ,wild ,horse1 and ,wild ,boar have all been found4 ,one of my earliest trophies was a fairly complete skull of a young ,bear2 and ,i have representatives of all the others4 ,from a small hole in the side of the valley hard by1 which ,i thought looked promising1 we have obtained a large number of ,rhinoceros teeth1 together with those of several of the other kinds present in the ,den4 ,the examination of these cavities and their contents demonstrates the fact that they were the actual dens of some of these animals4 ,the abundant marks of gnawing show that the ,hynas made their home there4 ,over the vertical cliff many a worn-out beast was hunted to its death by the ,hynas and ,wolves1 and its shattered carcass dragged to this hole4 ,illustration3 ,,romano-,,british ,,pottery1 ,,coins1 ,,human ,,remains1 ,,etc41 ,,wookey ,,hole ,,cave4 ,photo by ,h4 ,e4 ,balch4 ,illustration3 ,,hy,,na ,,den ,,and ,,badger ,,hole1 ,,wookey ,,hole4 ,photo by ,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,it is easy to wander back in imagination and bring the state of things that existed visibly before the mind's eye3 to watch the unwieldy ,mammoth or the great ,rhinoceros rolling its huge bulk along2 to see the pack of cowardly ,hynas or ,wolves hounding some worn-out ,bison to its death1 over the awful cliff close by their den1 which purpose effected1 they themselves rushed headlong down the steep slope hard by1 to fight and wrangle over the shattered carcass of their prey2 or to see the ,lion lying in wait by the peaceful stream in the little valley for the noble ,elk or timid ,deer to come for its accustomed drink2 and then to behold savage ,man1 with his weapons of flint or bone1 when out on his hunting expeditions1 arriving at this peaceful valley1 and there for a while making his quarters in the ,den1 and lighting his fires at the entrance to scare the wild beasts from their lair4#a #a ,only a few years since1 three cows were driven over the cliff by several unruly dogs1 and of course were instantly killed4 ,thus was the tragedy of long ago re-enacted4 ,how long ago this state of things existed is a matter for geological calculation4 ,suffice it that the earliest historical records show us no wild beasts existing in the land except ,bears and ,wolves1 along with the ,red ,deer which is with us to this day4 ,now there is no sign at ,wookey ,hole of the time when the ,bear and ,wolf alone remained and all else had become extinct from the land4 ,there is no trace whatever in the ,hyna ,den of the pottery which we find in the entrance of the great cave4 ,without a doubt1 the latest deposits here are vastly older than the most ancient deposits there4 ,the commingling of northern1 temperate1 and southern forms gives evidence of oscillations in temperature such as demand a vast time to have taken place4 ,yet the whole of these remains accumulated between the time when the entrance to the ,den was left exposed by the gradual destruction and retreat of the cliff face up the valley1 and the infilling and choking of the entrance by the accumulating gravel which eventually blocked it4 ,it is only within the last few years that the gravel arch which was first formed1 and then undermined in the search after bones1 has collapsed1 revealing the true configuration of the cavern4 ,here we must again postulate a great antiquity for our caverns1 since these deposits exist in what is really an insignificant fragment of the great cavern1 and are only an incidental part of the material which an exposed cavity is sure to receive4 ,but when purely geological evidences are taken into account1 the demand for time becomes still more imperative4 ,the subterranean ,axe occupies1 as its present channel1 vast chambers formed by the excavation of thousands of tons of the hard ,conglomerate1 great halls over #gj feet in height and of fine proportions4 ,the process which formed these is still at work enlarging them1 till in the course of time they must collapse2 yet no change is ever visible1 no signs of recent action can at any point be seen4 ,the rarely occurring great flood serves but to remove one film of sand from the floor and to leave another in its place as the waters subside4 ,so slow is the undermining action that no eye can ever detect a change though the waters rise ever so high4 ,yet this channel is but one of five distinct levels which the river has occupied from time to time1 until it has found in turn a lower course1 leaving its sands as a record upon each1 here and there sealed down beneath a mass of stalagmite4 ,what untold ages have elapsed since first the river flowed through these upper channels6 ,illustration3 ,,plan ,,and ,,section ,,of ,,wookey ,,hole ,,cavern4 ,but an examination of the top of the ,mendips points to a vaster antiquity still4 ,the published horizontal section ,no4 #ag of the ,geological ,survey gives an excellent idea of the plateau of ,mendip1 which stretches from immediately north of ,wells to the neighbourhood of ,compton ,martin4 ,this plane of denudation would never have been reached save by the long-continued action of subterraneous streams1 an assumption supported by the existence of the great depression crossed by the road from ,wells to ,priddy4 ,that depression of nearly #ajj feet in depth and several miles in length1 hollowed in the hard ,carboniferous ,limestone1 here dotted with every known type of swallet or swallow hole1 has been obviously formed by the slow action of swallet streams prolonged through vast periods of time4 ,every atom of the millions of tons of solid rock represented by this depression has been borne down the course of the subterranean ,axe4 ,tributary to this depression a little valley has been eroded across the ,old ,red ,sandstone anticline immediately to the north1 and in it are deposited masses of ,dolomitic ,conglomerate1 the component pebbles of which were derived from the surrounding rocks4 ,the same valley existed1 therefore1 in pre-,triassic time1 and as there was obviously no other outlet for its water1 the cavities into which it flowed--that is to say1 the swallets and subterranean channels--must have existed also1 and are therefore pre-,triassic in date4 ,though at first sight this appears impossible1 inasmuch as the known course of the resulting ,axe ,river is through ,triassic ,conglomerate1 ,i propose to show that such a conclusion is necessary and inevitable4 ,long ago ,i was struck with the fact that at ,wookey ,hole the ,triassic ,conglomerate attains an abnormal thickness1 and measurements have shown that at the far end of the cavern there is certainly a thickness of over #cej feet of this rock4 ,as there is no sign of any approach to the ,limestone against which it must abut1 nor any change in the character of the ,conglomerate itself at this point1 ,i think that we may fairly conclude that the total thickness of it must be at least #ejj feet4 ,now this is a vast deposit1 far exceeding any known to exist elsewhere1 and it requires a special explanation to account for it4 ,only one explanation is possible4 ,the ,conglomerate is here filling in some great pre-existing valley in the ,mountain ,limestone4 ,that is just what ,i should expect4 ,the great ,limestone cavern formed by the action of the swallet streams in early ,triassic times collapsed1 and formed a ,limestone ravine1 into which was rolled a great accumulation of fragments of the ,limestone derived from the slopes and crags above4 ,with the whole of this part of ,england these beds were subsequently submerged1 remaining so during the deposit of the whole of the ,secondary beds2 and on their emerging once more from beneath the sea the lines of drainage were re-established along the old courses1 where these had not been choked with sedimentary material4 ,forcing a way through the ,conglomerate which then impeded its flow1 the river formed those cavities which we see4 ,indeed1 it may well be that the successive levels cut by the ,axe through the ,conglomerate may represent stages in the uplifting of the land1 the lowest channel being the last and largest1 as it has been formed during an extended period of stability4 ,but we are not without evidences of another sort as to the existence of some of our swallet ways at that remote period4 ,the cavities found in the ,holwell quarries1 near ,frome1 filled in with ,rhaetic material containing bones and teeth of fishes2 those of ,gurney-,slade1 near ,radstock2 and numbers which from time to time are laid bare in the ,limestone quarries1 all filled in with ,triassic sediment1 show that penetrating waterways of considerable size then existed4 ,there was1 too1 at ,charterhouse-on-,mendip1 north of ,cheddar1 a fissure1 possibly a swallet1 which1 being open1 received an infilling of ,liassic material that is known to extend to a depth of #cjj feet4 ,had these channels been closed by a narrow aperture temporarily blocked1 no infilling but by water would have taken place when the land sank beneath the waters of the ,triassic and ,liassic seas4 ,furthermore1 in the position of the entrances of many of our swallets there is corroborative evidence to the same effect4 ,the great circular swallet on ,rookham1 near ,wells1 situated far from any existing line of drainage1 yet withal one of the largest cavities on ,mendip1 shows that great changes have taken place since it was an active waterway4 ,the position of the caverns of ,compton ,bishop and of ,banwell1 far removed from any stream or any line of drainage possible with the present contours1 proves that the configuration of the country has utterly changed since they formed the points of engulfment of any streams4 ,the ,coral ,cave 7as we have called it7 at ,compton ,bishop descends abruptly into the earth1 and its outlet must have been far below the level where now the ,triassic ,marl forms an impervious barrier4 ,the waters of ,banwell ,pond rise through the ,marl1 forced upwards through beds which do not yield water and ordinarily retard its passage4 ,doubtless the ,marl when it was deposited covered some earlier outlet from the ,limestone4 ,the waters of ,st4 ,andrew's ,well1 at ,wells1 are forced upwards through ,dolomitic ,conglomerate and overlying ,pleistocene gravel1 the former of which was doubtless deposited upon what was once a free and unimpeded outlet from the ,mountain ,limestone1 similar to that of ,cheddar4 ,the water of ,rickford1 near ,burrington1 resulting from the streams engulfed at and around ,burrington1 is forced up through the ,secondary beds1 which have been similarly deposited upon the pre-existing outlet4 ,all these things help to demonstrate that what ,i contend is true1 viz4 that our caverns as a whole are pre-,triassic in age4 ,the ,long ,hole at ,cheddar1 high in the cliffs above ,gough's ,cave1 lends its evidence too4 ,contrary to all the other caves at ,cheddar1 it was a channel of intake for the water which formed it4 ,doubtless it is a fragment of a larger cavern1 which1 before the gorge of ,cheddar itself was formed1 existed in the mass of rock occupying the whole area4 ,at the northern end of the ,limestone defile of ,ebbor1 near ,wells1 the ravine is carved through ,dolomitic ,conglomerate1 which has been much worked for iron ore4 ,the fact that this ,conglomerate was deposited in a depression in the land1 at the head of the present ravine1 yet without entering it1 suggests that here was an entrance to a series of caverns1 the collapse of which produced the gorge4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,great ,,swallet ,,on ,,bishop',s ,,lot1 ,,priddy4 ,photo by ,bamforth1 ,holmfirth ,illustration3 ,,st4 ,,andrew',s ,,well1 ,,wells4 ,photo by ,h4 ,e4 ,balch4 ,the ,devil's ,punchbowl1 near the ,castle of ,comfort ,inn on the ,mendips1 is1 in all probability1 a collapse of the remarkable ,lias beds which there occur into some pre-existing cavity in the ,mountain ,limestone below1 somewhat in the same manner as the ,shake ,holes in the ,glacial ,drift on the ,yorkshire moors were formed4 ,no one questions the existence of the cavities beneath before the deposit of the ,drift1 neither do ,i doubt the existence of swallets beneath the ,trias and ,lias before these were deposited on the ,mendips4 ,the question naturally arises1 ,why do we not find in our caverns remains of all the ages that have elapsed since that time8 ,why are only ,pleistocene remains discovered8 ,surely1 because we have not found them it does not follow that they are nonexistent4 ,the recent discovery of ,pliocene remains in a cavern at ,doveholes1 near ,buxton 7,derbyshire71 is clear proof that we may search hopefully for similar remains in the ,mendips4 ,it must be borne in mind1 that the further we go back in time1 the more certain we are to find that the contents of any ,limestone cavern would be completely mineralised1 until the whole of the contents may have become cemented into a solid mass4 ,where running water is present1 attrition may have destroyed them1 or borne them onwards to those great depths where1 constantly submerged as they must be1 we can never hope to penetrate4 ,i am aware1 however1 of the existence1 in the ,eastwater ,cavern1 of very ancient chokes of water-borne material1 from which ,i have some hope of obtaining remains4 ,i might mention the demonstrated antiquity of the bosses of stalagmite in ,kent's ,cavern at ,torquay1 and from it argue the immense age of the great masses of stalagmite in the ,mendip ,caves1 but1 recognising the variable rate of deposit of the carbonate of lime in different caverns1 and indeed in different parts of the same cavern1 no useful purpose would be served thereby4 ,the huge ,beehive of ,lamb's ,lair at ,harptree1 the large boss in the first great chamber at ,wookey ,hole1 ,gough's ,niagara at ,cheddar1 the tall and slender pillars in ,cox's ,cave at ,cheddar1 and the taller ,sentinel pillar at ,wookey ,hole1 all demand for their formation a prodigious length of time1 which it is but folly to attempt to compute with our present information4 ,certainly many thousands of years are required for some of them1 and it should be remembered that we have then arrived merely at the time when the floor upon which they stand had received its final form1 the action of running water having ceased4#b ,who can doubt then1 that1 as we stand in the great waterways of the profound depths of our hills1 we are looking upon scenes which have varied little since remote ages1 and that in some form or other these waterways played an important part in the degradation of the earlier and loftier ,mendip range8 #b ,in #ahid the initials ,t4 ,w4 were carved by ,mr4 ,willcox of ,wells on the great stalagmite bank in the end chamber of ,lamb's ,lair4 ,i added #ahid1 that in years to come some measure may be obtained of the rate at which this bank is being formed4 ,i make a rule of never making an inscription1 but in this case ,i thought that the end justified the means4 ,it is worthy of remark in this connection that the veteran ,m4 ,martel1 commenting upon the caverns of ,mendip1 says1 ,in consequence of the existence1 on the flanks of the ,mendip ,hills1 of deposits of ,triassic ,dolomitic ,conglomerate 7,keuper7 of ,rhaetian beds1 and of possibly ,glacial alluvia1 unconformably on the ,carboniferous ,limestone1 the outflow of the water in the risings operates in three ways3 7,a7 by large fissures in the ,limestone itself1 when it flows out freely1 as at ,cheddar2 7,b7 through the crevices in the ,dolomitic ,conglomerate 7the ,axe at ,wookey ,hole1 etc472 7,c7 where the outlet of the water from the ,limestone is hidden by alluvia 7,st4 ,andrews ,well1 at ,wells74 ,the consequence of this arrangement is that it will be possible--notably at ,wookey ,hole1 when the explorations now going on have enlarged the new galleries recently found--to ascertain whether the ,dolomitic ,conglomerate is there shown in long beds of ancient shores1 regularly superposed on the ,limestone1 or rather accumulated in filled-up pockets1 in hollows pre-existing in the ,limestone2 that is to say1 there will be a material verification of ,mr4 ,balch's hypothesis 7already outlined by ,boyd ,dawkins in #ahgd7 of the very ancient excavation of certain caves of the ,mendip ,hills1 even before the ,keuper period4 ,the lie of the ,conglomerate under the vaulted roofs of ,wookey ,hole appeared to me to favour this idea4 ,and it is necessary to wait till formal proofs have been gathered together here1 that caves were hollowed out there before the ,trias4 ,i recall1 on this subject1 that long ago ,i concluded1 with ,messrs4 ,de ,launey1 ,van den ,broeck1 ,boule1 etc41 that the formation of caves could commence in the most distant geological epochs1 and that the pockets of phosphorites1 among others at ,quercy and the ,albanets of ,couvin 7,belgium71 testify to caves or abysses of at least ,eocene times4 ,h4 ,e4 ,b4 ,,cave ,,exploring ,,as ,a ,,sport ,we are called a nation of sportsmen2 yet the first criticism we level against any new sport1 not our own1 is the question1 usually unanswerable and always irrelevant1 ,what is the use of it8 ,one may then1 with a certain show of propriety1 point out that cave exploring is a sport not entirely lacking in utilitarian or scientific objects4 ,it belongs1 in fact1 to that large class which originated as something else than mere pastime4 ,mountaineering and hunting are typical representatives of that class4 ,the earliest mountaineers were geographers4 ,cave exploring was first of all taken up as a branch of archological and palontological research1 and then as a general inquiry into the physical nature of caves4 ,but a science that has discovery as its principal object1 and hardships and adventure as its natural concomitants1 is bound to attract as many sportsmen as scientists4 ,the geographical might be called the sporting sciences4 ,and so there are now many ardent cave explorers who would blush to be called speleologists1 their sole motive being the enjoyment of the game1 and scientific results purely a by-product4 ,thus the science of caves has given birth to a sport that subserves its aims in the same irregular way as rock-climbing and peak-bagging subserve the aims of geography1 geology1 meteorology1 and other sciences4 ,speleology itself is1 comparatively1 a new science4 ,cave hunting1 the search for human and animal remains1 has been an important bypath of scientific investigation since the days of ,dean ,buckland and the discoveries recorded in ,reliqui ,diluvian1 #ahbc4 ,professor ,boyd ,dawkins has in recent decades done still more valuable work for palontology4 ,speleology is a word of both wider and narrower meaning2 in the widest sense covering all kinds of knowledge about caves1 their geography1 geology1 hydrology1 their fauna1 their palontology4 ,but most speleologists confine their attention to the physical characteristics of caves4 ,this side of the inquiry has practical utilities4 ,at ,vaucluse1 for instance1 near ,avignon1 ,m4 ,bouvier in #ahgh explored the channels of a gigantic siphon that carries the waters of an inaccessible reservoir into the ,fontaine de ,vaucluse1 a famous rising4 ,his object was partly scientific1 and partly to determine the nature of this permanent source1 so as to utilise its waters to regulate the level of the ,sorgue1 to extend the irrigation system of the neighbourhood1 and to secure water-power for manufacturing purposes4 ,the ,katavothra of ,pod-,stenami were enlarged by an enterprising engineer1 and protected by iron gratings1 after their subterranean exits had been explored1 and so utilised to regulate the drainage of the marshy plains of ,laibach1 and to prevent periodical inundations4 ,in our own country1 underground exploration has brought to light valuable water-supplies1 and enabled us to safeguard the public interests by pointing out sources of pollution4 ,caves are most abundant in the districts where those great fissures known as rakes occur1 which are rich in minerals1 especially lead1 calamine1 copper1 gypsum1 and fluor-spar4 ,during the short period in which cave work has been taken up as a sport1 discoveries have been made1 which of course it is impossible to particularise1 that may be the source of considerable profit in the future4 ,the majority of those engaged in this physical exploration of caves are ,french4 ,france possesses a ,socit de ,splologie1 the secretary of which1 ,monsieur ,e4 ,a4 ,martel1 author of ,les ,abmes1 is a most indefatigable and courageous explorer1 and the man who has made the science an important and a living one4 ,but ,m4 ,martel himself awards the title of crateur de la splologie to a forgotten predecessor1 ,dr4 ,adolphe ,schmidl1 who published ,die ,grotten und ,hhlen von ,adelsberg1 in #ahed4 ,in this country1 although such brilliant discoveries have been made of extinct animals and prehistoric relics of humanity1 cave exploring of this kind is a new pursuit4 ,m4 ,martel says1 in ,irlande et ,cavernes ,anglaises1 #ahig3 ,in short1 the underground of the calcareous regions of the ,british ,isles may be considered as being1 topographically1 very insufficiently known2 this is the conviction impressed on me by my own researches in #ahic4 ,something has been accomplished since that date4 ,two or three clubs1 consisting chiefly of climbers1 and a few speleologists working independently1 have effected a thorough examination of the great caverns of the ,peak1 the extraordinary system of underground waters1 huge cavities1 and profound abysses in the ,west ,riding1 and the beautiful caverns of ,somerset4 ,but the ground that remains unexplored1 the opportunities for adventure and the possibilities of discovery are such as may probably astonish those people who think there is nothing of the sort left in ,old ,england4 ,caves are formed in calcareous strata by the chemical action of water laden with carbonic acid1 and by the mechanical action of streams4 ,in consequence of the original structure of the ,limestone1 the joints of which run at right angles to the bedding planes1 these eroded hollows have two dominant forms3 the vertical pot1 swallet1 or hole1 produced by the widening of a master-joint2 and the horizontal water-channel1 running in the same direction as the line of stratification4 ,but the strata being commonly tilted1 these pits and abysses are often a long way out of the vertical1 and the caverns that follow the strata very steep4 ,many of these ancient watercourses are now dry1 but others are still traversed by streams1 and present the explorer with most formidable obstacles4 ,the complete exploration of any cave system would involve the tracing out of all its passages from the point where the stream or streams enter the earth to the point of exit4 ,but ,i know not a single instance where such a task has been worked out in its entirety4 ,in many cases the streams enter the ground merely as small rivulets1 and begin to excavate passages practicable to man only at a considerable depth4 ,siphons1 or traps1 as they ought to be called1 complete or partial chokes1 and a variety of other causes1 may put insuperable obstacles in the explorer's way4 ,take two of the most important cave problems still awaiting solution1 one in ,yorkshire1 the other in ,somerset4 ,a large beck is precipitated into the abyss of ,gaping ,ghyll1 #cfj feet deep1 and emerges from an opening in the hillside1 a mile away1 close to the mouth of ,ingleborough ,cave1 which was itself an earlier exit4 ,several parties have descended ,gaping ,ghyll1 and followed the passages at the bottom to a distance of more than #ajjj feet4 ,then impenetrable water-sinks1 and muddy chambers with no outlet1 have been encountered1 and the communication with the lower cavern has hitherto proved undiscoverable4 ,both the dry galleries and the canals of ,ingleborough ,cave have been explored1 with great toil and daring1 to a considerable distance upwards1 with similar results2 and though many speleologists are still absorbed in this problem1 there is little hope that it will be cleared up without adopting the drastic and costly measure of cutting through the obstructions4 ,the other problem is that of ,wookey ,hole1 the cave in ,britain which has the longest history1 and which is still yielding interesting discoveries4 ,a number of streams disappear into the earth on the ,mendip plateau1 #b miles away and #gjj feet above1 and find their issue in the source of the ,axe at ,wookey ,hole4 ,two of the ,mendip swallets have been explored to a great depth4 ,swildon's ,hole1 an exquisite series of terraced galleries and stalactite grottoes1 has been penetrated to a depth of #cjj feet4 ,but a more determined attempt has been made to reach the bottom of the ,eastwater ,cavern4 ,this was discovered in #aijb by my friend ,mr4 ,balch1 of ,wells1 by means of opening the swallet1 where a tiny brook ran away through small crevices in a ,limestone ravine4 ,a far-extending cave was thus disclosed1 full of intricate ramifications1 that explain in a graphic manner how new galleries are formed and old ones left dry and deserted1 as the result of floods and partial chokes4 ,we have1 in the longest route discovered in this complicated system1 reached a distance of #bjjj feet from the entrance and a depth below the surface of #ejj feet4 ,at this point no absolutely impassable barrier has been met with4 ,there is reason to hope that we may still advance farther into the mysterious region between it and ,wookey ,hole4 ,but the formidable difficulties of the journey hither have set a limit to endurance4 ,hundreds of feet of creeping through steep1 narrow1 and contorted passages1 compared with which a series of drain-pipes would afford luxurious travelling2 perpendicular drops of #ej and #ij feet1 with no convenient ledges at the top for letting men down2 and1 in addition1 the necessity of transporting great quantities of tackle to the bitter end of it1 have made a twelve hours' day underground as much as we could stand4 ,the difficulty may perhaps be got over by means of a subterranean bivouac4 ,unfortunately1 it would not do to leave the apparatus in position for long beforehand1 as it would deteriorate so rapidly4 ,in ,wookey ,hole itself1 we have not yet succeeded in reaching a farther distance than #fjj feet from the cave mouth2 there a submerged tunnel has stood in the way4 ,but ,mr4 ,balch has thoroughly explored the upper passages that honeycomb the rock above the known caves2 he has discovered a number of promising galleries1 which are being slowly cleared of dbris2 and1 among them1 a series of the most beautiful incrusted grottoes in ,britain4 ,a season of drought may reveal an opening up the river-course4 ,innumerable similar problems still await solution4 ,some of us have been engaged in trying with pick and crowbar to engineer a way into the swallets above ,castleton1 which send their waters through the heart of the hills down to the caves in the dale of ,hope4 ,one of these1 which we have penetrated to a distance of #cej feet1 may turn out to be the entrance to as wonderful a chain of caverns as those of ,eastwater4 ,long ,kin ,hole1 ,helln ,pot1 and other tremendous cavities in the ,ingleborough district1 still promise good sport4 ,of all the varieties of cave forms these vertical holes are the most impressive1 and also the most perilous to explore4 ,no exploit stands out more finely in the record of that intrepid explorer1 ,m4 ,martel1 than his single-handed descent into ,gaping ,ghyll1 the first ever accomplished4 ,in the ,cevennes1 however1 he has reached the bottom of abysses still more profound1 though without the unpleasant accompaniment of falling water4 ,one of the most awkward of the descents described by him is that of the ,aven de ,vigne ,close 7,ardche71 #aij mtres in depth4 ,this strange pit is almost a corkscrew in shape1 comprising five perpendicular drops1 the bottom of one being a few feet from the top of the next4 ,to manage the final pitch1 with a chain of rope ladders #dj mtres too short1 it was necessary to get six men down to the ,salle ,manger at the foot of the fourth stage1 others remaining as sentinels at the head of the various stages4 ,some of these waited on their narrow perches for eleven hours1 in the dark1 with nothing to do but listen to the distant noises of their comrades at work4 ,one man1 hanging at the end of a rope1 succeeded single-handed in fastening a pulley to the free end of the second ladder1 and so let down the third ladder to the required extent4 ,this critical operation was carried out under grave difficulties1 the nerves of the whole party having been shaken a few minutes earlier by the accidental fall of a heavy lamp1 which was within an inch of killing the men beneath4 ,elden ,hole1 in the ,peak of ,derbyshire1 a yawning cavity #bjj feet deep1 with an inner cave #fe feet deeper1 has been descended several times recently4 ,on the first occasion1 through the inexperience of the party1 ,i had the privilege of spending nine hours in the hole1 in a state of uncertainty as to whether it was in the power of the other men to get me out4 ,on the next occasion1 we let down a dozen men safely4 ,but there still remains the possibility that excavation might clear up the puzzle as to the connection of ,elden ,hole with other swallets and caves in the vicinity4 ,the old miners believed that it had communication with the natural chambers in the ,speedwell ,mine2 and that is a problem which will entail exploration in collapsible boats along the flooded levels4 ,the great chasm in the ,speedwell1 which used to be reputed bottomless1 has been proved to be only #ij feet deep4 ,it has an upward extension1 in the same steep rake1 which has not been climbed1 nor its top so much as caught sight of4 ,it attains a height1 most probably1 of at least #djj feet4 ,that is a problem worthy the mettle of our most skilful cragsmen4 ,in the ,blue ,john ,mine1 a vertical fissure has been climbed1 by a party properly roped up1 to the height of #acj feet1 between walls splendidly adorned with polished and translucent stalagmite4 ,ladders may sometimes be rigged up1 one above another1 to reach hollows in the roof of caves4 ,in this way a handsome grotto was discovered above ,peak ,cavern4 ,when these vertical fissures are open to the sky1 it is a simple matter to fix tackle1 and even a windlass1 for letting men down4 ,when they open in the floor of a well-nigh impracticable gallery1 as in the ,eastwater ,cavern1 the difficulties of securing pulleys and ropes are serious4 ,there our troubles are aggravated by the proximity of deep1 gaping chasms at the foot of each pitch1 lying in wait to receive falling bodies4 ,nevertheless1 by an ingenious arrangement of life-line and pulley1 the entire party gets safely to the bottom of the gulf and back again1 although it is usual in such situations to leave a sentry behind at the top4 ,grandest of all these underground cavities in ,england is the great chamber of ,lamb's ,lair1 in the ,mendips4 ,the approaches and subsidiary chambers of that marvellous cavern are magnificent in the richness of their incrustation and their colouring2 but this mighty hall surpasses the rest by far4 ,floor1 walls1 and roof1 of a dome-shaped chamber #aaj feet high1 are a mass of sculptured transparencies1 fantastic reliefs and glowing enamel1 all the colours of the rainbow being produced by the different veins of minerals4 ,only a strong party of experienced climbers or cave workers1 fully equipped1 should venture to explore this fine cavern in its present dangerous state4 ,no chapters in ,les ,abmes are more absorbing than those describing the exploration of underground waters4 ,by means of collapsible boats1 ,m4 ,martel explored the concealed streams that tumble into the canyon of the ,ardche4 ,in #ahij-ia1 ,m4 ,mazauric1 with enormous toil and considerable danger1 traced out the labyrinthine ramifications of the ,bonheur at ,bramabiau 7,gard74 ,the ,tindoul de la ,vayssire 7,aveyron71 with its yawning abyss and powerful subterranean torrent1 and the ,causse de ,gramat 7,padirac71 both entailed the descent of a deep chasm and the navigation of large streams4 ,at ,padirac the exploring party made their way in four boats along a river1 with frequent portages caused by dykes of stalagmite1 and discovered some of the most exquisite and romantic stalactite scenery in the vaults through which the river flows4 ,as a sport1 cave exploring ranks high4 ,the exertion it entails is exceedingly severe4 ,the innumerable obstacles and difficult problems to be faced make incessant demands on our inventiveness1 adaptability1 and presence of mind4 ,the exposure1 the hardships1 the dangers that must be encountered1 form an admirable discipline4 ,those who consider these any detraction from the merits of the sport1 must condemn1 not one sport1 but a whole class4 ,running risks1 we must remember1 is always foolhardy1 but to nullify danger by means of science and skill is an aim worthy of the noblest kinds of sport4 ,it will1 of course1 be objected that the lack of exhilarating conditions1 and of the stimulus of fresh air1 deprives the sport of the usual benefits of outdoor games4 ,but the air at the bottom of a cave #ajj or more feet deep is usually as pure and sweet1 and not seldom as dry1 owing to its free circulation1 as that on the hills4 ,then the darkness and the sense of imprisonment1 you say1 are not conducive to healthy enjoyment4 ,but a cave explorer1 enthralled by the manifold interest and excitement of the pastime1 will never admit this4 ,the variety of entertainment it affords constitutes a peculiar charm4 ,only to judge by the number of climbers that have taken up cave work as a pastime1 there must obviously be a natural relation between this sport and rock climbing4 ,certainly1 there are many methods common to the two sports1 and the expert cragsman has an immense advantage over others when he takes to cave exploring4 ,but the methods and appliances of the mountaineer are restricted by artificial regulations4 ,there are many things that must not be done1 even to enable a climber to ascend an otherwise inaccessible peak or to avoid serious peril4 ,in cave work1 on the other hand1 the difficulties and dangers are multiplied so formidably by the singular conditions1 of which darkness is but one1 that such prohibitions would be absurd4 ,when one may be called upon to climb a wall of mud1 or a sheet of slippery stalagmite1 or to traverse water-swept rocks with an unfathomed pool or swallet underneath1 every safeguard must needs be utilised4 ,any mechanical means of accomplishing1 facilitating1 or expediting a passage is legitimate in cave work2 ropes1 pulleys1 ladders of rope and wood1 windlass1 rafts1 boats1 crowbar1 pick1 shovel--all these1 and an enormous variety of other things1 have their place in the cave explorer's equipment4 ,one might write a volume on the equipment of cave explorers4 ,hardly any other sport requires so formidable a variety4 ,i must limit myself to a few words4 ,the explorer's dress should be a boiler suit1 made all in one piece from neck to heel1 and with no pockets or buttons to catch in the jagged ,limestone1 plenty of both being provided inside4 ,he must renounce any hankering after waterproof garments1 the proper precaution against the effects of wet being to wear thick woollen underclothing4 ,his boots should be nailed after the manner of those worn by rock climbers4 ,candles are the best illuminant1 much better than any lamp--acetylene1 electric1 or other4 ,but a supply of magnesium wire should be carried1 with waterproofed matches in water-tight boxes2 and a powerful limelight1 burning ether instead of hydrogen1 for the sake of portability1 is a useful auxiliary4 ,boats have been used in some of the caves in the ,peak1 in ,wookey ,hole1 and in the cavern of ,marble ,arch1 explored by ,m4 ,martel1 in ,ireland4 ,plenty of rope--not of the ,alpine ,club material1 but hempen--is necessary1 and a few rope ladders often come in handy4 ,the only rule of the game that ,i should like to insist upon is1 that no damage should be done to the beautiful features of a cave4 ,it is a rule observed by every cave explorer worthy of the name4 ,the temptation to acquire specimens must be resisted4 ,the first thing that the cave explorer1 eager for discovery1 has to learn1 is not to lose himself4 ,in many cases no special precautions are necessary1 but if there are numerous bifurcations1 specific measures must be adopted4 ,often it is sufficient to station a hurricane lamp or a good-sized candle at the cross roads2 a surer method1 but one that is rather troublesome1 is to unreel a thread as we advance4 ,such a cavern as ,goatchurch1 in ,burrington ,combe1 ,somerset1 is a perplexing maze1 where one loses one's bearings completely two minutes after looking at the compass4 ,the mass of the hill is shivered into innumerable fragments1 of giant size4 ,passages striking off along the fractures often lead one back imperceptibly to the point of divergence4 ,at the ,eastwater ,cavern1 in the same district1 after ,i had already gone four times through the enormous aggregation of shattered rocks at the top1 where a human body is like a beetle in a heap of macadam1 ,i tried in vain to make my way out without using the life-line4 ,although there is but #ajj feet of it1 one takes half an hour to get through4 ,the original explorers spent a much longer time in discovering a practicable route4 ,for my own part1 ,i was lost in a few moments1 and compelled to return4 ,the imprudence of two men in the ,bagshawe ,cavern1 in ,derbyshire1 who went too far in advance in their anxiety to be discoverers1 led to an uncomfortable experience both for them and for their rescuers4 ,this very extensive cavern has a number of ramifications4 ,the two men who were following reached a distant and unexplored part of the cave1 only to find that they had missed their comrades1 the sand and clay on the cave floor being still perfectly smooth and untrodden4 ,they failed to discover the wanderers in the neighbouring passages1 and lost their own way for a time before they got back1 through the winding tunnels1 low-roofed fissures1 and deep canals1 crawling1 scrambling1 and wading breast-deep through icy water1 to the place where they had parted4 ,they hoped the truants had found their way back1 but there was no sign of them1 and preparations had to be made for a second journey4 ,after a fatiguing quest1 that lasted several hours1 they found the missing adventurers in a remote part of the cavern1 nursing their last shred of candle and waiting to be rescued4 ,the experiences of some youthful explorers in ,wookey ,hole1 who found themselves on dangerous ground and all their matches gone1 are described on another page4 ,there is a romance about cave exploring that is almost unrivalled4 ,the conditions of the sport are so weird and exciting1 so strangely different from everything we are accustomed to4 ,to be so near to1 and yet so far from1 the scenes of our everyday life2 to be launched on a voyage of discovery on an ,english river1 or to be the first to gaze on some miracle of fantastic crystallisation only a few miles away from a large town--these are among the attractions of the sport1 at least in its present stage4 ,there is nothing in this country to compare with the prodigious caves of ,kentucky or the terrific subterranean defiles of ,adelsberg4 ,one might as well look for the magnificence of the ,alps among our ,english mountains4 ,yet the caves and gulfs of ,derbyshire and ,yorkshire have a grandeur of structure and diversity of character1 and the ,somerset caves a brilliance of crystalline deposits1 that are fully as admirable and impressive4 ,e4 ,a4 ,b4 ,,exploring ,,wookey ,,hole ,where ,albion's western hills slope to the sea1 ,there is a cave1 and o'er its dismal mouth1 ,whence come to quick1 mysterious ears hoarse sounds ,of giant revelry1 the ivy grew ,and shut the old sepulchral darkness in2 ,and by its side a well1 whence ever full ,and ever overflowing1 silent1 deep1 ,and cold as death1 the waters creep ,adown the broken rocks in search of day4 ,above it frowns a fretted1 stony brow1 ,and only from the setting sun e'er came ,within that place the joyfulness of light4 ,w4 ,w4 ,,smith1 ,angels and ,men3 a ,poem4 ,hardly anywhere else in ,britain is the mind borne down with such a sense of incalculable antiquity as at ,wookey ,hole4 ,nowhere1 certainly1 is there anything like such a continuous record from ages inconceivably remote4 ,to touch first of all upon periods that are historical and measurable1 we have the name ,wookey1 which appears to be the one bestowed by the ancient ,britons2 for it is a recognisable corruption--especially as the people of the district sound it1 ,ookey--of the ,celtic ,ogo1 a cavern1 the same word1 ,ogof1 as the modern ,welsh still apply to several caves in the ,principality4 ,clemens ,alexandrinus1 in the second century ,a4,d41 has a reference to the cavern1 and there are periodical allusions in ,latin and ,english writers from that time to the present4 ,in the ,middle ,ages its fame as one of the wonders of ,england was great4 ,william of ,worcester has a quaint description2 he says1 ,its entrance is narrow1 and the ymage of a man stands beside it called the ,porter1 of whom leave to enter the ,hall of ,wokey is to be obtained4 ,what became of this janitor is now unknown1 unless he be represented by the recumbent monolith still to be seen outside the portal4 ,references to the antiquities of ,wookey ,hole occur in ,leland's ,itinerary and in ,camden's ,britannia1 and there is incorporated in ,percy's ,reliques a ballad1 by an eighteenth-century virtuoso1 ,dr4 ,harrington of ,bath1 entitled ,the ,witch of ,wokey1 recounting an old legend of the neighbourhood4 ,in aunciente dayes1 tradition showes1 ,a base and wicked elfe arose ,the ,witch of ,wokey hight4 ,so it begins1 and goes on to relate1 in the sham antique style of the day1 how a malevolent old woman was for her misdeeds changed to stone by a lerned clerk of ,glaston4 ,the ,witch1 a black1 aquiline profile in stone and stalagmite1 is with her culinary utensils the chief attraction to sightseers in the first great chamber1 or1 as it is sometimes called1 the ,witch's ,kitchen4 ,illustration3 ,,profile ,,of ,,the ,,witch ,,of ,,wookey1 ,,wookey ,,hole ,,cavern4 ,photo by ,h4 ,e4 ,balch4 ,illustration3 ,,among ,,the ,,pools1 ,,wookey ,,hole ,,cavern4 ,photo by ,h4 ,e4 ,balch4 ,it is impressive enough to stand beside the very modern-looking paper-mill1 where the infant ,axe1 still dazzled by its sudden entry into the sunlight1 is harnessed to assist in the manufacture of such workaday commodities as ,bank-note paper1 and to see before one things that carry the memory back all those stages2 yet it is but the last few pages of the voluminous history that we are considering now4 ,professor ,boyd ,dawkins1 who won his spurs as a palontologist by his researches at ,wookey ,hole1 discovered in the neighbouring ,hyna ,den1 which is really a branch of the old cavern1 human and animal remains whose antiquity1 compared with the periods just reviewed1 is as the age of ,stonehenge compared with that of a man4 ,in the less known passages of the ,hole itself1 such relics have constantly been found in the course of our investigations4 ,potsherds1 celts1 bone implements1 the carbonised embers from ancient hearths1 all sorts of refuse lying in odd corners1 have continually brought us1 as it were1 face to face with the time when man was little more than the king of beasts4 ,whosoever would read in the deeper chapters of this vast chronicle must be referred to the fascinating pages of ,cave ,hunting2 there will be only an occasional glance at the human history in this record of a different class of exploration4 ,palontological research has not been our object4 ,several of my companions have made some valuable discoveries in this line1 and are intent on making more2 but my own original motive1 and that of several others1 was the sport1 as much as the scientific results1 to be enjoyed in endeavouring to work out the great problem of the waters that have made themselves a road through the underworld of ,mendip1 and found an escape from bondage at ,wookey ,hole4 ,this cavern has been known so long and so familiarly1 that it must have seemed as if there were nothing more to be found out about it4 ,it will1 surely1 be a surprise to many to learn what important additions have recently been made to the extent of its known and accessible passages1 and what progress there has been in explaining the secrets of its water system4 ,we are1 in all probability1 on the brink of yet more startling revelations4 ,drayton complained1 in ,polyolbion1 that the renown of the ,devil's ,hole in the ,peak of ,derbyshire1 then as in the present day1 had robbed the ,somersetshire cave of some of its glory4 ,yet ,ochy's dreadful ,hole still held herself disgrac'd ,with th' wonders of this ,isle that she should not be plac'd3 ,but that which vex'd her most1 was that the ,peakish ,cave ,before her darksome self such dignity should have4 ,many things here bring to mind the ,derbyshire cavern1 which several of our party had explored pretty thoroughly before we did any serious work in ,somerset--the approach along the deep wooded ravine cut through the ,dolomitic ,conglomerate1 the river pouring out from vast reservoirs within the earth1 the legendary associations1 and the mystery shrouding the stream's subterranean course4 ,from the drainage area about ,priddy1 #gjj feet above1 on the top of ,mendip1 these waters find their way down through a multitude of channels4 ,most of these passages are quite unknown1 but the two most important1 of which a good deal will be said presently1--the ,eastwater ,swallet and ,swildon's ,hole1--have been explored to a considerable depth4 ,in the latter we have got to a depth of #cjj feet1 but natural obstacles and other difficulties have prevented us from following the stream-course farther4 ,mr4 ,balch has traced the ,eastwater ,swallet1 which he opened in #aijb1 to the depth of #ejj feet below the point of absorption--almost1 that is to say1 down to the level of ,wookey ,hole2 but an enormous thickness of rock still remains unexplored between the farthest points attained1 from below upwards and from above downwards4 ,most likely1 when we get farther1 if we succeed in passing the present obstacles1 we shall soon find ourselves entering the canals and water caverns that lie on the same level as the great natural reservoirs of ,wookey ,hole2 in other words1 we are approaching the plane of saturation4 ,exploration in the ,eastwater ,swallet is still being carried on1 though perforce very slowly2 and concurrently therewith1 efforts are being made1 not without success1 to trace the passages in the lower cavern farther and farther back4 ,illustration3 ,,mass ,,of ,,stalagmite1 ,,wookey ,,hole4 ,photo by ,h4 ,e4 ,balch4 ,illustration3 ,,in ,,the ,,first ,,chamber1 ,,wookey ,,hole ,,cavern4 ,photo by ,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,the summer tourist1 conducted through the three principal chambers of ,wookey ,hole by a guide armed with a can of benzoline1 for making stalagmites into torches1 comes out having a very imperfect knowledge of the geography of the cavern1 and a totally inadequate idea of its beauties4 ,i well remember how little ,i was impressed by my first visit1 under these conditions1 many years ago4 ,the weak illumination seemed to reveal only the proportions of some rather large cellars1 pervaded by oily pools1 into which the contents of the can were poured and set on fire1 producing an unearthly glare through the darkness and the waters2 and a number of dingy and unconvincing natural effigies1 black with the accumulation of soot4 ,our exploring party in ,march #aijc saw these things under an illumination such as had never been kindled there before1 and ,i for one was quite unprepared for the revelation of brilliance and spaciousness and beauty that we were to witness4 ,wokey ,hole1 says ,bishop ,percy1 has given birth to as many wild1 fanciful stories as the ,sybil's 7sic7 ,cave in ,italy4 ,through a very narrow entrance it opens into a large vault1 the roof whereof1 either on account of its height or the thickness of the gloom1 cannot be discovered by the light of torches4 ,it goes winding a great way underground1 is crost by a stream of very cold water1 and is all horrid with broken pieces of rock3 many of these are evident petrifactions1 which1 on account of their singular forms1 have given rise to the fables alluded to in this poem1 the story1 that is1 of the blear-eyed hag who was turned into stone4 ,this quaint description is true in every particular4 ,the first cavern1 or the ,witch's ,kitchen1 has a weird similitude to ,gothic architecture4 ,arch springs from arch up to the lofty summit1 and the walls and vaulting are full of canopied recesses1 with wild foliations of glistening calcite wreathed from niche to niche4 ,below us1 as we enter1 a broad deep pool stretches away into darkness4 ,could we follow the gently moving current in a boat1 we should enter another great vault1 whose existence the ordinary visitor never suspects4 ,there1 in a small passage beyond the water1 ,mr4 ,balch discovered human remains4 ,whilst we peered into the gloom1 the limelight was burning up1 and now it flashed across the cavern to where the black scowling head of the ,witch overshadows terraces1 basins1 and wild imageries of spectral stalagmite4 ,a glow6 a gleam6 ,a broader beam ,startles those realms of endless night1 ,while bats whirl round on slanting wing1 ,astonished at this awful thing4 ,the rocky roof's reflected rays ,are caught up in the waterways1 ,and every jewelled stalactite ,is bathed in that stupendous light1 ,one moment only2 then the caves ,are plunged again in ,stygian waves2 ,the fairy dream has passed away ,and night resumes her ancient sway4 ,the ,vicar of ,whiteparish1 near ,salisbury1 wrote these expressive lines after seeing ,wookey ,hole lighted up with magnesium4 ,our beam of light was less transitory1 and gave us ample leisure to contemplate the glories of this magnificent chamber4 ,its walls for the most part are coloured a rich red1 which absorbs light readily and makes photography a slow business4 ,the first exposure took half an hour4 ,against the warm red1 the pearly streaks of stalactite and stalagmite shine in exquisite relief4 ,there is a superb mass of stalactite near the ,witch2 to say truth1 the eye is confounded by the wild grouping of fantastic piles of dripstone around that uncouth head2 the colours of the rocks and the flashing crystallisations are reflected in the pellucid water1 and confused again with our glimpses of the river-bed1 smitten by the moving shaft of light4 ,on the nearer side of the cave1 where a narrow arch leads into an incrusted grotto1 a gentle stream has deposited a fairy-like series of fonts and stoups1 ending in a pure white sheet of dripstone1 over which the water murmurs4 ,the surface of all these fabrications is diapered over with a network of delicate pearly ridges2 so that here you see a mass1 as it were1 of polished brain coral1 and there madrepores and alcyonaria1 where the deposits have continued their growth under water4 ,some of these efflorescences are like petrified filaments of water weed4 ,the foul scurf and soot that covers the ,witch's cooking apparatus and other accessories would1 doubtless1 disappear under a fresh deposit of pristine white1 would the guides but cease for a twelvemonth to drench them in benzoline1 for the delectation of such as love conundrums in stone4 ,still1 these things are but a small part of the scenery1 when all is lighted up as we were able to light it4 ,our work done1 a ,bengal fire was set off1 and the glimpses it gave us along the waterway to the inaccessible chamber beyond added vastness and mystery to the scene4 ,illustration3 ,,stalactite ,,terrace1 ,,wookey ,,hole4 ,photo by ,h4 ,e4 ,balch4 ,illustration3 ,,great ,,river ,,chamber1 ,,wookey ,,hole4 ,photo by ,dawkes ,partridge1 ,wells4 ,the next chamber is a loftier vault1 and the arching is more decidedly ,gothic in its suggestiveness4 ,two low arches at either side form the portals1 far above which a series of pointed arches spring to a height of #gj feet1 their summits converging in a polygonal cleft1 like the lantern of some cathedral dome4 ,then we make our way across the sandbanks1 between the pools1 into the largest chamber of all1 with a roof of enormous span1 whose breadth dwarfs its height1 arching over the sleeping river and the broad slopes of sand1 whereon grotesque ,limestone monoliths take the likeness of prehistoric monsters sleeping by the waterside4 ,through the clear water we can discern a submerged arch communicating with more distant caverns4 ,there is a tradition1 coming down from the medival historians1 that unfathomable lakes lie behind the barrier4 ,this is probably true in so far as it points to the existence of enormous reservoirs of water beyond the accessible parts of ,wookey ,hole1 the theory being confirmed by the behaviour of the silt at flood time4 ,were the hatches belonging to the paper-mill opened1 and the water lowered a few feet1 an attempt might be made to solve these problems4 ,mr4 ,balch did1 in fact1 at a time when the water was partially lowered1 make his way into two unexplored chambers1 fed by tunnels submerged a foot or so below the surface4 ,illustration3 ,,second ,,great ,,chamber1 ,,wookey ,,hole4 ,photo by ,dawkes ,partridge1 ,wells4 ,illustration3 ,,entrance ,,of ,,third ,,chamber1 ,,wookey ,,hole4 ,photo by ,dawkes ,partridge1 ,wells4 ,the older and the newer caves and passages of ,wookey ,hole lie at five levels1 one above the other like five storeys1 the topmost of all representing the oldest channel of the subterranean ,axe1 which has in the course of ages forsaken first one and then the other1 boring fresh passages in the ,conglomerate4 ,of these five storeys1 one alone1 the nethermost1 is known to the uninitiated visitor4 ,portions of the other four had been explored from time to time by ,mr4 ,balch1 who in #aijc made such discoveries of unknown continuations as fill us with hopes of penetrating deeply into the mysterious region beyond4 ,climbing into the ,upper ,series from a spot near the threshold of the ,witch's ,kitchen1 we made our way eastward over dry rocks1 and came speedily to the junction with another passage from nearer the cave mouth4 ,only a thin leaf of rock separates the two1 for it is characteristic of all these upper passages that they run almost parallel to each other whilst rising to other levels4 ,altogether1 we doubled back on our original direction three or four times1 creeping through holes in the walls partitioning the corridors1 and ascending to the top of several lofty bridges1 formed by fragments that have fallen from roof and walls and wedged themselves securely4 ,the construction of these bridges is often marvellous to see4 ,in one case a number of rocks form an irregular arch1 at the top of which a keystone wedges the whole cluster together4 ,obviously they must have fallen and come together practically at the same instant4 ,this was what happened hard by with two great boulders that fell down the rift and caught each other in mid-air4 ,another impressive natural structure is known to explorers of ,wookey ,hole as the ,spur and the ,wedge4 ,the huge horizontal peak of ,limestone projecting into the chasm brings to mind a famous passage in ,mr4 ,rider ,haggard's ,she4 ,this spot was the scene of a droll adventure that befell one of my companions years ago4 ,with several other boys1 he wandered into these passages1 when suddenly the one candle they had with them went out4 ,a boy had been commissioned to bring a supply of matches1 but it was ascertained that he had only one left1 which on being struck promptly went out4 ,in this emergency1 the lads could do nothing but sit still until help arrived4 ,they had no food1 and in trying to feel the time1 they broke the hands of the only watch4 ,they computed that they had been in durance three days when the rescue party reached the spot1 but the protracted and hungry period of waiting turned out to be only eight hours4 ,their resting-place was the flat back of the pinnacle1 with a #fj-;foot drop on one side and jagged rocks on the other4 ,in two places in these galleries there are fine displays of stalagmite on the wall1 in the form of corrugated sheets1 the ridges of which1 stained red with ferrous deposits1 hang straight down like a series of organ pipes4 ,the walls glisten here and there with minute crystals4 ,but the most striking sight is where the ,dolomitic ,conglomerate1 of which the walls are composed1 appears in clean-cut sections4 ,one of these1 which has been successfully photographed1 shows the differently coloured pebbles1 chiefly ,mountain ,limestone with a few of ,old ,red ,sandstone1 embedded in the matrix1 and surrounded with distinct layers of cement1 all as brilliantly defined as the concentric rings of an agate4 ,hard by is a corner where ,mr4 ,balch discovered the bones of a man2 they were mineralised1 but it was impossible to tell their period1 or even whether they represented an interment1 or were merely the remains of some wanderer from his tribe who had perished in this forlorn spot4 ,sleeping bats hung from many a coign1 and would not be awakened even when lifted down4 ,big cave spiders crawled over the walls in the parts adjoining the open air1 where the breeze found its way in1 although we could not see through the narrowing crevices4 ,here and there the cocoons of the spiders hung from the roof in white1 woolly balls4 ,at the farthest point reached was a settlement of jackdaws1 with a number of untidy-looking nests1 and there we could hear a thrush singing in the trees outside2 for we were close to the main cliff1 and the river was flowing out beneath our feet1 under a great thickness of rock4 ,illustration3 ,,stalactite ,,grotto3 ,,new ,,chambers1 ,,wookey ,,hole ,,cave4 ,photo by ,h4 ,e4 ,balch4 ,illustration3 ,,stalactite ,,grotto1 ,,wookey ,,hole4 ,photo by ,claude ,blee4 ,by the natural falling in of the roof1 the first great chamber of ,wookey has broken through into the galleries above1 and certain passages of the ,upper ,series now open high up in the vault of the ,witch's ,kitchen4 ,one of these openings has been known for years2 another1 which we reconnoitred carefully in ,march #aijc1 has now had its barrier of cave earth cut through1 with the result that a group of stalactite chambers of wonderful beauty has been disclosed1 with untold possibilities of further advance4 ,boxing ,day #aijc was spent in an exploration of these new chambers4 ,climbing on my shoulders1 ,mr4 ,balch got hand-hold in a chink of the ,limestone1 and pulled himself up #aj feet4 ,here a stalagmite peg held the rope ladder whilst we clambered after1 entering a cross gallery that gives access by another short scramble to the loveliest of the new grottoes4 ,when the discovery was made1 ,mr4 ,balch and his assistants had to keep watch and ward day and night1 until a door had been fitted up1 and every hole and crevice securely blocked2 for the entire village was quickly on the scene1 and irretrievable damage might have been committed4 ,the grotto is irregular in shape1 and the incrustations are disposed without order or system4 ,from every nook and corner in the superimpending rocks bundles of stalactite spears are thrust2 bosses and pillars spring from the floor1 and sometimes meet the descending shafts4 ,of all these frail pillars1 the finest1 rising on the very edge of the rift we had ascended1 seems to support the whole ponderous roof1 like the fragile column left by a dexterous architect1 to cheat the eye1 in some cathedral vestibule4 ,certain of these hanging shafts are shaped like the barbed head of a spear1 a slanting stalactite having intercepted and coalesced with the dripping calcite from an inch or two away4 ,a creamy1 brownish yellow1 with a golden lustre like that of amber1 is the prevailing tint2 but1 here and there1 plaques of dazzling white shine out against the burning magnesium4 ,crawling in and out among the stalagmite pedestals1 grievously afraid of injuring the diaphanous fabric1 we emerged in a very low chamber of great area1 right across which a grille of translucent rods1 each a foot high and ranged in regular line1 fills the narrow space between roof and floor4 ,this extraordinary and strangely beautiful railing is some #cj feet long1 and only in one spot is it possible1 by dint of careful wriggling1 to pass between the rods into the farther parts of the chamber4 ,mr4 ,balch entreated me not to attempt this4 ,when he tried it1 a fortnight ago1 he had indeed got through to the series of caves beyond1 but1 in returning1 a projection had caught him at the lowest spot1 where the chamber is only nine inches high1 and he had struggled hard for twenty minutes before he could move an inch4 ,two of us1 notwithstanding this advice1 ventured through4 ,after draining off a pool of water that was held back by a thin rim of dripstone1 we traversed the low chamber and a short tunnel beyond1 climbed a vertical cleft1 and entered another low chamber of immense length and breadth1 whose various extensions we explored until the accumulated deposits of boulders and cave earth stopped our advance for the time being4 ,in returning through the tunnel and the low chamber with the grille1 we tried successfully to dive under the archway and wriggle into the opening head foremost1 in spite of two opposing stumps of stalagmite4 ,by these tactics we escaped the worst of the squeeze4 ,illustration3 ,,stalactite ,,pillars1 ,,wookey ,,hole4 ,photo by ,claude ,blee4 ,illustration3 ,,new ,,stalactite ,,grotto1 ,,wookey ,,hole4 ,photo by ,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,whilst engaged in this excursion1 we had heard the sound of hammering somewhere away in the heart of the rock4 ,it was our three friends attempting to break into a promising gallery1 which ought to cross the vestibule of the main cavern and connect the two groups of upper caves4 ,we were not long in joining them2 and now with pick1 hammer1 and crowbar we attacked the barrier in force4 ,the chief obstacle was a great flat rock standing on end across the unexplored opening1 and propped up by a heap of boulders1 which we gradually smashed up or removed to one side4 ,still the big fellow would not budge1 and we had to sap his foundations by degrees4 ,yet this huge rock was but a fragment that had fallen from the edge of a vast and threatening leaf of rock1 which now hung over our heads like a monstrous guillotine4 ,the upper caves are waterless1 and it soon became desirable to send one of our number to fetch us a drink4 ,presently we heard a plaintive cry from the distance3 his candle had gone out1 and he had forgotten the matches4 ,going to the rescue1 ,i found him groping about on a shelf of rock1 #cj feet from the floor1 hard by the ,spur and ,wedge2 he had lost his bearings altogether4 ,on his return1 we made another onslaught upon our rocky adversary1 the five of us sitting on his shoulder and pushing against the wall1 whilst our leader waxed grimly facetious as to what would happen to us if the shock brought down the guillotine4 ,slowly and painfully we tilted the mass of rock over1 but only a few inches1 leaving just room enough for a thin man to crawl behind4 ,squirming eagerly into the opening1 ,i looked under1 and was disappointed to see that1 if wide1 it was still heaped right to the crown of the arch by the rubbish flung there long ago by the river4 ,nevertheless1 ,mr4 ,balch was not dissatisfied4 ,though parts of these ancient waterways are choked with dbris1 it is unlikely1 nay impossible1 that the main channels should not remain open4 ,our day's work had taken us on another stage in our slow journey4 ,the labour of removing the new obstacle will be considerable1 but the result is sure4 ,in #aijd we had the pleasure of escorting that veteran speleologist1 ,monsieur ,e4 ,a4 ,martel1 through the old and the new caves at ,wookey ,hole4 ,about the same time efforts were made anew to force a way into unexplored territory1 with not uninteresting results4 ,many hours were spent one day by three of us in a hole that we had discovered just within the doorway of the cavern1 a thing that had most unaccountably escaped observation hitherto1 though right under our noses4 ,the opening pointed in the direction of the lower cave mouth1 where the ,axe comes out2 but it certainly did not look very promising4 ,crawling in1 we found ourselves in a steeply descending passage1 almost completely choked by stones and cave earth4 ,but at the end of the first portion it was noticed that the floor dropped suddenly1 indicating a chamber or gallery below4 ,an afternoon was spent in the laborious task of shifting rocks1 small stones1 and earth1 and passing up the fragments1 great and small1 from hand to hand1 until they could be placed in safe positions near the mouth of the hole4 ,eventually1 an ancient channel through the solid rock was disclosed1 and at the end of #fj feet or so a broad low chamber appeared1 floored with rocks and earth1 and roofed in with solid rock at a height of #ab or #ad inches4 ,pushing on1 the leader speedily found he was jammed between floor and ceiling1 and could go no farther without more engineering2 but an elder wand was procured1 a candle tied to the end of it1 and this rough-and-ready torch being pushed forward1 it was possible to see some #ce feet ahead into the low chamber1 in the depths of which a row of spiky stalactites stretched across like an alabaster grating4 ,to explore this chamber thoroughly1 it will be necessary to hollow out a passage in the soft floor4 ,in all likelihood1 it crosses the present river-course at a level only a few feet higher4 ,quantities of pottery1 bones1 teeth1 and fragments of charcoal were found in digging out the obstacles4 ,it seems most probable that the hole was stopped up by human agency in prehistoric ages2 perhaps it was a place of sepulture4 ,the obstacles were carefully wedged together1 and their removal caused much difficulty4 ,it is not pleasant to lie on one's back in a hole1 whose roof is only a few inches above one's face1 and have a block of ,limestone rolled from end to end of one's frame1 without allowance for projections in either4 ,in all several tons of material were shifted and carried out of the way4 ,much of the pottery had designs of a primitive character worked on the surface2 the more elaborate was ,romano-,british4 ,considerable sections of amphor and other vessels have since been pieced together4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,grille3 ,,new ,,chambers1 ,,wookey ,,hole4 ,photo by ,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,source ,,of ,,the ,,axe1 ,,wookey ,,hole4 ,photo by ,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,next day ,i made a curious find at a point farther in4 ,where the path from the entrance rises over a big accumulation of rocks1 just before it reaches the first great chamber1 a hole in the floor had been noticed4 ,it had not been explored1 but was waiting for someone capable of standing an exceptionally hard squeeze4 ,the depth being uncertain1 ,i had a rope tied on1 and after a brief struggle managed to get through the first hole1 into a crooked passage of no great length1 which brought me down to a small bell chamber4 ,this had simply been produced by the piling up of huge quantities of rocks and stones on the floor of the original cavern1 the whole structure having since become thoroughly cemented and solidified by the growth of stalagmite4 ,there were many teeth lying about1 but the most interesting object was a wooden bowl1 slightly flattened out1 and resembling the top of a man's skull in shape and size4 ,it felt soft1 like a piece of cork1 but was perfectly sound4 ,what its age would be one could not tell within a century or two4 ,it is now in the possession of ,mr4 ,troup of ,wells4 ,e4 ,a4 ,b4 ,,strenuous ,,days ,,in ,,the ,,eastwater ,,swallet ,from two to three miles north of ,wookey ,hole1 on the top of the ,mendip tableland1 is a broad1 shallow valley1 surrounded on every side by higher ground4 ,it is a grey1 desolate tract1 with few trees dotted over its surface1 but a thick belt of wood on the south1 the dark green of which in summer1 and the black stems in winter1 make the grey landscape seem the more arid1 gaunt1 and desolate4 ,the ruined engine house of a deserted lead mine does not add to the attractiveness of the scenery4 ,but that is soon lost to sight in the vastness of the rolling tableland1 which swells up in the distance to #ajjj feet above the sea on ,pen ,hill to the east1 and again to the same height at ,priddy ,nine ,barrows on ,north ,hill1 the general brown tints of the heather and bracken showing that the ,old ,red ,sandstone comes to the surface on these and the other saliences of the plateau4 ,within this shallow basin the rock is ,limestone1 and the causes of the existence of a valley without any visible outlet for its drainage are at once manifest4 ,in many places the surface of the ground is scored and pitted by innumerable depressions of diverse shapes and sizes2 roundish basins1 steep funnels1 craggy troughs with streams running in and disappearing1 and mere dimples1 grass-lined and perfectly dry4 ,through these swallets1 or swallow holes1 the whole of the drainage finds a vent1 and all the material excavated by the forces of nature in the process of hollowing out this valley1 has been carried off in the same way4 ,the work is still going on4 ,at ,eastwater a little stream1 flowing down a long ravine1 suddenly comes against a ,limestone cliff1 and begins to burrow4 ,less than a mile away1 another stream1 big enough to be called a brook1 pours into a cleft in the ground and is seen no more4 ,this second swallow is known as ,swildon's ,hole1 ,swildon being a corruption of ,swithin4 ,years ago1 in the course of a lawsuit1 it was proved that the waters about the village of ,priddy1 which stands on the edge of this upland valley1 find their way into the ,axe1 uniting their streams somewhere in the heart of the hill between this point and ,wookey ,hole4 ,when there were storms on the hilltop1 or the upland waters were fouled artificially1 the ,axe came out turbid4 ,that the area drained by the underground ,axe is a large one is proved by the size of the river1 which must be formed by the junction of a good many streams of the volume of ,eastwater and the ,swildon brook4 ,probably that area extends as far east as ,hillgrove1 where a series of swallets in a woodland ravine are now being enlarged by ,mr4 ,balch1 with a view to an exploration of the underlying caverns4 ,in #aija ,mr4 ,balch's party made a descent into ,swildon's ,hole1 and got to a depth of #cjj feet below the point of absorption1 which is at the same level as the ,eastwater ,swallet and that at ,hillgrove--that is1 #ghj feet above the sea4 ,difficulties having been put in the way of a more complete exploration by the owner of the field in which the swallet is situated1 he turned his attention to the neighbouring stream of ,eastwater1 which1 unfortunately1 runs away through holes impenetrable to man1 and therefore had not promised so easy a route into the unknown4 ,undeterred by the obvious difficulties1 ,mr4 ,balch set to work early in #aijb1 and1 as he describes1 made his way at last into the open passages underneath the swallet4 ,in the course of two or three visits he reached a point nearly #ejj feet below the cave mouth1 and distant about #bjjj feet in horizontal measurement4 ,illustration3 ,,entrance ,,to ,,great ,,cavern ,,of ,,eastwater4 ,photo by ,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,illustration3 ,,section ,,of ,,eastwater ,,cavern4 ,he invited a large party to descend with him on ,march #ahth1 #aijc1 for a more elaborate exploration4 ,besides the leader1 ,mr4 ,balch1 experienced cave explorers came from ,oxford1 ,derby1 ,holmfirth1 ,glastonbury1 and ,wells4 ,driving up from ,wells early in the morning1 we donned our overalls at the mouth of the swallet4 ,everything was in readiness for the adventure1 and at eleven o'clock or thereabouts the first man descended the artificial hole1 #bj feet deep1 into the enormous accumulation of loose rocks that extends for more than #ajj feet into the head of the cavern4 ,the blocks forming the sides of this shaft1 and many of those beyond its foot1 had been carefully underpinned with timber4 ,everything bore witness to the labour and perseverance spent in engineering an entrance4 ,the baggage having been let down by a rope1 we pushed on through the confusion of rocks by a maze of passages resembling the intricacies of the well-known ,goatchurch ,cavern1 at ,burrington1 although the rocks1 instead of being huge rectangular masses1 were shattered into the most irregular forms and sizes1 leaving holes between scarce big enough for a human body to squeeze through4 ,the first explorers were two hours in finding a way through this bewildering labyrinth4 ,some of our men went head foremost1 others crawled on their backs with feet in front4 ,the rocks were water-worn and jagged1 and often so rotten with the action of water laden with carbonic acid1 that a finger could be thrust in up to the hilt1 as into clay4 ,we formed ourselves into a chain to hand on the luggage2 this was a trying business1 for we were taking down more than #ejj feet of rope1 besides a pick1 a shovel1 a bucket1 various steel pulleys1 an ample stock of candles1 and provisions for three meals1 to humour which through these unaccommodating passages was worse than coaxing one's own body along4 ,both horizontal and vertical openings occurred here and there1 and had to be avoided carefully1 one of the most important of these being a flood-way formed by the stream entering the swallet4 ,it was curious to find a withy stick making desperate efforts to put forth leaves in the darkness1 and succeeding in producing a long white sprout4 ,suddenly the noise of falling water was heard1 and the leading men called for the rope ladder4 ,the masses of loose rock end abruptly4 ,to the right a steep tunnel1 called the #chj-;foot way1 carries a small stream down2 to the left is a large1 irregular chamber2 and beyond it1 the main passages of the cavern4 ,the ladder being secured1 each man resigned himself to the inevitable drenching1 and descended into the rugged cave at the head of the #chj-;foot way4 ,a camera was got down so far1 but most of the apparatus was left at the parting of the ways4 ,our road was now decidedly easier4 ,the water-channel was rugged1 but the roof rose fairly high1 and there were few boulders4 ,a large tunnel1 cut in the solid rock1 brought down a tributary stream on the right2 on the other side1 a horizontal tunnel was marked down for further investigation4 ,the real termination of the #chj-;foot way has not been discovered4 ,at present there is no passing beyond a choke of stones and gravel that fills it nearly to the roof2 but ,mr4 ,balch proposes to remove this4 ,we returned to the horizontal tunnel4 ,it led into an extensive sloping chamber whose shape is peculiarly characteristic of this cavern4 ,roof and floor1 roughly parallel1 are inclined at an angle of fifty degrees4 ,for a long distance there was space to creep along under the roof1 then the space grew less1 and at length the leading men shouted that they could get no farther4 ,being rather slighter in build than those who were in front1 ,i made an effort to pass them1 and succeeded by clambering along at a higher level4 ,a hole between some choke-stones and a stalactite gave me admittance to a continuation of this extraordinary chamber4 ,then1 dropping into a dry water-channel1 ,i wriggled downward and downward1 following the noise of some dislodged stones that rattled away to a considerable depth4 ,at last ,i found it impossible to get any farther1 though two more feet would have led me into a sudden widening that looked rather promising4 ,the next man behind was unable to get within #ej feet of this point4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,descent ,,of ,,eastwater ,,cavern1 ,,the ,,second ,,vertical ,,drop4 ,from ,sketch by ,h4 ,e4 ,balch4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,great ,,canyon1 ,,eastwater ,,cavern4 ,from ,sketch by ,h4 ,e4 ,balch4 ,after an exceedingly painful journey back to the mouth of the tunnel1 we sat down to lunch1 before re-ascending the rope ladder1 and carrying our baggage through a series of awkward holes and pits1 all deluged with water1 into the big chamber at the head of the main passages4 ,in this chamber1 whose walls1 floor1 and roof are formed of gigantic blocks seemingly on the point of collapsing1 is an opening in the roof1 through which a stream comes tumbling in4 ,at the farthest corner therefrom a large opening leads to the bottom of a chimney or aven4 ,great quantities of clay on walls and roof show that this cavern has frequently been filled with water through the choking up of the lower exit4 ,the stream runs away into the rocky floor at the lower end of the cave1 and a few feet above it is a flood-way1 a short1 low tunnel1 through which we crawled4 ,then begins one of the most interesting portions of the cavern4 ,in one of those broad1 low-roofed fissures1 inclined at the same angle of fifty degrees as the general dip of the strata1 and formed1 in fact1 by the widening of a bedding-plane in the ,limestone strata1 a deep1 winding channel has been cut by the stream we have just passed4 ,it has been called1 from its likeness1 the ,canyon4 ,for a considerable distance our path lies down the ,canyon1 and with our heavy burdens we find the passage far from easy4 ,as far as possible1 we keep near the top of the ravine1 straddling across4 ,sometimes1 however1 there is no help for it but to drop right to the bottom4 ,before we reach its termination1 we have to climb out on the smooth1 sloping floor of the main fissure1 and wriggle forwards lying on our sides or on our backs4 ,foot-hold and hand-hold being singularly scarce hereabouts1 we shall find this one of the most troublesome places in returning4 ,on the right1 we have a glimpse through a hole here and there of another great low-roofed fissure sloping at the same angle2 then there are cross roads1 with a tunnel on the left admitting to a stalactite chamber1 and a passage on the right leading to the lower end of the ,canyon4 ,we now reached the most constricted portion of the main channel4 ,it is a low1 roundish tunnel1 with an ,s curve at the distant end4 ,a good deal of our locomotion might be likened to crawling through drain-pipes2 we were now coming to a sort of trap4 ,the ,s bend has to be taken with the body lying on its right side4 ,once in it1 the explorer cannot turn round1 since the diameter every way only just admits a human body1 and the three curves are close together4 ,my candle went out half-way through1 and to unjam my arm and get it down for the waterproof matches was a difficult and protracted operation4 ,moving the luggage through was a very severe task1 the width of the hole at one spot being only nine and a half inches4 ,we issued into a good-sized passage4 ,immediately on the left a twisting fissure went down to the head of the first perpendicular drop2 but1 leaving this for a while1 we spent nearly an hour exploring the lofty chamber straight ahead of us4 ,it rises to an unknown height in a vertical fissure1 narrowing gradually4 ,at the bottom is a deep cutting1 which some of us passed by back and knee work1 at a height above the floor4 ,on the left1 that is the eastern1 wall are openings into a parallel tunnel with good stalactites4 ,at the far end both this tunnel and the passage itself are blocked with clay and gravel4#c ,on our second visit1 a day or two later1 ,i explored a tunnel in the other wall #aj feet from the floor4 ,it led into another of the vast sloping fissures already described1 which ,i was too much exhausted to explore very far4 ,these fissures1 all inclined at the same angle1 and either parallel or else lying in one plane1 are most impressive features of the ,eastwater ,cavern2 their extent is evidently enormous1 and it seems as if only a few frail pillars of jammed stones served to prevent the great mass of the hill from settling down and crushing roof and floor together4 ,on a more minute survey it may turn out that these are all portions of one huge fissure1 merely partitioned off by different chokes4 #c ,recently1 ,october #aijf1 ,mr4 ,balch dug through an obstruction here and entered a vast fissure chamber1 which he climbed to a height of #aej feet3 it has a remarkable shaft as its outlet4 ,it was four in the afternoon when we entered the twisting fissure leading to the first vertical descent1 and two of the party had now to return4 ,through an oversight in not bringing a short rope for harnessing the pulley1 nearly two hours were spent in rigging up the tackle1 the situation being awkward for letting men down safely4 ,we were ensconced in a little chamber1 the boulder floor of which opened into the top of a narrow rift widening downwards1 where1 about #fj feet beneath1 the walls funnelled into a yawning pit #fj feet deep4 ,this pit had been explored previously1 and was found to be choked at the bottom2 it formed a safe and certain receptacle for anything lost or dislodged by persons descending the cliff above it4 ,the configuration of our hole was such that only one man at a time could get a steady pull on the life-line1 which ran over a pulley4 ,a manilla rope was therefore let down from the same belaying-pin1 for a man to climb up and down by1 so far as he was able1 the life-line being used merely as a safeguard4 ,one by one the explorers dropped over into the abyss4 ,the last three or four had the best of it1 since1 with a hauling party below1 full use could be made of the pulley4 ,we were now drawing nigh to the final tug of war4 ,a quarter of an hour of indescribable wriggling brought us to a narrow and lofty rift1 into which as many of the party as it would accommodate wedged themselves1 right over the second vertical drop4 ,much the same tactics were resorted to here1 save that1 instead of a fixed pulley1 each man in turn had a large steel pulley belted to him1 through which ran #bjj feet of rope1 one end fixed to a wedged boulder beneath us1 the other end in the hands of the hauling party4 ,a #ij-;foot manilla was1 as before1 allowed to hang free1 as a guide-rope1 over the crags1 and enabled each man to do something for himself and assist those above4 ,only four men essayed this last descent4 ,the gigantic cavity into which we now dropped is one of the most savage and impressive things it has ever been my lot to see4 ,at the top1 over the heads of the hauling party1 it runs up into the rocky mass of the hill as a vertical chimney1 under the mouth of which lay what appeared to be a deep black pit4 ,we alighted1 one by one1 on a sloping shelf that traversed the side of the cavity at a considerable height4 ,creeping along this ledge1 we saw at the end of it a huge cavernous opening descending into darkness1 with a mighty rock wedged across it like a bridge4 ,the black1 gaunt walls on each side of us were craggy and rifted2 their surfaces glistened with streaming water4 ,our ledge ending abruptly1 we dropped1 hand over hand1 on the rope1 to the edge of a large pothole1 into which a stream was rushing4 ,at this point a tunnel goes off to the left1 and1 as it had not been explored1 ,i was asked by ,mr4 ,balch to proceed down it4 ,two of us crept and clambered and slid down a very dirty watercourse1 till1 at a distance of perhaps #ej yards1 we found ourselves atop of a high clay bank1 closely overhung by rocks1 with a stream rumbling along to the south-south-west4 ,i got within #aj feet of the water1 but without a rope to get us up again we would not venture farther4 ,we had now been in the cave nine and a half hours1 and were too much fatigued to undertake new work4 ,it was ascertained1 beyond reasonable doubt1 that a fine series of potholes that exist in the continuation of the great cavity must drain into the stream just discovered4 ,beyond those potholes1 to pass which involves much hard work1 is another cavity1 and beyond that what8--at present no one can tell4 ,all we know is1 that the water finds its way ultimately into the vast reservoirs inside ,wookey ,hole2 but whether there are other vast cavities1 or merely narrow crevices and impassable clefts between1 is a question that will require labours almost ,herculean to solve4 ,in scrambling back along the ledge in the big cavity ,i gave the final shove to a dangerous loose rock weighing something like six hundredweight4 ,it fell into the ravine beneath1 and hurtled onwards toward the chain of potholes1 making the whole grim place ring with a crash of echoes4 ,it took us two hours and a half to return to the cave mouth1 although we were unencumbered with apparatus1 for we had left the ropes and pulleys in place for another descent4 ,getting seven men up the higher of the two vertical pitches was a tough undertaking at the end of an arduous day1 and when we returned through the famous ,s tunnel more than one explorer seemed disposed to snatch a sleep on its procrustean bed4 ,we had been twelve hours underground when we revisited the glimpses of the moon4 ,it had been proposed to continue the exploration next day1 but no one was fit for such a repetition of exhausting labours4 ,the day following1 a party of three was mustered to recover the apparatus that had been left in the depths4 ,two of us reached the head of the nethermost pitch1 and after hours of severe work got everything up to the mouth of the swallet4 ,once more we drove back over ,mendip in the dark4 ,all around us on the desolate plateau was impenetrable gloom1 but in the northern sky1 and it seemed but a few miles away1 the lights of ,bath and ,bristol flared across the heavens like two immense conflagrations4 ,never does one feel the sublimity of the open1 windy earth1 the starry sky1 and the free sense of space1 so profoundly as after striving for a long day to break through the barriers that shut us out from the regions of mystery under the hills4 ,e4 ,a4 ,b4 ,,swildon',s ,,hole ,an insignificant crevice1 a hole scarcely wide enough to tempt a dog or fox1 alone gives admittance to what is perhaps the wildest and most magnificent cavern in ,britain4 ,swildon's ,hole1 it has already been stated1 lies at the same level1 #ghj feet above the sea1 as the ,eastwater ,swallet and that of ,hill ,grove4 ,it lies in a separate trough1 within the same basin as the ,eastwater stream1 with whose waters it unites somewhere in the bowels of the rocky hills1 to flow out of ,wookey ,hole as the river ,axe1 of which it may be considered as the principal feeder4 ,a few years ago the actual swallet was visible1 the brooklet running away into holes under a bank of earth and rock crowned with foliage4 ,more recently1 in order to make a small fish pond1 the landowner has made a dam above the swallet1 which is entirely concealed by this means1 an entrance remaining1 however1 into the maze of cavities and waterways through a narrow crevice at the side4 ,mr4 ,balch was the first person to recognise the importance of ,swildon's ,hole as a chief feeder of the ,axe1 and in #aija he made preparations to explore it4 ,but through some delay1 three members of his party were the first to enter the cave1 without him--namely1 ,messrs4 ,troup and ,h4 and ,f4 ,hiley4 ,a short while after1 ,mr4 ,balch was able to carry out a more extended exploration4 ,then for some time no one entered the swallet1 which gradually became choked with stones and litter brought down by the stream4 ,very few had ever heard of the cave1 and hardly anyone realised that one of the most beautiful pieces of underground scenery in ,britain was lying there unseen1 and one of the most important of hydrological problems remaining quite unsolved4 ,the next visit took place about ,christmas #aijd4 ,mr4 ,troup1 who had been one of the first in the cave1 took the lead of our party4 ,my other companions were ,messrs4 ,bamforth and ,e4 ,e4 ,barnes1 but we expected to be joined some hours later by ,mr4 ,balch and ,mr4 ,slater4 ,when the first explorers entered this cavern some little while ago1 they met with serious difficulties owing to the presence of ancient chokes or dams that held back pools of water1 but they were assisted by the dryness of the weather4 ,we1 on the contrary1 made our descent after a period of heavy rains1 and the volume of water that accompanied us down was twentyfold as great4 ,we had one advantage1 however3 the original discoverers were with us to point the way4 ,with luggage reduced to a minimum1 two ropes1 plenty of illuminants1 food1 and two cameras1 we passed through the uninviting entrance1 and attacked methodically a close-packed mass of dbris that had been washed into a narrow gut since the former visit4 ,whilst we lay at work1 the sound of falling water in the depths below broke on our ears1 a musical but ominous salutation4 ,the obstacle wasted two hours of valuable time4 ,wriggling through at last1 feet foremost1 our legs came out over the rift1 a narrow chasm some #bj feet deep1 with the head stream of the cavern tumbling in over a choke-stone at one end4 ,our goods were let down carefully into the hands of the first man1 who lodged them in a sheltered spot whilst we scrambled hastily down through showers of spray4 ,now began a painful advance into the depths4 ,along the tilted bedding planes1 down the perpendicular joints of the ,limestone1 widened by the water into broad1 low chambers and deep shafts and canyons1 we forged ahead1 hugging the stream1 which grew larger and angrier as tributaries came swishing in from walls and roof4 ,at one point the water swept horizontally along a straight canal1 but was stopped at the end by a recent choke1 and now tumbled through a hole in the wall into a huge pothole4 ,through this lay our road4 ,illustration3 ,,entrance ,,of ,,swildon',s ,,hole4 ,photo by ,m4 ,martel4 ,illustration3 ,,waterfall1 ,,swildon',s ,,hole4 ,photo by ,h4 ,e4 ,balch4 ,the water poured down a staircase of similar basins1 where to keep clear of the stream was impossible4 ,so far we had kept tolerably dry1 but as we clung to this watery ladder ,i pricked up my ears at the remark1 ,will you have your back or your stomach in it8 ,crouching on all fours1 with back pressed against the low roof1 and looking between my legs1 ,i watched the performances of my comrades1 as each in turn went through the final archway4 ,not one escaped a severe wetting4 ,but ,i was going to be more wily--at least1 ,i thought so4 ,with hands and knees in the rushing stream1 ,i squirmed hastily but cautiously through4 ,i seemed to be getting on famously1 and gave a spurt4 ,that moment the rocks ended2 they were undercut4 ,i found myself sliding down a waterfall #aj feet high1 and floundering in a big pool at the bottom4 ,drenched we were2 but what better preparation could we have for the troubles ahead8 ,this part of the cavern shows traces of enormous changes in the course of the stream1 which has planed down great masses of stalagmite1 the growth of ages1 when this section of the tunnels was dry or all but deserted by the streams1 which found a way down by the horizontal canal or some higher channel4 ,between this first water-chute and the second lies the most nerve-trying part of the journey to the farthest point hitherto attained4 ,it is a succession of lofty rifts1 giving into each other at right angles1 the water sweeping from one to the next through curving fissures and sudden falls4 ,for a while we kept above the canyons on a water-worn shelf1 all that remained of a low1 flattish chamber that sufficed for the small streams of older times4 ,this giving out1 we scrambled along the cliffs of the canyons1 which seemed in the gloom without top or bottom1 bestraddling the rift1 or with feet on one side and back to the other pushing on from hold to hold4 ,the ,limestone grips would have been amply sufficient for this mode of progression had they not been drenched and slippery4 ,below us the waters raced and bellowed4 ,at the junctions of the canyons they sounded on all sides at once2 the invisible hollows all round seemed to be alive with angry voices1 mad to be at us4 ,what if a thunderstorm burst over ,mendip now8 ,such thoughts would occur1 although we knew we could climb into safety on the upper shelves of the canyon2 for with a water-chute above and another below1 a little flood would make us fast prisoners4 ,at the ,well1 the stream tumbles suddenly into a deep round pit1 in which it is churned to foam before being driven out with accelerated speed along a rugged gorge to the second staircase of potholes4 ,shreds of magnesium ribbon dropped into the ,well lit up such a turmoil of waters as one might see in some gigantic turbine going at full speed4 ,two of us now went ahead to report on the condition of the next stage4 ,the gorge was too wide for climbing1 but we found a footing on the rocks in the bed1 then squirmed through a narrow fissure1 and began to descend the potholes4 ,these were deep basins1 with high walls on the upper side where the stream poured in1 and the other side broken down by the force of the torrent4 ,below them lay the second water-chute1 a big fall pitching into a hole underneath a low arch1 and sliding out into a turbulent pool4 ,it was a sort of culvert1 with very little head-room above the water4 ,had we not come through so many tribulations already1 and had we not known of the glories that awaited us in the great stalactite chamber beyond this last trial1 we should certainly have been turned back by this obstacle4 ,after some little hesitation we resolved to attempt it1 and went back to the head of the ,well for our companions4 ,one of the cameras had already been left behind2 it was decided to leave the other here4 ,the leader went down the water-chute on his back2 the rest adopted all the other attitudes possible short of a complete header4 ,but it made little difference2 all got a most effectual drenching4 ,running the gauntlet beneath another tributary1 which came swishing in just over our heads1 we pushed on into a high and ample chamber1 where in times gone by a volume of water had accumulated in a sort of gigantic cistern4 ,the rocky roof was flat and smooth1 its cracks and fissures fringed with meandering lacework of stalactite4 ,in front1 the rocky mole that once held up the reservoir was cloven into a series of ,limestone seracs1 between which the stream found its way down into the remoter cavities4 ,masses of clay1 some #ae feet thick1 deposited by the ancient waters1 still flanked this rugged portal into the unknown4 ,bones of sheep1 cattle1 horses1 and lesser mammals lay about in profusion1 enough to reconstruct whole skeletons2 with them were the relics of animals now extinct on ,mendip1 deer and other creatures4 ,higher up sherds of ,samian pottery had been found1 brought down by the stream from the rubbish heaps of long ago4 ,what struck the imagination as still more wonderful was that in this sunless spot1 #cjj feet below the surface1 there were creatures that lived4 ,empty snail shells were abundant1 but yet more plentiful were tiny snails that were actually crawling over the clay1 feeding1 no doubt1 on water-borne vegetable matter4 ,gossamer-like webs stretched across many chinks in the ,limestone1 but the microscopic spiders we could not see4 ,what flies did they live on8 ,surely not the caddis1 whose corpses lay about in plenty on every shoal4 ,from this chamber the stream quickly descends into the great ,water ,rift1 one of the most wonderful things in the whole cavern4 ,it is but a few feet wide1 but its height is enormous4 ,the walls go up like mountain cliffs1 but are lost in gloom instead of mist4 ,here tremendous changes had taken place since the former exploration4 ,at that time the rift was blocked up in one place by a vast barrage of rock and stalagmite1 that came down to the stream and forbade human progress save by one strait and difficult way4 ,at a height above the water a hole ascended seven feet into the barrier1 its orifice all but closed by a fringe of stalactites4 ,contriving to enter1 the explorers crept up this pipe1 and down a corresponding one on the other side1 coming out on a cliff face overhanging the continuation of the ,water ,rift1 to attain the bottom of which was an abstruse gymnastic problem4 ,a little farther on they reached the utmost limit of their journey1 where the stream beats violently against the termination of the rift1 is hurled sideways1 and finds an outlet through a low crevice1 whence it tumbles in a #dj-;foot cataract into an unknown pool4 ,our main object to-day had been to descend this #dj-;foot pitch2 that was the reason why we had encumbered ourselves with two long ropes4 ,but now all was different4 ,in the short interval that had elapsed since the former visit1 the strength of the ungovernable torrent had swept away the whole of this vast structure1 the work of thousands of ages--for the ,pyramids are recent erections compared with these products of unimaginably slow crystallisation4 ,hardly a vestige remained2 and now the current dashed unimpeded from end to end of the ,water ,rift1 and the incessant thunder of the cataract deafened ears already attuned to the noise of the higher falls and canyons4 ,probably the removal of stones and dams by the former party1 in making their way down1 had contributed largely to this extraordinary event4 ,nothing could be done in the face of such a volume of water4 ,we turned1 accordingly1 out of the main passage into a lofty gallery or transept that branches off to the west1 the general direction of the cavern being due south4 ,to say it branches off is slightly incorrect1 for it is really the course of a tributary brook1 and quite possibly may have been in remote times the channel of the main stream4 ,at all events its shape and magnitude indicate that it was once a very important section of the cavern4 ,scrambling cautiously along the sides of the toppling fragments of the mole1 we crossed a deep gap and entered the gallery4 ,at the portal a great hollow corbel of stalactite stood out from the wall1 like an enormous stoup1 its huge rims curved over like the petals of a flower4 ,it stood there in solitary grandeur1 but it was a token of transcendent glories beyond4 ,a few more steps1 and we saw that we were on the threshold of a fane more beautiful than any made with hands4 ,the rocks to right and left were sheeted with crystalline enamel1 its surface powdered thickly with a minute splash deposit1 so frail that it gave one a twinge to crush the lovely efflorescence as we moved4 ,one could not go a step without destroying hundreds of these delicate spicules1 the work of untold ages of water action4 ,more great corbels stood out from the walls as we advanced2 they were richly moulded with concentric rings of stalagmite1 and these again were carved and chased with wonderful reliefs4 ,from the corbels sprang huge pillars right to the roof1 pillars #dj feet in height2 and from their capitals shining curtains hung down in ample folds1 heavy as ,parian marble1 and as lovely in hue4 ,one would have called them white1 had we not seen1 hanging from a cleft high up in the lofty walls1 a mass of curtains as white as arragonite1 the whitest thing there is4 ,so dazzling was their immaculate purity that the rich creamy surface of the other incrustations showed dusky in comparison4 ,we were veteran cave explorers1 yet it seemed to us that all the caves we had ever seen in ,britain could no more vie with this than parish churches with cathedrals4 ,at each turn there was a new and more enthralling vista3 more pillars1 ampler curtains1 piers and arches of ,oriental magnificence1 fluted and moulded into wildest fantasies4 ,it struck one with a curious wonder to think that all these splendours had lain here unbeheld by living eye1 untouched by a gleam of light1 until one casual year in the twentieth century4 ,but the photographer was exercised by other feelings4 ,he was here1 but where was his camera8 ,it had seemed a ,herculean labour to bring that much-enduring instrument down to the #cjj-;foot level1 but he declared that the task was not superhuman1 and1 furthermore1 he was determined to do it4 ,he could not do it alone1 however2 that was obvious4 ,the expedition1 therefore1 came down out of the stalactite gallery4 ,two went through the water-chute1 two remained just outside it1 to assist in the last and most dangerous stage of the transportation4 ,we waited a long time2 in fact1 we had leisure enough to explore an interesting side gallery whilst the others made their way to and from the head of the ,well4 ,at last their welcome shout was heard4 ,standing in the water1 with light held low under the arch1 we caught sight of a hand1 and then of a wading and much-crumpled-up man1 lugging the camera1 which he kept out of the foaming water with admirable skill4 ,we grabbed it1 and put the precious instrument in a place of safety2 ten minutes later the flashlight was at work1 taking our breath away with its gorgeous revelations4 ,the photographer had his troubles even here1 though not such as to be compared with those of the water caverns we had recently traversed1 where at this moment two of our party1 following us down1 were engaged in photographing the canyons and the falls1 under difficulties that few cameras have ever been confronted with4 ,here there was no marble pavement suitable to the splendours of the walls2 nothing for the camera to stand on but an inch or two of slippery ledge1 with a depth of mud in the middle that none of us cared to fathom4 ,the only place that could be found at one spot for the flashlight was the top of my unfortunate head1 which ,i generously put at the photographer's disposal4 ,on it was laid a piece of stone1 on which the gun-cotton was spread and sprinkled with the powder1 which1 when it went off1 made me shut both eyes for fear of the shower of sparks1 and so ,i missed the glorious blaze of light that illumined the cavern4 ,illustration3 ,,entrance ,,of ,,stalactite ,,chamber1 ,,swildon',s ,,hole4 ,photo by ,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,illustration3 ,,stalactite ,,curtains1 ,,swildon',s ,,hole4 ,photo by ,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,these stately columns1 soaring vaults1 and sweeping marble draperies were strangely out of proportion to the narrowness of the place4 ,but now the sinuous aisle broadened out1 and the style of the architecture was changed entirely4 ,we were at the junction chamber where1 in the remote past1 two big streams came down from the yawning passages to the left and right1 and met here1 probably as the main stream of the cavern4 ,the roof is a spacious dome1 hung with resplendent candelabra4 ,but the unique feature of the place1 the thing that impresses itself on the memory as one of the most dazzling creations of the wonder-working calcite1 is the stalagmite bridge4 ,bridge1 ,i say1 but it is more than a bridge1 for its complicated arches support a beautiful piazza1 with a huge array of dripstone terraces1 crystal basins1 massive pedestals1 and obelisks of stalagmite1 which all but fills the chamber and extends some distance up the alcoves behind4 ,standing on one of the great hemispheres of dripstone1 one could put one's head among the pendulous shafts above1 and see how each was marvellously twisted1 moulded1 and fantastically embossed and gemmed with flashing crystals4 ,the splash formation covered everything beneath the roof1 save portions of the polished floor1 with millions of tiny spicules4 ,we had to move about cautiously1 not only for fear of doing damage1 but to avoid gaping pitfalls in the bridge1 the surface of which was smooth as ice4 ,illustration3 ,,stalactite ,,chamber1 ,,swildon',s ,,hole4 ,photo by ,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,whilst we were at work photographing a distant shout was heard1 and soon the two men who had followed us down arrived at the big chamber4 ,but our party was again reduced to its original four by the departure of two other members1 who were to go back by the aquatic route in order to pick up certain articles that had been deposited on the way down4 ,we ourselves hoped to get to the surface by another and a drier course4 ,at the previous exploration two men had missed the rest of the party1 and found their way1 after divers adventures1 through the ramifications of the cavern1 to what they described as a great stalactite chamber1 which was presumably our gallery4 ,when they reached it1 however1 no one was there1 nor any trace of human presence2 either the explorers had finished their work and departed1 or the pair had missed their way altogether4 ,it was believed that they had come down to this very spot by the gallery joining this one on the north1 and we purposed following that passage out4 ,but this1 as we presently discovered1 was all wrong4 ,two of us now went off on an exploring trip into the great passage running west4 ,at once we encountered a series of huge obstructions4 ,this passage was of the usual rift pattern1 and1 save for holes and crevices between1 was wholly blocked up by large masses of tumbled rocks4 ,one of us climbed to the top of the ,cyclopean pile1 whilst ,i attempted to make my way along at the middle height1 but eventually found it easier to crawl through the culverts and water-gaps1 regardless of mud and wet4 ,even among the piled-up rocks there were charming little nooks adorned with rich incrustations4 ,when the rocks ended the open tunnel began to ascend rapidly2 then1 after a while1 we came to another tunnel joining it on the north4 ,this1 though smaller1 was the more important passage2 the other shortly came to an end in a lofty grotto1 bountifully tapestried with curtains and tassels of stalactite4 ,we climbed the northern passage1 through several brilliant displays of incrustation1 and reached a level approximately #gj feet below the surface1 by aneroid2 there we could get no farther4 ,but1 unknown to ourselves1 we had brought back important information4 ,we had noticed mysterious bits of string at two points in this series4 ,when we reported the discovery to the two men left behind1 they at once saw its significance4 ,the two men whose route down to the stalactite chamber had caused so much perplexity had used a ball of string to mark their way out--these were the relics4 ,our casual trip had1 perhaps1 saved us from a night of blind wandering in the unknown branches of the great tunnel on the north4 ,all being in readiness for our departure1 we now proceeded to take up this providential thread4 ,it was not an easy task4 ,often not an inch of string remained undecayed for many hundreds of feet together1 and often we nosed the walls and floor1 eagerly but in vain1 for droppings of candle grease left by our predecessors4 ,the way was dry1 that was a relief1 after six or seven hours in wet clothes2 but it was a tighter squeeze than the other1 and the sharpness of the turns was often aggravated by a portcullis of crystals on our backs1 and a cheval de frise of stalagmite spear-heads against our stomachs4 ,all the while we wondered whether we should really find the exit1 or whether we should have to return and undertake the canyons after all4 ,mr4 ,balch compared our task of finding the desired exit to an attempt to ascend from the mouth of a river to some unknown point upon one of its tributaries1 with nothing to indicate which way to take4 ,this puts the position clearly enough1 ,i think4 ,there was no string to be found in the higher parts4 ,at last the man in front disappeared feet foremost through the ugliest hole we had yet seen1 out of which the noise of waters sounded ominously4 ,a cheering cry came back to us2 he had found the rift1 where we had descended seven hours ago into the route through the canyons4 ,a few more yards of determined wriggling1 and the candle left by the other two men hove in sight4 ,we found they had got out two hours ago4 ,the stars were shining from a clear sky1 and a keen frost was on the fields1 but the excitement and the success of our adventure were stimulant enough to keep out the cold4 ,e4 ,a4 ,b4 ,,the ,,great ,,cavern ,,at ,,cheddar ,the ultimate goal of our researches at ,cheddar has been the discovery of the underground river-course4 ,not many yards below the entrance to ,gough's1 or the ,great ,cavern1 a large body of water wells up at the foot of a cliff1 spreading out into a beautiful mere1 half encircled by crags2 flows on thence through the village1 performing a great deal of industrial work on its way2 and1 finally1 proceeds a mile or two farther as the ,cheddar ,water1 to join its brother1 the ,axe1 which has a similar origin4 ,but less is known about the darksome course of the ,cheddar ,water than about the stream flowing out of ,wookey ,hole4 ,with its tributaries1 it has doubtless been the principal agent in the formation1 not only of the caves1 but also of the famous ,cheddar gorge1 which bears every evidence of having been produced by the gradual destruction of a series of caverns4 ,yet this important stream has actually not been met with hitherto at any single point of its course underground1 and we have anything but complete information as to its sources on the uplands of ,mendip4 ,the owners of the ,great ,cavern1 the ,messrs4 ,gough ,brothers1 tell me that they intend to blast away about #aj feet of rock immediately overlying the exit of the river4 ,when the stream is very full1 water often bursts forth here from cracks and joints several feet above the normal level1 and they imagine that there must be a chamber of some height just within4 ,this1 however1 in my opinion1 is not a necessary inference1 since every cavity and crevice behind the outlet would at such times be heavily charged with water1 under pressure1 and the large cavities might be a long way back4 ,it is curious that the water in a low tunnel recently discovered in ,cox's ,cavern1 which lies some distance from ,gough's1 and at a lower level1 rises and falls in unison with the movements of the water-level of the river outside1 although that always remains #aj feet higher4 ,cox's ,cavern is occasionally flooded1 yet the water never rises to a point within #aj feet of the river level4 ,obviously the subterranean connection must be of a complicated and roundabout form4 ,at the time of my first serious attempt to explore the caves of ,cheddar1 when our party contained ,dr4 ,norman ,sheldon1 ,mr4 ,j4 ,o4 ,morland1 and ,mr4 ,harry ,bamforth1 two of whom have not since been able to join us in ,somerset1 ,i had not the advantage of knowing ,mr4 ,h4 ,e4 ,balch1 and we were utterly unaware of the great work he had been doing in the cave region adjoining ,wells4 ,on the other hand1 we received invaluable assistance from the brothers ,gough1 who are not only proprietors of show caves1 but take a sincere interest in underground exploration4 ,their father1 who died in #aijb1 was the discoverer of the caverns that bear his name1 and was actively at work pushing his way farther and farther into the rocky bosom of the hill up to the year of his death1 at a good old age4 ,illustration3 ,,stalagmite ,,pillars ,,in ,,gough',s ,,great ,,cavern4 ,photo by ,gough1 ,cheddar4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,pillars ,,of ,,solomon',s ,,temple1 ,,gough',s ,,caves1 ,,cheddar4 ,photo by ,gough1 ,cheddar4 ,the ,great ,cavern was discovered in #ahih4 ,the parts open to visitors extend in a generally easterly direction for some #fjj yards1 and consist of natural chambers and passages1 connected here and there by artificial tunnels4 ,we began work early in the morning1 carrying into the cavern a large quantity of ropes1 ladders of wood and rope1 and plenty of illuminants1 including a #bjjj-;candle-power limelight1 which with its lens or condenser is one of the most valuable aids in subterranean work4 ,many openings are seen overhead and in the walls of the cavern as the visitor advances1 some of which end abruptly1 whilst others lead into small grottos and galleries4 ,one of the most conspicuous chimneys1 or perpendicular caves1 has at its base a peculiar staircase of stalagmitic basins1 formed by the deposits of a calcareous spring that is now dried up4 ,these basins are known as the ,fonts4 ,our conductors had been in the habit of climbing about #ej feet up this lofty chasm1 over the crust of stalagmite1 and a wire rope had been fixed to assist visitors in ascending to a broad1 deep ledge4 ,above this point the rocks were much steeper4 ,no one had ever succeeded in seeing the top1 and at first we thought it would be impossible to ascend any higher without some sort of apparatus4 ,we sent for a ladder1 and meanwhile ,dr4 ,sheldon and ,i tried to clamber over the jutting arch of rock that formed the first obstacle--a cave-pitch in a gully or chimney we should call it in climbing parlance4 ,to our surprise1 we succeeded in reaching the continuous channel or gutter above it1 which ascended at a high angle1 with sheer walls to right and left1 and the other side of the huge shaft overhanging it4 ,the holds were shallow and slippery1 and with one hand grasping a candle we found the ordinary difficulties of a rock-climb multiplied enormously4 ,half-way up my candle went out1 but my companion was now well ahead1 and ,i groped my way after him with confidence4 ,when a shout from below announced that the ladder had been hoisted up to the platform above the ,fonts we were within a few yards of the top4 ,at a height of #abj feet 7by the aneroid7 above this platform and of #agj feet above the floor of the cavern we found the shaft completely blocked up with dbris and clay4 ,we were in a subterranean pot1 or swallet1 of large dimensions1 formed in remote ages by a big stream1 which had worked through its ,limestone bed1 and continued its path at a deeper level4 ,whether this was the main stream that now flows in an unknown course hundreds of feet below1 or only a tributary1 it is at present impossible to tell4 ,mr4 ,bamforth's limelight was now projected up the chasm1 revealing grand masses of superincumbent rock on the farther side1 whilst the view downwards1 past our friends into the dark bottom of the pit1 was very curious4 ,roping ourselves together for the descent1 we kept near each other for fear of a slip1 and took the utmost precautions not to dislodge any stones on the heads of those underneath4 ,the limelight was a great advantage1 although many dark reaches had to be carefully inspected with a taper before we could secure foothold4 ,when we got to the critical bit at the bottom we found the ladder placed ready for us4 ,not far from the entrance to the ,fonts is the mouth of a low passage on the other side1 with a hole at the far end of it1 that our guides thought must communicate with the underground river which1 they conjecture1 has its channel not far below this spot4 ,we crawled into this burrow and fixed ourselves in the confined space round the black pit1 which we found1 by throwing in stones1 had water in it4 ,with a rope round my waist ,i climbed down the fissure1 whose sides were of sharply corrugated rock though they looked like wet clay4 ,about #cj feet down the hole grew so narrow that ,i could not turn round2 ,i could just reach the water with my foot1 but found that it was quite a small pool4 ,another well1 nearer the cave mouth1 was explored after our further operations had been carried out4 ,it was situated at the extremity of another burrow1 but was much larger in circumference4 ,steadied by the rope1 ,i climbed to the bottom and found a large pool of great depth about #cj feet below the edge4 ,no current was perceptible1 and its connection with running water is hardly probable4 ,some years later1 a perfect skeleton of a man was exhumed from the clay beneath the stalagmite in this burrow2 accompanying it were numerous flint flakes4 ,some peculiarities indicate that the find was that of a man of early ,neolithic age4 ,it is shown by the ,gough ,brothers at the entrance of their cave4 ,while some of the party were photographing the show place1 a lofty dome-shaped cavern with its sheet of stalagmite poured over the cliff like a petrified waterfall1 two of us retraced our steps from ,st4 ,paul's1 as this beautiful sight is nicknamed1 to the branch leading to the other principal shows4 ,solomon's ,temple is a wonderful grotto1 walled1 roofed1 and floored with gleaming white and ivory calcite1 and set at the top of another great fall of stalagmite which has flowed on and on in a gentle stream and covered the floor of a lofty cavern with dimpling waves of crystal4 ,nor are these all its attractions1 for on turning round the spectator sees on the opposite cliff a broad and voluminous sheet of stalagmite1 rippling down1 spouting and foaming over the rocks like a waterfall1 but still as marble and white as frozen snow4 ,we had seen all these things before1 however1 and were anxious to move on to new ground again4 ,illustration3 ,,organ ,,pipes1 ,,gough',s ,,caves1 ,,cheddar4 ,photo by ,gough1 ,cheddar4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,stalagmite ,,fall1 ,,gough',s ,,cave1 ,,cheddar4 ,photo by ,m4 ,martel4 ,in the fork between the main passage and this big cavern is a large irregular opening1 with disorderly blocks of ,limestone heaped up on its floor4 ,we picked our way across these1 and at a height of #dj feet reached the edge of an abrupt rock some four yards high4 ,we dropped over on to an earthy floor1 and going a little farther found ourselves in a domical chamber with three low exits4 ,first of all exploring that on our left1 we had a look at a slanting shaft filled with a ruckle of big shattered blocks wedged insecurely1 above which are two small chambers incrusted with stalagmite1 but with no apparent exit4 ,we climbed down again1 and tried the third opening4 ,it led through a series of caves and narrow clefts into a larger chamber1 all maintaining the same easterly direction1 and there we found two possible ways onward4 ,the first of these brought us in a few moments to the brink of a steep cliff1 which seemed to be one wall of a considerable cavern4 ,we preferred to wait for the limelight before venturing to let a man down into this unknown abyss1 and meanwhile to examine the other passage4 ,a few minutes' crawling brought us to a great pit1 which sounded very deep when we threw in some fragments of rock4 ,apparently it was the chasm that had been described to us as #cjj feet deep by one of our guides who had descended part of the way4 ,we approached the edge with respect1 and as a preliminary step let down a rope ladder into the upper part1 which is strangely twisted4 ,at a depth of #bj feet ,i found a possible landing-place2 the second man joined me1 and by dint of careful manoeuvring the third got down to the same spot4 ,with an #hj-;foot rope tied on1 ,i now explored the next section of the chasm1 and was delighted to find that there was just enough rope to reach a slope of big rocks at the bottom4 ,a little more scrambling brought me into a vast chamber1 the floor of which was piled up with enormous blocks1 while the lowest part seemed to offer two possible routes onwards4 ,one of these proved to be a mere hollow1 but the other was evidently the channel of a stream1 and apparently led onwards into further caves4 ,but the roof was extremely low1 and it was quite impossible to wriggle through4 ,one of my companions1 who had now joined me1 also failed to squeeze through the opening1 and we decided to leave it until the hole could be enlarged with pick and shovel4 ,the alleged #cjj feet was found by aneroid to be exactly #ajj feet4 ,in a corner of this lofty cavern was a steep fissure which seemed to be well worth exploring4 ,the bottom half of it was completely walled in by an enormous flake of ,limestone that had come down from the roof1 and looked as if a touch would send it tumbling on the heaps of rock at the bottom of the cave4 ,we scrambled up the fissure at the back of this1 and reached a promising gallery2 but1 to our disgust1 this was entirely blocked up with clay and mud at the top1 and it was impossible to proceed4 ,gaining the summit of the huge ,limestone flake1 we lit up the cave with magnesium wire1 and were deeply impressed by its height and the grandeur of the shattered crags bristling on walls1 roof1 and floor4 ,everything was black1 save one long1 dripping cascade of stalagmite on the wall over against us2 its unsullied whiteness shone weirdly out of the gloom as the fierce light fell on it4 ,just at that moment voices were heard1 and from a rent in the rocky wall in front the intolerable beam of the searchlight came right in our faces4 ,the remainder of the party had followed us up1 and reached the spot where we had first looked over into the deep chasm4 ,revealed in all its extent by this penetrating light1 the cave reminded us strongly of the enormous chamber that we had explored a few months earlier in the lowest part of the ,blue ,john ,mine in ,derbyshire4 ,on the way back one of the acetylene lamps fell down the pit by which we had entered1 and was completely smashed4 ,with no other mishap1 we made our way through the tortuous passages and amongst the chaos of tumbled rock masses back to the cavern under ,solomon's ,temple4 ,two of us explored the openings above ,st4 ,paul's a few days later4 ,a #cj-;foot ladder was placed against the corner of the stalagmite fall1 and a yard or two of scrambling took us to the top4 ,on the left was an ascending vault1 with openings to right and left4 ,taking the latter to begin with1 we found it gradually trend downhill and dwindle away into a series of holes scarcely big enough to let a human body pass4 ,squeezing through with a good deal of trouble1 ,i reached a flattish cave with a floor of rock and stalagmite all cracked and fissured4 ,the whole of this part seemed to have been shivered by some large movement of the rocky strata4 ,one of the fissures gave entrance to a passage underneath the floor2 but this speedily narrowed1 and when it was impossible to get farther ,i found myself right underneath my companion1 who was holding my rope and paying it out as ,i advanced from his original position in the outer passage4 ,no other exit being discoverable on this side1 we crossed to the passage on the right1 and after a few yards of crawling under a depressed roof we found ourselves on the largest expanse of stalagmite either of us had ever met with4 ,it had flowed down from fissures high up on our left and spread over a wide1 rocky slope2 it had then contracted and poured over a cliff immediately on our right4 ,we still kept the rope taut1 and moved about cautiously1 for the crystalline floor was extremely slippery1 and the cliff immediately beneath us would have made the slightest accident serious4 ,a broad flat roof of rock overhung the floor of stalagmite closely1 and was covered with thin pipes and reeds of stalactite4 ,we soon ascertained that we had returned by a different route to the crown of the petrified cascade in ,st4 ,paul's1 although a craggy partition separated us from our route up the ladder4 ,we explored the edges of this huge surface of stalagmite1 which we could not measure1 having no better light to guide us than a few tapers1 but which could not be much less than #ajj feet wide4 ,where the deposits came down through crevices at the top they had settled in jewelled and diapered masses of the most fantastic patterns4 ,our situation was1 however1 too precarious for lingering in this strange spot1 and without another man to back one up it was impossible to explore the hole at the top4 ,we gave up our quest reluctantly and returned towards our ladder1 incrusted from head to foot with the thick1 plastic clay4 ,a convenient knob of stalagmite enabled us to give the rope a hitch whilst we scrambled down to the top of our ladder4 ,one other passage from the main cavern was explored1 with a curious cluster of vertical cavities near its extremity4 ,the end of the passage was coated in every direction with tinted deposits1 among which we noticed beautiful specimens of the branching stalactites that were called anemolites by the explorers of the ,blue ,john caverns1 who thought they had acquired their abnormal shapes through the irregularity of evaporation caused by air currents4 ,i climbed #cj or #dj feet up one of the openings in the roof1 whilst ,dr4 ,sheldon explored another4 ,at the top we found no exits big enough to afford a man passage4 ,a wider cavity in the middle of the roof looked more promising4 ,a ladder was adjusted1 but fell short2 but my companion1 with considerable risk of a dangerous fall1 clambered up to the rocky slope and over the piles of jagged blocks that well-nigh filled it4 ,this too failed to afford us a passage1 and the daring climber had great difficulty in coming down1 being forced to thread the rope and let himself down on it to the ladder4 ,during the operation a flake of rock came hurtling down and hit the ladder1 but luckily did nothing worse than smash a rung4 ,these cavities in the roof were extremely interesting1 and no doubt are connected together and have a common origin in some neighbouring fissure or waterway4 ,,five ,,caverns ,,at ,,cheddar ,the ,cheddar gorge1 which is the deepest and narrowest defile1 and on its south side presents the loftiest face of absolutely vertical rock in ,england1 is not dissimilar1 though far superior in height and grandeur1 to the ,winnats pass in ,derbyshire4 ,the huge chasm runs east-north-east across the dip of the ,limestone beds1 which are tilted up towards the saddle of ,mendip2 one of its sides1 consequently1 is formed mainly of shelving rock1 and the other is almost continuously precipitous4 ,if1 as may be assumed with confidence1 the original cause of the ravine was a stream or streams flowing through a chain of caverns1 one would naturally expect to find openings on the abrupt side through which the underground waters were successively tapped1 and followed the trend of the strata to a lower level4 ,this view is confirmed by observation4 ,except at the jaws of the defile1 where both sides are equally high and precipitous1 there are no caves on the northern side1 but on the south openings both large and small are frequent1 some narrow and lofty--slitters1 they are called locally--the others low and wide1 according as they originated in a vertical joint or a bedding plane4 ,they occur at various levels1 some on inaccessible shelves high up in the cliffs1 others along the base4 ,but the larger number of these openings have in the lapse of time become silted up with clay and dbris1 so that the entrance is either completely masked or it is impossible to penetrate far without toilsome work with pick and shovel4 ,after exploring the ,great ,cavern our party of four devoted some time to an examination of these openings1 so far as could be done without excavating4 ,there are three important caverns in close proximity to the ,great ,cavern1 or ,gough's4 ,the best known is ,cox's1 a small but exceedingly beautiful stalactite cavern 7see frontispiece74 ,no one interested in caves would think of visiting ,cheddar without seeing the ,great ,cavern1 nor would any such person dream of missing ,cox's4 ,each is the complement of the other as a piece of underground scenery4 ,the spacious vaults and vast stalagmite falls of the one fill one with a sense of power and majesty2 the other is a gem of fantastic architecture1 embellished with the most lawless and fairy-like designs of the subterranean artificer1 and unique in one respect--the wealth and diversity of the mineral deposits that have dyed its multiform incrustations with luminous tints4 ,no sane man1 however1 would attempt to describe ,cox's ,cavern in detail1 and a photograph can give only colourless glimpses of its kaleidoscopic beauties4 ,the cavern seems1 at first sight1 to be a solitary freak of nature1 having no connection with the general system of caves and streams4 ,but since the visit just referred to1 several new passages have been opened1 among them the interesting water-tunnel with its ebb and flow corresponding to the movements of the ,cheddar ,water outside1 which1 as already described1 flows at a higher level4 ,of three other good-sized fissures or ancient channels radiating from the same large chamber1 two after a while dwindle away almost to nothing1 but the third has indications of a channel striking downwards1 which it might be worth while to clear of rubbish4 ,all these passages were choked with clay until quite recently4 ,illustration3 ,,in ,,cox',s ,,cavern ,,at ,,cheddar4 ,photo by ,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,illustration3 ,,great ,,rift ,,cavern1 ,,cheddar ,,gorge4 ,photo by ,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,the next cave also is of minor interest to the speleologist1 although it contains many curious sights4 ,it is called ,gough's ,old ,cavern1 and its entrance is close to the mouth of the ,great ,cavern4 ,it is an ascending cleft1 apparently not linked at present with the other caves1 although it was once probably a sloping aven draining into the big series of caverns that have been gradually cut back by the falling in of the defile4 ,whoever likes such things may find here plenty of those freaks and alleged similitudes that puzzle and delight the ordinary sightseer4 ,on a stalagmite excrescence nicknamed the ,ribs of ,beef we had the luck to see a far more interesting phenomenon4 ,the calcite mass was clustered over with a number of motionless black objects1 which we found to be roosting bats1 hanging head downwards by their claws4 ,they were not disturbed in the least by our presence1 and one that was lifted off gently just showed his teeth and claws1 and clung on again as fast as ever when replaced on the rock to resume his patient sleep4 ,a photograph of this curious sight was obtained by means of the flashlight4 ,at the head of the cave are several incrusted grottoes1 where the process of deposition is still going on1 roof and walls streaming with moisture4 ,this part is not unlike the show places in the ,bagshawe ,cavern in the ,peak of ,derbyshire4 ,in many respects the ,roman ,cave is much more interesting4 ,its mouth is situated about #aej feet up the cliffs1 almost immediately over the cave just described4 ,quantities of ,roman pottery1 coins1 bones1 and other remains1 have been discovered there1 showing it to be one of the places that sheltered fugitives after the evacuation of ,britain by the ,roman legions4 ,the entrance is a broad anticlinal arch1 and the main passage1 high-roofed and ascending gradually1 runs east for perhaps a furlong4 ,then the floor1 which has been covered with earth and stones1 becomes rugged and rock-strewn1 and suddenly we creep through a lowly portal into a high and gloomy chamber1 the shadowy corners of whose roof our lights are too feeble to explore4 ,to all appearances this was the end of the cavern2 but we had been told that the passage takes a turn here and goes on nearly a quarter of a mile farther4 ,we scanned every part of the walls as far up as we could see1 but no accessible opening disclosed itself4 ,in a recess on one side a number of fallen rocks were piled up and wedged between the converging walls4 ,to examine the cavity from a vantage spot1 we climbed with a good deal of difficulty to the top of these1 and there1 to our astonishment1 a wide passage sloped up at right angles to the one we had entered by4 ,a curious slit in the wall opened into a perpendicular fissure that was situated right in the roof of the latter1 and through the hole we caught a glimpse of our friends following us up4 ,three men now pushed on up the new passage and entered a chamber whose sole exit was a small and uninviting hole4 ,we crawled and scraped through1 and on over sharp stones till at last we could get no farther4 ,we had evidently doubled back over the main cavern1 and that we could not be far from the open air was shown by the presence of a bewildered bat1 who flew to and fro in the confined space and hit us in the face several times4 ,and in the extreme recess of this narrow branch a steady draught of air blew in through a crevice and nearly put the lights out4 ,through an oversight we found ourselves at this point reduced to two tapers and a bit1 and to economise we kept only one alight at a time1 so as to have enough for the return journey4 ,all went well1 however1 and the sole difficulty we met with was in getting down over the wedged blocks in the big chamber1 a climb that proved extremely awkward when taken the reverse way4 ,in many parts of this cavern we noticed prodigious quantities of moths on the walls1 as well as many huge spiders4 ,but a more interesting thing was the vegetation naturalised in the caves1 examples of which we found in other ,mendip caverns as well4 ,it will be advisable to have them examined by a botanical specialist4 ,all ,i can say about them now is that they consist of extremely slender branching tendrils1 some white and translucent1 others brownish1 thin as cotton4 ,it was late in the afternoon when we entered the ,roman ,cavern2 it was dark now1 and the stars were out4 ,returning in advance of the others1 ,i sat down just within the majestic gateway of the cavern1 a flattened arch about #ajj feet wide resting on enormous rocky jambs1 and looked out across the deep wooded abyss where ,cheddar lay1 its lights reflected here and there by the dark waters of the mere1 towards the craggy heights of ,mendip opposite1 just sinking down towards ,sedgemoor4 ,the ,great ,bear was shining brightly right in front--it almost spanned the breadth of the cave mouth2 and the solemnity of the place and the hour could not but bring to mind the miserable fugitives who sat in this forlorn asylum1 hemmed in by foes1 and looked out on the same giant constellation thrice five hundred years ago4 ,the place is admirably adapted for defence4 ,a rear attack was of course impossible1 whilst a frontal attack by way of the cliffs would be easily repelled2 and a tolerable water-supply was to be found inside the cavern4 ,the huge natural glacis of the fortress is covered to-day with a dense tangle of ivy and other climbers1 through which we made our way heedfully1 for a slip would have been easy in the dark1 and a terrible fall the consequence4 ,next morning we strolled up the defile and looked at the mouths of several caves that are now choked up4 ,two furlongs above its entrance the ravine makes a double curve like a gigantic figure three4 ,the two crescents of beetling ,limestone1 with their jutting horns1 that appear to the astonished beholder underneath like towering pyramids and slim aiguilles1 rise to a vertical height of #dcj feet1 and1 being absolutely unassailable1 they fill a crag climber's mind with admiration tempered by regret4 ,what enhances their grandeur1 while it softens the savage aspect of the sheer and ledgeless precipice1 is the bountiful vegetation clinging wherever it can find a hold1 dark shrouds of ivy and darker masses of yew standing out against the grey rock in beautiful relief4 ,would the indomitable scramblers who haunt ,lakeland at ,easter1 we asked ourselves1 have forced a way up these tremendous chimneys if the ,cheddar cliffs had been pitched somewhere in the latitude of ,wastdale8 ,we went so far as to reconnoitre one alluring fissure1 #bjj feet or more in length1 but the gap between its base and the first feasible lodgment was insuperable4 ,not far away a long talus of scree marks the foot of an easy though rather sensational way to the cliff top4 ,passing it by1 we stopped at the mouth of a vertical fissure that opens on to the roadway4 ,it expands slightly inside1 and the roof soars higher and higher2 then the floor breaks away1 and the two men who descended the next #hj feet had to be steadied by the rope4 ,the walls were wet and soft1 being incrusted with a sticky calcareous substance4 ,at the bottom of the precipitous slope the magnesium ribbon revealed the enormously lofty walls of a narrow chamber1 whose farther extent was blocked up by an accumulation of rocks and dbris4 ,returning to the open air1 we ascended to the cliff top1 and1 skirting each promontory and rounding the edge of every bay1 proceeded towards the mouth of the defile on the lookout for openings4 ,not far from the highest point we had noticed from the road a series of dark cavities4 ,one man scrambled along a ledge to the uppermost of these1 and found that it was merely a shallow niche1 and another1 on a ledge some #ej feet lower1 proved to be only #bj feet deep4 ,he made a determined effort to reach another fissure on the same level as the last but sundered from it by a wide space of cliff which was covered with dense brambles4 ,holding on to the prickly stems1 and fighting his way through1 he got near enough to see into the fissure1 but was quite unable to enter it for a closer examination4 ,an opening in the cliffs at a lower point1 but still some #bjj feet above the road1 led a long way into the recesses of the ,limestone strata1 making two wide curves to the right1 but maintaining a generally easterly direction4 ,the passages were very low1 narrow1 and awkwardly shaped1 involving a great deal of unpleasant crawling2 and when we reached the stalagmite grotto at the end we found that it had been pillaged of every bit of calcite that could be removed4 ,this cavern1 the ,long ,hole1 must have been the channel of a stream that once flowed from somewhere on the other side of the gorge1 through the mass of rock that has now been swept away by the forces of disintegration4 ,though several hundred feet long1 it is but the tail end of the cavern that once existed4 ,the remainder of our time was devoted to two of the ,burrington caverns1 on the opposite side of the ,mendip ,hills1 and to a fruitless search for a large chasm or swallet hole into which the drainage from the now abandoned lead mines on the top of ,mendip used to fall and ultimately find its way to ,cheddar1 where it poisoned the trout stream4 ,a score or more of years ago ,i saw these mines1 still in working order2 but now the dried-up pools and the wilderness of refuse1 with fragments of ruined buildings1 look as old almost as the remains of the ,roman mines4 ,of the important opening that we sought there is now no trace2 it may have been filled up intentionally and the stream allowed to revert to its old channel1 whence it had been turned artificially4 ,hard by1 in the ,long ,wood near ,charterhouse1 and elsewhere1 there are smaller swallets that we were already acquainted with2 and there are others at ,priddy1 the waters of which find an exit farther to the east4 ,the ground we were on is well known to readers of ,walter ,raymond's romances1 and we were much interested when it was pointed out that the lonely house facing us was the actual ,ubley ,farm that figures in ,two ,men o' ,mendip4 ,e4 ,a4 ,b4 ,,the ,,burrington ,,caverns ,burrington ,combe is a smaller ,limestone defile on the north side of ,mendip--that is to say1 the opposite side to that of ,cheddar4 ,it is smaller1 and because of its proximity to ,cheddar it has to suffer disadvantageous comparisons4 ,anywhere else the grandeur of ,burrington ,combe1 the magnificence of its crags1 with dark1 heather-clad ,black ,down lowering behind them1 and the beauty of the copses that lurk in its corners and clamber up its precipices1 would excite the admiration of guide-books and attract crowds of tourists4 ,like the ,cheddar defile1 ,burrington ,combe was doubtless formed by the gradual destruction of a series of caverns1 and there remains of that series a number of caves or openings of blocked-up caves on either side of the ravine4 ,of these the most important and the only one well known to speleologists is ,goatchurch ,cavern1 which was explored by ,professor ,boyd ,dawkins in #ahfd4 ,the next in importance is ,aveline's ,hole1 discovered in #agif1 but not explored till #ahbj1 when about fifty human skeletons were found lying side by side with their weapons1 a stalagmitic crust sealing bones and implements to the floor4 ,this cavern has since had its mouth silted up by drainage from the road1 so that troublesome excavation will have to be undertaken before it can be entered again4 ,it would well repay a thorough exploration1 for it is reported that a natural pit1 covered by a slab1 has never yet been descended1 and leads probably into important cavities4 ,foxe's ,hole is interesting for its curious bosses of tufaceous stalactite4 ,a nearly vertical cave1 ,plumley's ,den1 has been stopped up with a plug of timber and stones at the depth of #hj feet1 in consequence of a fatal accident to a man who tried to descend it in #ahge4 ,at a level probably a few feet below that of the caves whose destruction was the origin of the ,combe1 a good road with a grassy margin now ascends towards the top of ,mendip1 where it joins the old ,roman road that runs from ,severn ,sea to ,old ,sarum1 along the crown of the ridge4 ,our waggonette when we left the ,bath ,arms at ,cheddar was piled up with ropes1 cameras1 gas cylinders1 condensers for the searchlight1 and an incredible amount of needful and superfluous things1 for we were quite unable to say what would be wanted4 ,climbing to the miniature mountain pass across ,mendip at ,shipham was hard work for the horse1 and we walked up the hill4 ,dr4 ,sheldon and ,mr4 ,bamforth were my companions4 ,our clothes1 still richly daubed with the clay and mire of the ,cheddar caverns1 made our appearance both business-like and picturesque4 ,the north side of the ,mendips is very different from the bleak and craggy slopes on the south4 ,from the broad bare top of the hills down to the valley stretches1 almost continuously1 a deep mass of trees that looks in the distance like a wall of dusky verdure4 ,we drove between orchards where great bushes of mistletoe grew on nearly every tree1 till we were within a few hundred yards of ,burrington village2 then1 turning towards ,mendip1 we drove through more orchards1 till suddenly the rocky entrance of the ,combe appeared and we heard the clink of pick and crowbar in the ,limestone quarry not far from ,plumley's ,den4 ,half-way up the gorge makes a sudden bend towards the east1 a little below which point a shallower ravine comes in on the other side4 ,about #abj feet above the bed of this dry ravine is the entrance to ,goatchurch ,cavern4 ,we coaxed the horse over the stony turf and up the ravine till the roughness of the ground and the thickness of the bramble bushes stopped him4 ,at this point we were met by the lord of the manor1 ,mr4 ,james ,gibson of ,langford1 who is the owner of the ,burrington caves4 ,his men assisted us to get our apparatus up to the cave mouth1 and afterwards convoyed us and the luggage throughout the less difficult parts of the cavern4 ,a few years ago the entrance to ,goatchurch ,cavern was an insignificant hole1 through which adventurous boys used to crawl as far as the first considerable chamber1 where ,professor ,boyd ,dawkins found a few remains of extinct animals4 ,owing to the depredations which were made by neighbouring villagers in search of specimens of calcite1 ,mr4 ,gibson recently had the entrance enlarged and closed with a padlocked gate1 the public being admitted only on certain days of the week or by appointment4 ,it is a pity this step was not taken before many of the finer stalactites had been carried away4 ,in this long chamber1 the floor of which is covered with sheets and bosses of dripstone1 we entered some of the funnel-shaped openings in the roof by means of a ladder1 but soon perceived that no discoveries were to be made that way4 ,at the end of the chamber a precipitous hole goes down to the left1 and fixed ropes are used for getting into the lower galleries4 ,we found ourselves at once entering on a maze of passages1 where the presence of our guides saved valuable time4 ,so intricate and bewildering are these ramifications that ,mr4 ,balch tells me that he discovered a passage some years ago that led him eventually to a much deeper part of the cavern than had ever been reached before1 but every attempt to rediscover the passage since has failed4 ,in spite of our efforts to examine every branch of the various passages1 we also missed this important link4 ,it would seem that the solid mass of the hill has been shivered here into vast1 roughly cubical fragments1 between which lie the irregular passages and narrow chambers of the cavern4 ,many tempting galleries lead the explorer on and on till they dwindle to a mere rabbit hole1 or till he finds himself wedged in the cleft between two enormous surfaces of rock4 ,disorderly accumulations of boulders and splinters cover the floor2 there is hardly a level spot anywhere1 and it is desirable to explore every yard carefully with a taper or a lantern to avoid the consequences of a rash step4 ,we crawled on hands and knees and wormed along through insignificant holes1 making our way into spots that had probably not been inspected before2 but we always came back to the main channel1 where our guides were waiting1 having made no noteworthy find4 ,assembling again in a more roomy chamber1 about #adj feet below the entrance1 we all proceeded along a tunnel that showed evident traces of the action of a stream to another chamber1 where the sound of running water came up from a grim-looking chasm4 ,only two of us went beyond this point4 ,the rest secured the rope1 whilst we climbed down the steep hole into a large cavern through which the stream runs from the swallet hole in the ravine outside on its way to ,rickford ,rising1 where it issues in considerable volume4 ,the stream has a somewhat puzzling course after leaving the cavern1 for it runs underground athwart ,burrington ,combe and through the solid hill opposite1 ,burrington ,ham4 ,this stream1 as ,professor ,boyd ,dawkins pointed out1 was doubtless the originating cause of ,goatchurch ,cavern1 running in at the present mouth1 which is now dry4 ,the ravine outside has since been hollowed out to a further depth of #abj feet1 and the stream finds its way in at a lower level4 ,the ,professor also describes a very pretty experiment4 ,having taken the temperature of the stream before it enters the cave1 he tested it again after it had run some distance underground1 finding that it was here several degrees cooler4 ,it is obvious that a colder stream must have joined it at some unknown point midway4 ,the nethermost series of chambers and passages are not very different from those above1 their shape rugged and irregular1 and their floor heaped up with fragments of all sizes4 ,we reached no lower point than that attained by previous explorers--that is1 #bbj feet below the entrance1 as measured by aneroid4 ,squeezing with difficulty through the deepest fissure1 ,i found myself in a small cave1 whence1 turning round1 ,i only perceived one exit4 ,it looked and felt so small that ,i despaired of pushing through and turned to go back1 when it suddenly occurred to me that this was the hole ,i had come in by1 and there was no other way out4 ,such little incidents often happen in cave work1 but most often in such a complicated network of tunnels and fissures as the ,goatchurch ,cavern1 where we were quite convinced that an important passage ran due east until the compass assured us that the direction was west4 ,clambering up a steep bank of stiff clay out of the lowest cave1 we reached a vaulted grotto with a cascade of stalagmite flowing down one side4 ,on the edge of this a sloping passage disclosed itself1 lined with stalagmite1 and we ascended it in the expectation of finding something new4 ,it brought us by an easy scramble back to the upper cave1 whence we had descended on the rope2 and with little more deviation from the main passages we made our way back to the cave mouth1 where a well-earned lunch was waiting4 ,but little time was wasted in examining the silted-up entrance to ,aveline's ,hole and another cave mouth1 and the next halt was made at ,plumley's ,den4 ,tying two ,alpine ropes together1 a pair of us descended this ancient pothole as far as the artificial pile of dbris that blocks it up4 ,one man was hit rather severely by a dislodged stone--a serious danger in caves of this sort--and in returning he dropped and smashed his acetylene lamp4 ,the hole is effectually plugged1 a tree and a quantity of stone having been flung in after ,plumley's fatal mishap2 and until ,mr4 ,gibson carries out his proposal to remove the stones that block it1 the #bjj feet which are said1 on doubtful authority1 to lie beyond can never be explored4 ,mr4 ,gibson also proposes to bore a new entrance from the ,combe into the lower series of caves at ,goatchurch4 ,above ,plumley's ,den a magnificent rib of ,limestone1 like those at ,matlock1 springs nearly to the hilltop2 and over the way a picturesque pile of crag comes out to meet it1 and is known as the ,rock of ,ages1 from the tradition that ,toplady1 the divine1 taking shelter under it from a storm1 composed his famous hymn there4 ,still piloted by our kind host1 we walked across ,burrington ,ham and saw the brook which we had heard babbling amid the silence of ,goatchurch ,cavern flowing out1 a strong body of water1 at ,rickford ,rising1 after a subterranean course of about two miles from its sources high up on ,black ,down4 ,rickford ,rising is in the ,secondary beds1 but a short mile up the beautiful ,combe at whose outlet it lies1 a ,limestone ridge comes down to the road4 ,hard by the extremity is a hole in the rocky ground1 now almost entirely choked with stones1 but not so many years ago an open pit4 ,it is known as the ,squire's ,well4 ,here1 in times of continuous rain1 a body of water issues forth1 often flooding the road4 ,it seems to be connected with the water-channels that feed ,rickford ,rising1 to which it acts as a safety valve4 ,to open it would not be a very serious affair1 and might discover something interesting4 ,at the back of ,mendip ,lodge1 on the hill immediately west of ,burrington ,combe1 the hilltop is cut up by innumerable ravines ending in swallets1 the water of which comes to light again in a large stream in the ,yeo valley near ,upper ,langford1 about a mile away4 ,several of these swallets look as if they would repay the trouble of a little excavation2 and the size of the stream at the point of issue indicates the existence of large cavities in the line of its subterranean course4 ,e4 ,a4 ,b4 ,,the ,,coral ,,cave ,,at ,,compton ,,bishop ,a cave just discovered near ,compton ,bishop1 on the skirts of ,mendip1 furnishes valuable evidence in corroboration of the theory that the ,limestone caverns of this region were formed at a period enormously anterior to that generally accepted4 ,it is situated a little way up the slope of ,wavering ,down1 only a short distance above the upper limit of the red marl laid down in the ,triassic age1 unconformably on the denuded edges of the ,carboniferous ,limestone4 ,we had been engaged in some exploring work in the ,cheddar caves1 the results of which were of a negative kind1 but none the less important1 as modifying the lines of costly excavation4 ,accompanied by the ,messrs4 ,gough1 the proprietors of the great cave at ,cheddar1 we proceeded late in the day to ,axbridge1 where ,mr4 ,balch joined the party4 ,our goal was a certain cavern1 explored about a century ago1 and described by the antiquary ,phelps1 but now little known4 ,this purpose was1 however1 not carried out that day1 for in making inquiries about the cave as we passed through the village of ,cross1 we got wind of a cavern that had never yet been explored1 and was therefore treasure-trove to such ardent cave workers4 ,two years ago1 in blasting for stone to line a drinking-place for cattle1 a farmer had blown a hole into the top of a subterranean cavity4 ,two #cj-rung ladders were lashed together1 so we learned1 and a bold countryman1 secured by a cart-rope1 descended into the mysterious hollow1 alighting on a slope of shifting stones and earth1 whence he could see a second chasm1 black as ,tophet and of unknown profundity1 yawning beneath him4 ,no one would venture on this further descent2 a rock was rolled against the opening to prevent sheep or incautious persons from tumbling in1 and there for the time being was an end of the matter4 ,our first task was to withdraw this formidable plug4 ,it was a sound1 unfissured block of ,mountain ,limestone1 weighing perhaps half a ton4 ,we thought that six men with a rope ought to move it easily2 but we could not make it budge4 ,a spade and a crowbar were fetched1 with which we laboured diligently for an hour2 but the only effect was to drop the stone deeper into the hole4 ,a sledgehammer was now obtained from the nearest smithy1 and one after another we attacked the foe with might and main4 ,at length it yielded4 ,pieces flaked off1 and at last it split2 the fragments tumbled into the chasm1 and the rock1 diminished to half its former size1 was rolled away4 ,the job had taken two hours and a half1 and it was now dark4 ,mr4 ,balch and ,i cast lots for the honour of the first descent3 it fell to me4 ,an ,alpine ,club rope was tied on as life-line1 whilst a #gj-;foot cotton rope was to be used for lowering and lifting4 ,slung in a bight of the latter1 ,i was carefully let down over the cliff-like face below the entrance4 ,the cavity formed part of a huge choked swallet1 which extended up into the hill above the point where we had been working1 and ran away obliquely underneath1 so that ,i was coming down from a hole perforating one corner of the roof4 ,over against the hole was the steep slope of earth and scree already mentioned1 steep almost as a wall1 and the scree so loose that it seemed to be in a state of suspended animation4 ,as soon as one came into contact with the treacherous stuff1 an avalanche of stones was launched1 and ,i sought in vain for a spot where it would be safe to unrope and await the next man4 ,the cliff down which ,i had been lowered was undercut by a wide archway1 through which ,i looked into a black1 forbidding pit gaping at the bottom4 ,with nowhere to rest1 and with the risk of falling stones1 it was obviously wiser to finish the descent before another man started4 ,tying the loose rope round me 7for it was necessary to swing out under the arch71 ,i was let down slowly1 and began to slip over a smooth1 greasy rock-face into the unknown cavity4 ,at #fj feet from the ground ,i alighted at the top of a slope of stones1 and was able to remove the ropes and scramble to the bottom4 ,lighting some magnesium wire1 ,i found myself in a bell-shaped chamber about #fe feet high1 opening above by the precipitous archway into the upper cavity1 and on the other side into an ascending vault running north-west4 ,all around were the indelible marks of water action in the remote past4 ,on the upper side the rocks were carved and pitted as by the swirling of a violent torrent4 ,but there was now no sign of running water1 only the drip1 drip from the moist roof2 and the outlet of the ancient stream at the bottom of the cavern was blocked up by a deep accumulation of dbris4 ,among the countless fragments strewn all over the floor ,i found a large stone covered with a mass of dog-tooth crystals1 clear as diamonds and large as walnuts4 ,but at the very bottom of the place was something even more lovely1 myriads upon myriads of exquisite spicules of carbonate1 some little more than specks of red1 orange1 and amber1 but thousands like wee tendrils of coral three-eighths of an inch in length4 ,they were the growth1 through age after age1 of a splash deposit from the roof or from the stream that had disappeared4 ,such a formation is not rare in water caverns2 but in such beauty of shape and hue it is rare indeed1 for these tender little crystal flowers took all manner of forms1 blossoming ofttimes into wreaths and clusters like a miniature coral4 ,one of the most exquisite and most puzzling features was that the dots and spicules were often arranged in set patterns1 symmetrical and even geometrical1 in tiny circles1 squares1 and triangles1 by the rhythmic action of the waters that had left this beautiful record of their passage4 ,we named the cave the ,coral ,cavern4 ,as the descent had not been direct1 and there might be difficulty in recovering the ropes if once let go1 it seemed most prudent that no one should follow me down for the present4 ,climbing the slopes of rocks and scree that led up through a lofty vault to the north-west1 ,i reached a height of considerably more than #ajj feet above the floor of the ,coral ,cavern1 the present floor of which is #ij feet below the point of entrance4 ,the open way then came to an end abruptly1 in a tiny grotto1 at a distance of #bdj feet from that point4 ,but hard by there were funnel-like cavities penetrating the roof1 and hinting at the proximity of a ,secondary swallet hole on the hillside close overhead4 ,evidently1 when the cave was in working order1 in times of indefinable remoteness1 a big stream had run down this steep vaulted passage1 and united with the main stream at the bottom1 both then pursuing their way into the fissures of the rock1 and ultimately finding an exit into the open air at some point now buried under ,triassic deposits4 ,enormous slabs of ,limestone1 smooth1 and fitting close over each other like boiler-plates1 formed the sloping floor of this tunnel on one side4 ,these too were a conspicuous testimony to powerful water action4 ,at present the red marl of the ,trias comes nearly up to the artificial entrance of the cavity4 ,it is obvious that when the cave was occupied by a stream1 its waters must have found a vent some distance below the upper limit of the marl2 whence it necessarily follows that the marl has been laid down here since that period4 ,much evidence has been gathered in the course of our cave work in the ,mendips to show that many of the caverns are older than the vast accumulations of ,dolomitic ,conglomerate and other deposits of ,triassic age1 but nowhere is the proof put so clearly and concisely as by the new cave at ,compton ,bishop4 ,my stay underground was cut short by the fear that the others would grow impatient4 ,i was hauled up without mishap1 save that at one point the cotton rope stuck fast in a cleft1 and ,i had to pull myself up hand over hand on the life-line4 ,two men then went down1 with the result we had dreaded--the rope could not be got back to the last man without extreme difficulty4 ,only after tying on stone after stone1 and making many a cast in vain1 did we ultimately restore communication4 ,he came up2 the guardian block was pushed back into its place2 and at a late hour we struck down the hillside home4 ,a day or two later we set out once more to find ,phelps's ,cavern4 ,it opens on the very crest of the ridge leading up to ,crook ,hill1 or1 as it is more commonly known to-day1 ,crook's ,peak1 a sharp ,limestone spur1 running south-east from the western extremity of ,wavering ,down4 ,at the foot of the hill1 near the road1 we came across a small cave1 called the ,fox's ,hole1 which we searched thoroughly for any continuation upwards or downwards1 but in vain4 ,after a great deal of jamming and squeezing1 we got in to a distance of #ej feet1 where a low chamber has holes between wall and floor that had acted as a water-sink to some ancient system of cavities4 ,but the floor was heaped with stones1 and in spite of our efforts to clear these out1 we did not discover a single hole big enough to enter4 ,this small cave is1 doubtless1 but the tail end of the cavern that once existed here2 and1 indeed1 the large cavern at the hilltop must be little more than a fragment of what it was4 ,crook's ,peak seems to be the mere skeleton of a hill4 ,to account for the presence of such a cavern at the summit1 one must postulate a large drainage area in days gone by1 and a general configuration entirely opposite to the present4 ,the higher part of the hill is but a ,limestone shell enclosing these ancient1 and now waterless1 caverns4 ,the big cavern is known as ,denny's ,hole4 ,descending the sloping side of an open pit1 we found ourselves under an arch of mighty span1 the crown of which was formed by the rock-wall on the other side4 ,under this arch the floor sloped precipitously into the jaws of the cavern2 then the roof came close down1 and the farther passages wound onwards as low tunnels1 descending steeply into the entrails of the hill4 ,it is easy enough to get to a considerable depth and distance in the largest of these1 but the journey is not specially interesting1 for the place has been looted by adventurous rustics1 and serious exploration is at present brought to a standstill by the enormous quantities of loose stones filling every cavity in the floor4 ,coming back to the cave mouth1 we were struck by the grandeur of the vestibule1 which has every appearance of being the remains of a great subterranean chamber1 the pit-like entrance1 through which we look up to the sky and the sunshine1 being the remnant of a cave-tunnel1 once perhaps of very considerable length4 ,phelps had alluded to another chamber1 of some beauty1 to be attained1 at the expense of divers wrenches and abrasions1 by a certain tortuous passage leading out of the vestibule4 ,after diligent search we found a hole in the floor at one corner1 but it seemed to be only a foot or two deep4 ,kicking about for some time1 with body half in and half out of the hole1 ,i managed to shift some loose stones1 and felt space below4 ,but the space proved1 on experiment1 at least as excellent a place of torment as ,phelps's description had been able to do justice to4 ,the passage doubled back upon itself at once1 and twisted here and there like a corkscrew4 ,only by obstinate wriggling were we able to worm a way down to the low cavity at the bottom4 ,two blind passages started therefrom1 and in one wall was a long1 horizontal slit1 with some big place beyond1 as we judged from the sound of the stones we threw in4 ,in various cautious attitudes we inserted ourselves into the slit4 ,the drop inside1 though fearful to anticipate1 was a matter of only a few feet4 ,the cave we found ourselves in was a sort of double chamber1 with vestiges of a partition across the middle2 the whole was some #dj feet in length4 ,at one end was a pool of water1 stagnant at present1 or nearly so4 ,close by1 a low fissure sloped downwards to a vertical hole or pot that sounded deep2 but we could not get near it for the spikes of stalactite that guarded it on all sides4 ,this chamber1 which we thought must communicate with the series reached by the main passage from the vestibule1 seems to have been hardly ever visited4 ,we heard a story of a lady's pet dog that had been lost here for a week1 and was not found1 although a tempting reward was offered1 until a farmer1 who told us the story1 explored the corkscrew tunnel leading to this cave4 ,he found the poor beast shivering on the edge of the slit we had come in by1 afraid to jump4 ,even the farmer1 who thought he knew all the ramifications of this perplexing cavern1 did not seem to have reached this chamber1 the natural ornaments of which showed no trace of specimen-hunting4 ,returning to daylight1 we examined a cave vent in the ground hard by1 where a vapour was steaming up into the chilly air4 ,the penetrable portion was just big enough to accommodate the six feet two of our tallest man4 ,with some time left on our hands1 we decided now to walk on to ,loxton1 the next village1 where another cave was situated on a ,limestone hilltop4 ,there were only two miles to walk1 so we did not think it worth while to doff our cave panoply4 ,great was the speculation that our unexampled appearance excited in the people we met4 ,we could not be tramps--in fact1 we hardly looked respectable enough2 and yet our rucksacks1 ropes1 and cameras gave us an air of distinction that was puzzling in the extreme4 ,faces crowded to the windows at every house we passed1 and at ,loxton we had to run the gauntlet of satiric observation4 ,as we asked our way to the quarry at ,loxton1 the general conclusion was that we were in quest of a job there4 ,this cave must have been a very interesting one long ago1 but now it is like those at ,compton ,bishop1 only a remnant2 and besides what has been destroyed by natural denudation1 a great deal has been damaged by the gradual approaches of a ,limestone quarry on the side of the hill4 ,this has exposed the outlets of several passages4 ,a labyrinth of low galleries remains1 with a few larger hollows here and there2 but of whatever beauty they once possessed they have long been denuded by the devastating village boy1 who has found the intricacies of ,loxton ,cavern a perfect paradise4 ,it does not follow that the cave would necessarily not pay for a thorough exploration4 ,if some of the lower reaches were carefully examined1 entrances would very likely be found into still nether caverns1 of which these dry channels were at one time the feeders4 ,but the work would be peculiarly difficult on account of the smallness of the open spaces1 and the result uncertain4 ,yet the ,limestone of the ,mendips is so thick--the thickest in ,england--and the parts that have been explored are so honeycombed with cavities and passages1 that every gateway into this strange underworld promises more or less reward4 ,it is somewhere in the neighbourhood of ,loxton and ,banwell that the famous ,gulf was discovered in the days of the old lead miners4 ,in driving an extensive level through a hill1 at a point #hj fathoms below the summit1 they came upon a gigantic rift4 ,a man was let down on a long rope--so tradition reports--and when he had descended to the full extent of it he was unable to see either walls or bottom of the tremendous abyss4 ,we are probably on the track of this monster cavity1 an exploration of which will entail labour and fortitude4 ,that and the exploration of the swallet at ,hillgrove1 when it is opened1 are the two most fascinating problems awaiting us in the immediate future4 ,e4 ,a4 ,b4 ,,lamb',s ,,lair ,a few years ago the ,great ,western opened what they called the ,wrington ,vale ,light ,railway up the valley of the ,yeo1 which borders ,mendip on the north4 ,a few miles beyond its present terminus lie the two ,harptrees1 in the heart of a sequestered countryside of great pastoral beauty4 ,here1 where nowadays all the pursuits are agricultural1 a great deal of mining was carried on in years gone by1 the relics of which are still visible in the surface workings1 grown over with grass4 ,in the upland ravines of ,lamb's ,bottom1 near the top of the ,mendip plateau1 these are very numerous1 and seem to be the work of both lead miners and searchers for black oxide of manganese4 ,early in the eighteenth century a cavern of prodigious size and beauty was discovered in this locality2 but1 by one of those curious accidents which are by no means infrequent in the history of caves1 it was lost1 and its site remained unknown for a hundred and twenty years4 ,its fame1 however1 was cherished by the country folk1 and the tradition of its fabulous wonders induced a lord of the manor1 a quarter of a century ago1 to offer a heavy monetary reward1 which led to its rediscovery in the year #ahhj4 ,this new exploration made some noise at the time1 and a fair number of people ventured on a descent4 ,the difficulties were smoothed down considerably4 ,ladders were fixed in the shaft1 which was strengthened by timber supports1 and in difficult parts of the lower galleries2 solid beds of arragonite were cut through1 and a heavy structure of timber1 carrying a windlass1 was built out on the verge of an abyss1 to make accessible the floor of the ,great ,chamber4 ,lamb's ,lair is even alluded to1 though incorrectly1 in the fourth edition of ,murray's ,guide--that for #ahhb--;and1 for a while1 great was the renown of its unparalleled beauties4 ,then1 as usually happens with cave scenery when there is any difficulty or any peril involved1 the novelty and the popularity of ,lamb's ,lair waned2 and now for a long period the cave has been derelict1 the timber erections have become rotten and dangerous1 and the only visit during many years previous to the one ,i am about to describe nearly resulted in a catastrophe4 ,illustration3 ,,entrance ,,to ,,lamb',s ,,lair1 ,,harptree4 ,photo by ,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,illustration3 ,,plan ,,and ,,section ,,of ,,the ,,great ,,cavern ,,of ,,lamb',s ,,lair4 ,our party of four had been engaged in some arduous work near ,wells1 and a descent into ,lamb's ,lair meant a long drive across ,mendip1 nearly to ,east ,harptree4 ,we were dropped by our waggonette1 with a great pile of apparatus1 at a gate into a field4 ,the field was part of the ,lamb's ,bottom ravine1 and we had some difficulty in locating the entrance to our cavern among the innumerable workings and natural depressions that cut up the surface4 ,at length we caught sight of the end of a ladder sticking out from a hole that was buried in brushwood1 and straightway we found ourselves on the brink of the #fj-;foot shaft4 ,the uppermost ladder was broken six feet from the top1 and so was the second2 neither was fit to be trusted4 ,we supported the broken part of the top ladder with a forked branch1 and ,i took up my station on a ledge #ae feet down1 to steady the things as they were lowered4 ,each man was roped for the descent1 for the crazy ladders1 the decayed woodwork1 and the loose stones in the shaft all threatened disaster4 ,at last all our paraphernalia was safe at the bottom1 and now a muddy progress began through a narrow1 dripping cleft into a low tunnel1 that brought us1 after many windings1 to the top of a fourth ladder4 ,this one was not so high1 but it was quite as shaky as the others1 and a member of the party got a nasty blow on the shoulder from a beam connected with it1 that gave way whilst we were passing the luggage from hand to hand4 ,descending still through an irregular passage1 we suddenly entered a roomy vault with stalactites on the roof4 ,here the glories of ,lamb's ,lair begin4 ,in a few moments we shall be at the threshold of the incomparable ,beehive ,chamber1 and thence1 to a point far beyond what we can attain to-day1 the poetry and witchery of cave scenery are at their finest4 ,stumbling over the irregularities of the crystal floor1 we see dimly1 by the light of our candles1 great luminous arcs bending over our heads2 and then1 catching sight of a regularly shaped hemisphere rising out of the darkness and dwarfing the cave with its enormous proportions1 we realise that this is the ,beehive ,chamber4 ,when the limelight is brought in1 and its fierce beams play upon the wild arcades and groining of this fantastic vault1 we are astounded by the wealth and brilliance and extraordinary variety of the incrustations3 not a rib1 not a corner of bare rock remains visible2 every inch of floor and walls and roof has been thickly coated with the calcareous enamel4 ,the ,beehive itself1 #ab feet high and enormous in girth1 is not more astonishing for its size than for the regularity of its shape4 ,it is probably the largest boss of stalagmite in ,england4 ,the sides are streaked with white and yellow bands1 which enhance the weird symmetry and polish of its appearance2 and1 on the summit1 wide enough for a man to walk about1 we noticed that a number of stalactites1 fallen from the vault above1 had become embedded in its mass1 and were slowly being crusted over with the ceaseless deposits4 ,all over the chamber there is a continuous patter of water-drops1 carrying on the work of the ages1 and laying film after film of lustre on the imageries of this hidden shrine1 which man has visited so rarely4 ,to right and left of the ,beehive the uneven floor descends into deep recesses--which we see as we draw nigh to be rocky porches adorned with the most magnificent incrustations--leading into two passages4 ,these two porches1 the arch by which we have entered1 and the wild vaulting that rises to an apex over our heads amid a profusion of glistening stalactites1 are the dominant features of this piece of fairy architecture4 ,but who can count or describe the gleaming volutes and scrolls that wind over the walls in brilliant confusion1 the clustered corbels whence random ribs spring towards the roof1 the lace-like fringe of delicate stalactites that hangs from every ridge1 or the gnome-like fingers and ghoulish faces1 staring and pointing downwards1 that one seems to discern amid the disordered sculpture of roof and walls8 ,a broken bottle of paraffin and some pieces of cotton-waste1 evidently the relics of the last party who had used them to light up the ,beehive ,chamber years ago1 were lying in a corner just as they were left4 ,in one of the galleries ,i noticed the marks of fingers and the impress of the clothes of a man who had crawled along the clay floor--as fresh as if he had been there an hour ago4 ,this changelessness of everything fills one with a certain awe2 but what impresses one as still more wonderful is that all this consummate beauty and grandeur should lie concealed and unknown in the midst of modern ,england1 only a few miles away from important cities1 but unvisited by a soul for long periods of years1 while the country people seem hardly aware of the cave's existence4 ,were the cave easily accessible1 one can hardly question that crowds of sightseers would be attracted1 and much of the charm would be dispelled1 even if its treasures were not ransacked4 ,for the present these are perfectly safe4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,beehive ,,chamber1 ,,lamb',s ,,lair4 ,photo by ,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,illustration3 ,,stalactite ,,wall1 ,,lamb',s ,,lair4 ,photo by ,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,from the ,beehive ,chamber a passage winds downward under one of the glorious porches already described1 and on and on between walls of calcspar and arragonite1 toward the chief wonder of ,lamb's ,lair1 the ,great ,chamber4 ,the original passage was low and difficult1 and early explorers cut a deeper way through solid beds of arragonite1 whose miraculous whiteness glistens on every side as we advance4 ,so enormous is the thickness of this compact and fine-grained variety of the calcium carbonate1 with its delicate lines of crystallisation showing transparently where it is shattered1 that fully three and a half feet are shown in section1 a wall of snowy brilliance2 and one cannot judge how much more is hidden4 ,the tunnel widens into an arch of reddish rock1 covered with sparry reliefs2 then suddenly we find ourselves stepping on a plank1 and out of the darkness ahead starts up the gaunt shape of a windlass4 ,we have reached the spot where the gallery breaks into the upper part of the ,great ,chamber2 under our feet is a black void1 and further progress is forbidden4 ,the gallery ends on a sloping bevel1 #aj feet wide1 that dips steeply into the chasm4 ,on this bevel1 which overhangs by many feet the receding wall of the ,great ,chamber1 a timber platform was erected a quarter of a century ago4 ,it is a sort of cantilever1 with the windlass resting on the long arms4 ,we moved here with utmost caution1 hardly venturing to place a foot on the time-worn structure without holding on to the rocks at the side4 ,on the last occasion that the cavern was visited1 some years ago1 a fatal accident was averted almost by a miracle4 ,the rope broke while ,mr4 ,balch was descending2 he fell about #fj feet1 on to the broken rocks beneath1 checking his fall by catching at a tangle of line that was hanging near4 ,his hands were cut to the bone1 and he lay at the bottom stunned for a quarter of an hour1 and has hardly ceased to feel the effects of the shaking4 ,naturally1 he now felt little inclination to venture another descent1 especially as he told us that the rickety state of the platform has filled him with grave doubts as to its safety if weight were put on it4 ,at present1 beyond the stark shape of the windlass1 darkness reigned4 ,we flung blocks of arragonite out into the void4 ,there was an interval of silence1 then a crash on the hard floor1 and the missile burst into fragments4 ,when the ray of our #bjjj-;candle-power searchlight flashed across the abyss1 we found ourselves looking into a chamber whose weird majesty held us spellbound4 ,its height is #aaj feet1 and the walls curve gradually over in an irregular dome4 ,hardly a square foot of this mighty wall-space is blank4 ,stripes and reticulations and pendulous lacework run all over it in enchanting disorder4 ,here a snow-white flood of calcite drops from an unseen cleft1 there a cascade of many colours ripples down from roof to floor4 ,there are great sheets of opaline enamel1 curtains drooping in massy folds1 silken fabrics wrinkled over the face of the rock1 all giving one the sense of motion suddenly arrested1 and of light and colour captured from the rainbow and sleeping here in the darkness1 waiting year after year for our lamp to awaken it to life and beauty4 ,illustration3 ,,entrance ,,to ,,great ,,chamber1 ,,lamb',s ,,lair4 ,photo by ,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,illustration3 ,,largest ,,chamber ,,in ,,somerset1 ,,lamb',s ,,lair1 ,,harptree4 ,from ,sketch by ,h4 ,e4 ,balch4 ,the cylinder of oxygen and the ether saturator were pushed out as far as we dared1 and the camera was set up on the edge of the platform1 to secure at least a glimpse of this hall of wonders4 ,we were told what lay beyond4 ,another gallery1 begemmed as richly as the one behind us1 leads on and on1 until a high chamber is reached1 into which water pours over a sheet of snowy stalagmite1 #fj feet high4 ,we could not descend into the ,great ,chamber1 but we intended to light it up4 ,a tinful of ,bengal fire was put into an iron saucer1 hanging from a string by iron wires2 and this with a light attached was lowered through the hole in the platform1 whereon we lay extended at full length looking over into the gulf4 ,there was a fizz1 and then the fierce radiance swept from side to side of the huge vault1 staining the sheets and curtains and cascades of white a splendid crimson4 ,the walls sparkled blood-red as if set with rubies1 and the blue-black sheets of calcite marked by oxide of manganese were empurpled by the glow4 ,we fled before the pungent clouds of smoke that rose into our gallery1 back to the ,beehive ,chamber1 leaving that glorious hall once more to solitude and silence4 ,the only other part we explored was the winding tunnel that begins under the second porch in the ,beehive ,chamber4 ,it goes far away down1 and is knee-deep in mire for a considerable distance4 ,at last1 when it seems as if the ,great ,chamber itself cannot be far away1 the passage ends in a choke4 ,we had been in the cavern about five hours1 when1 after much hard work1 we got our apparatus back to the foot of the shaft4 ,climbing ahead up the rickety ladders1 the broken rungs of which were caked with mud and clay1 and keeping hold of the life-line all the while1 ,i found our driver waiting for us at the top1 for we were an hour late4 ,several dangerous stones were shifted in pulling up the luggage1 and one man below not only received a nasty blow1 but narrowly escaped destruction by another stone that he just succeeded in warding off his face4 ,we have since regretted that we did not test the platform and windlass by a rough-and-ready method1 and then descend by a long ,alpine rope4 ,the sharp ledges underneath might1 however1 have rendered this dangerous4 ,we had not seen everything1 but we had seen enough to recompense us abundantly for the toil1 the slight risk1 and the dirt4 ,murray says that ,lamb's ,lair is the finest cave in ,somerset2 ,i would confidently venture further1 and say that for transcendent beauty it has not its equal in ,england4#d ,e4 ,a4 ,b4 #d ,mr4 ,james ,mc,murtrie1 then manager of ,earl ,waldegrave's estates1 was responsible for the exploration of this cavern after its rediscovery in #ahhj4 ,he had it surveyed and plans made2 he had the windlass erected1 but went down himself before it was fixed4 ,very great credit is due to him for this valuable work1 which it is hoped will not be rendered less valuable by allowing the artificial shaft as well as the windlass to be permanently destroyed through neglect and decay4 ,the plan and section contained here were the result of independent measurements1 which fully confirmed the results of his previous survey4 ,illustration3 ,,stalactites ,,in ,,entrance ,,gallery1 ,,lamb',s ,,lair4 ,photo by ,bamforth1 ,holmfirth4 ,a ,,cave ,,in ,,the ,,quantocks ,at ,bridgewater1 where we had arrived one winter morning at sunrise1 after a melancholious journey in unwarmed carriages across the flooded moors beyond ,glastonbury1 not a person had heard tell of a cave in the ,quantocks4 ,but the information we relied on1 though a century old1 was definite enough to warrant the hire of a trap to convey us and our apparatus to a certain lonely cross-road1 seven miles away1 in a corner of the broad parish of ,bloomfield4 ,climbing steadily through ,enmore1 we found the cross-road on a hilltop #hjj feet above the sea1 hard by a homely tavern1 where we got cider for ourselves and feed for the horse4 ,to our west was the ,beacon on ,cotherstone ,hill1 and two miles farther the ,fire ,signal ,pits on ,will's ,neck 7#abfa feet71 the highest of the ,quantock ,hills4 ,but of the red-deer country that lay around us we saw little1 and less as the day wore on1 for a cold sea-mist came rolling up from the ,bristol ,channel1 and would have given us trouble in finding our cave1 had not a guide appeared providentially4 ,it was a tattered and weather-beaten countryman1 who emerged from the tap-room and announced that he was the only person who knew anything about the cave4 ,he dilated in glowing terms on its beauties--,it be very ornamental1 sur1 very ornamental4 ,fox by name and fox by nature1 so he described himself--for he was both garrulous and egotistical--he was fond of burrowing into holes4 ,that he was a poacher to boot1 we had no reason to disbelieve after a few minutes' conversation4 ,he led us by a veritable fox's path over fields and hedges1 through a mist-drenched spinney1 down to a dingle1 where beetle-browed rocks overhung the entrance to the cave4 ,a rusty iron gate barred the way1 and was padlocked4 ,reynard proposed to make a journey of several miles1 at our expense1 to procure the key2 but a broken link in the chain saved us time and cider4 ,there is not much ,limestone on the ,quantocks1 and caves are a rarity4 ,at this spot an outlier of ,carboniferous ,limestone lies in close contact with beds of ,greywacke ,slate--a very unusual conjunction1 which prepared us for something new and strange in the way of crystallisations4 ,descending a few yards beyond the entrance1 the main passage rises a little1 and then drops gradually towards a stagnant pool1 beyond which it is impossible to get4 ,the length of this portion is only #adj feet1 and the direction from north-east to south-west4 ,certain narrow passages1 however1 bore into the ,limestone on the north1 and extend their ramifications much farther4 ,only one of these seems to have been known before our visit4 ,in the main passage1 near the pool1 is seen the special wonder of ,holwell ,cave1 a brilliant display of arragonite crystals all over the roof4 ,arragonite usually occurs in massive deposits of satin spar1 distinguished by a perfection of whiteness when newly split1 a whiteness that grows dingy very soon if you try to keep specimens4 ,here it occurs in quite another form--the coralloid1 known as flos ferri2 thousands of filaments or spicules ramifying from centres1 and looking as soft as cobweb1 though as brittle as blown glass4 ,this delicate product is often tinged with a pink stain like that of fluor-spar4 ,andrew ,crosse1 the electrician1 who was carrying on his researches in the neighbourhood when ,holwell ,cavern was found about #ahjj1 thought that the crystal might have been distorted by slow degrees into these fanciful shapes through the invisible action of electric energy1 an agent to which most mysterious natural processes have been attributed some time or another2 but the fibrous arragonite1 scientists tell us1 is by no means abnormal4 ,it all lies on the ,greywacke part of the roof2 the adjoining ,limestone has no arragonite1 but is incrusted with the usual sheets and bosses of calcite1 mutilated somewhat by visitors who have taken away mementos4 ,ain't it ornamental1 sur8 said our conductor2 but his exclamations were still more enthusiastic when the magnesium ribbon lit up the millions of arragonite crystals that covered the roof with a glistering efflorescence4 ,then the flashlight blazed out1 as our camera got into action1 and the old man was speechless with amazement4 ,he had known the cave1 boy and man1 all his life1 but never before had he1 or anyone else for that matter1 gazed upon all its beauties4 ,several photographs were secured--among them the portrait of a sleeping bat clinging to the groining of calcite--and then the cave grew too smoky for further work4 ,so we went off to explore4 ,first we climbed into an opening high up in the north wall4 ,it seemed to run parallel with the main passage1 and soon we beheld daylight in front4 ,ere we reached the open air1 however1 we came to a steep drop1 and found that the branch had simply brought us back to the vestibule of the cavern4 ,another opening1 near the entrance1 running due north1 proved more interesting1 leading eventually to a bell chamber1 floored1 walled1 and roofed with polished carbonate4 ,someone had reached this point twenty years ago1 so dates and initials testified2 but there were virgin passages branching off to left and right for us to investigate1 as far as bodies of speleological slimness were admissible4 ,a squeeze through a crevice in the east wall led into a parallel tunnel1 depressingly low and painfully narrow1 which seemed to run on indefinitely to the north4 ,the soft clay floor showed it was at times the path of a heavy stream4 ,northward1 it shrank to a mere drain-pipe2 southward it led by one joint and culvert to another1 all at right angles1 into other straight channels1 all going in the same general direction4 ,my companion stuck fast a little way beyond the first tunnel2 ,i pushed on like a weevil into the maze of perforations1 but met the same fate at last1 not giving in1 however1 until ,i had been held as in a vice at one point for a good five minutes1 with boot jammed1 candle out1 and no room to get my hand to the pocket where the waterproof matches were safely stowed away4 ,it was still possible to see a long way ahead1 by candlelight and magnesium2 and we made out that north of the known cave lies a whole network of dry waterways1 the principal channels running due north1 roughly parallel to the ,limestone escarpment in which the cave mouth opens1 and all connected together by rectangular branches4 ,one channel brought us within view of daylight2 but the crevice was too small for anything but a rabbit1 and we had to return by the same arduous and abrading passages we had come by4 ,as old ,fox would have said1 the things we saw were very handsome1 but we could not tempt him to enter this uncomfortable region4 ,e4 ,a4 ,b4 ,,cave ,,exploring ,,at ,,abergele ,travellers on the ,north-,western to ,holyhead or ,snowdonia are familiar with several cave mouths that form a prominent feature in the ,limestone cliffs above ,lord ,dundonald's castle1 near the station of ,llandulas4 ,the most conspicuous is a vast antre near the cliff-top2 and legend has it that this opens into passages running for great distances1 and eventually descending beneath the sea4 7,welsh cave-myths are not less extravagant than those of ,derbyshire and ,somerset1 where stories of dogs1 geese1 and other animals that have made long pilgrimages underground and come into daylight again divested of feathers or hair1 are still piously cherished by the credulous47 ,the name attached to this group of caves1 ,tanyrogo--under the cave--is derived from the ,celtic ogo or ogof1 a cavern1 and is almost identical with the original name of ,wookey ,hole in ,somerset4 ,a party of explorers from ,liverpool and ,colwyn ,bay have recently carried out some researches in the ,tanyrogo caves1 and in those at ,st4 ,george1 on the other side of ,abergele2 and while verifying their disbelief in the supposed extent of the subterranean galleries1 have ascertained many interesting facts as to the formation and the geological history of both series4 ,a grassy terrace runs along the cliff face to the gaping portal of the ,ogo1 the biggest of the ,tanyrogo caves1 which looks seaward and commands a magnificent view over the coast and the ,irish sea4 ,the prehistoric men who doubtless lived here once showed not only good taste in the choice of a site for their residence1 but a judicious eye for military possibilities2 the place is all but impregnable1 save by starvation1 the only access being by this narrow ledge1 which a handful of men could defend against an army4 ,spanned by a noble arch is a colossal vestibule1 rock-floored and dry4 ,but this imposing entrance is a deception--there is nothing beyond to compare with its shape and magnitude4 ,we swerved to the left1 and at once found ourselves treading a floor of wet clay1 which began to ascend1 and soon steepened into a high bank leading up towards the roof4 ,creeping under an arch1 we found ourselves in a transverse fissure that may have run as far as the legends pleased1 but grew too narrow in a few feet for any human being to penetrate farther4 ,a few rudimentary stalactites and a crust of pure white calcite adorned one small grotto2 the rest was bare rock walls and rugged arches1 springing here and there high into the darkness1 in fissures that must reach very nearly to the summit of the cliff4 ,a branch passage dwindled away still more quickly1 and so did a minor opening that looks like a side door to the main entrance4 ,the rock structure of the cave arches is displayed in very beautiful ways in this cavern1 but the most interesting feature is the remnant of an old cave floor4 ,the cavern was evidently formed in pre-,glacial times1 and the vast quantities of clay that plug it up almost entirely now must have been carried in by the ice4 ,after the glaciers had receded1 the normal agencies began their work again2 a stalagmite floor was formed by the drip of water from the roof1 depositing a layer of calcite2 this in the course of time was broken down again1 and now leaves a kind of high-water mark all round the walls of the cavity4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,ogo1 ,,near ,,abergele4 ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,baker4 ,illustration3 ,,inside ,,the ,,ogo1 ,,near ,,abergele4 ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,baker4 ,the line of the fissure creating the upward chasms inside the cave can be traced in the external configuration of the cliff2 in sundry vertical openings in the face1 and in the clean-cut walls1 where sheer masses have fallen away1 broken at the joints4 ,similar joints and fissures played a part in the formation of a lower tier of caves1 which we explored next4 ,the first was only a yard or two wide1 but very lofty1 and its floor was composed of a level bed of sand and clay4 ,this gradually rose as we walked into the darkness1 until the cave ended more abruptly even than the last4 ,we noticed pebbles of ,bunter sandstone in the floor1 and the next cave produced many more examples of the same stone1 which must have been brought from a long distance1 the nearest strata corresponding to it being in ,wirral4 ,at the back of this next cave a bank of cave earth and boulder clay was piled right up to the roof1 so steeply that it was not too easy a climb to the summit4 ,arrived there1 we found no possible egress2 but a horizontal tunnel1 a sort of squint or hagioscope probably more than forty feet long1 gave us a peep through the rocky cliff out to the sunlight4 ,we set out forthwith to discover the outside orifice of this curious hole1 and found it came out on a ledge in the face of the cliff1 hard by an open platform which had a very queer look about it4 ,on examination this proved to be the floor of an old cave that had been destroyed by the quarrymen4 ,half-embedded in thick clay were a number of stalagmite pedestals1 and a floor of stalagmite underneath several feet in depth1 surmounting a thick bed of boulder clay stuck full of ,bunter pebbles4 ,it was obvious that the quarrymen1 coming across this mass of useless material1 had not troubled to attack the solid layer of stalagmite above it4 ,the remains of stalactites and stalagmite curtains still adhered to the neighbouring cliff4 ,the spot is well worth visiting1 if only to see this remarkable illustration of several consecutive chapters in the history of a cavern4 ,the destructive work of the ,limestone quarry1 having been checked at this particular point1 exposes the whole thing as in a diagram2 and the actual evidences are there just as they were produced by the forces acting in successive epochs--the mouth of the original cave1 formed perhaps in pre-,triassic times2 the masses of drift thrust in by the glaciers2 and the new cave floor1 with its growth of stalagmites4 ,since the caves lie at a height of several hundred feet above sea-level1 it is fairly certain that the moving glaciers exerted an upward as well as a horizontal force1 shoving the plastic masses of clay and dbris into the ascending passages1 and caulking up1 no doubt1 a good many tributary galleries that are now unknown4 ,the caves look north1 and the material pushed into them must have come from seaward2 there is1 furthermore1 no rock in the adjoining districts that could have yielded this kind of pebbles3 so that it appears the stream of glaciers which flowed across from ,lancashire and ,cheshire1 impinging against the contrary flow of ice from ,snowdonia1 must be held responsible for the presence of these dense deposits4 ,all along the meadow-lands between the ,limestone hills and the sea a series of risings or big springs are noticeable from the railway1 forming large pools4 ,these are the outlets of the drainage that has been absorbed by the ,limestone strata1 through which the water has found its way until1 meeting with an impermeable layer of rock1 or reaching the plane of saturation at sea-level1 it has been forced to the surface4 ,illustration3 ,,in ,,the ,,ogo1 ,,near ,,abergele4 ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,baker4 ,the ,st4 ,george's ,caves are situated on and about a wooded hill of ,limestone near the village1 which adjoins the low-lying lands of ,morfa ,rhuddlan1 the scene of a murderous battle in the year #gie4 ,the ,celt1 with his strong historical imagination1 such a factor in national solidarity1 still remembers1 though confusedly perhaps1 some incidents of that calamitous fight4 ,the old woman who pointed out the situation of the caves drew our attention to the ditch and rampart which run round the hillcrest1 where it is not protected by cliffs4 ,there1 she said1 the routed ,welsh tribes had entrenched themselves and fought desperately on until every man was put to the sword4 ,the wood on the hilltop is full of graves1 she told us1 and weapons often come to light there4 ,a great master-joint or fissure runs across the hill towards the battlefield1 and in it lie the caves1 or rather the cave1 for so far as we could make out they are all parts of one stream-channel4 ,at the top of a cliff that is now being worked for lime is a small orifice1 a mere fox's hole1 blocked up against ,master ,reynard or the badgers that often find a home in these small caves4 ,a hundred feet beneath it is a larger opening1 which is said to give entrance into several good-sized chambers2 but that also has been carefully built up with fragments of ,limestone by the quarrymen4 ,we were driven accordingly to seek the outlet of the cave1 and this we found by following the smooth1 straight escarpment1 produced by the fault1 in a wood close to the mainroad4 ,a large stream once issued from the cave mouth1 but has since become engulfed in some internal swallet1 and emerges a few yards lower down1 welling out from a funnel of crystal water some #ae feet deep4 ,the cave itself discharges a stream only in flood-time4 ,there1 too1 we were stopped from penetrating far by the beds of clay that gradually rose to the cave roof2 but in this instance the deposits had been made by the stream1 and were not the results of glacial action pushing upwards4 ,in fact1 this is a cave with quite a modern history1 one still in working order1 and used as a waterway at the proper times and seasons by the stream that made it4 ,the ,tanyrogo ,caves1 on the other hand1 have ceased for untold ages to be actual water-channels1 having been deprived long ago by denudation above and behind them of the greater part of their drainage area4 ,and since that remote epoch they have gone through the series of vicissitudes so plainly recorded in their present physiognomy4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,pre-,,glacial ,,cave1 ,,llandulas4 ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,baker4 ,,cave ,,discoveries ,,on ,,the ,,welsh ,,border ,the other day1 a ,liverpool friend1 who has a bungalow in the ,ceiriog ,valley1 close to ,offa's ,dyke1 told me he had found a cave there1 which had never been explored1 but was reputed to go six miles underground1 to the neighbourhood of ,oswestry4 ,he invited me to come down and explore it1 and ,i readily agreed1 on the condition that he was to seize the opportunity to make his dbut as a cave explorer4 ,on the side of the valley where the cave lies the hill falls steeply to the ,ceiriog1 and the densely-wooded cliff of ,limestone that bathes its foot in the river is like a bit of ,dovedale4 ,not so the other side of the valley1 where different strata crop out1 and the hills1 with all their trees1 rise more gently to the brow overlooking ,llangollen4 ,the cave mouth is about #bj feet above the river1 in a cliff facing due north1 in which the ,limestone is tilted at an angle of #de degrees4 ,it is recessed within a lofty arch1 but the entrance itself is low1 compelling us to creep for the first few yards4 ,after two or three bends1 the roof as well as the floor rises1 and the passage opens into a chamber whose floor is heaped up to a height of #aj feet with fallen dbris1 thickly plastered with mud4 ,at first the cave runs due south1 but the main axis of this chamber1 which is lofty and measures about #bj feet by #bj1 runs east-south-east4 ,the roof rises about #bj feet higher than the central heap of dbris4 ,water drips occasionally1 but there are no stalactites4 ,at the far end the passage turns south-east1 and1 though lofty1 is narrow1 the walls being parallel1 and tilted at an angle of #bj degrees from the perpendicular4 ,then a second chamber widens out1 #ej feet long by #f feet broad1 as muddy as the former4 ,rising #aj feet1 the passage continues to the east-south-east1 but the walls converge for a time1 forcing us to crawl1 extended on our sides4 ,then it opens out again1 and we climb over more heaps of dbris littering the floor1 and all bedaubed with thick1 tenacious clay4 ,now the passage becomes loftier but narrower1 and progress has to be made by keeping near the roof1 the walls sloping at an angle of #cj degrees from the vertical1 opening at one point into a small chamber with a false floor of jammed rocks1 then immediately closing again1 and so continuing for a distance of #fj feet4 ,the narrowness is so great that one goes ahead only by dint of a continuous struggle against friction4 ,up to this1 my friend had kept close at my heels1 followed by his man4 ,but here the only way visible was down a still narrower rift bending off to the left1 and the latter found his own diameter greater than that of the cave4 ,we left him1 and pushed obstinately forward1 though we had not seen a sign of any person's former presence for a long distance4 ,nearer the cave mouth matches and candle-grease and the marks of crawling had been plentiful1 local adventurers having got in nearly #ajj feet4 ,illustration3 ,,on ,,the ,,ceiriog4 ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,baker4 ,illustration3 ,,upper ,,ceiriog ,,cave4 ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,baker4 ,already we had struck the water in two or three places1 but had not found it in the main passage4 ,now we crossed a long pool or runnel of stagnant water1 which came in from under the rocks to the south-east1 and climbed into a tight little curving tunnel that led back to it in a semi-circle4 ,beyond it1 ,i found myself in a rift chamber1 with the water coming in from under the rocks at one end1 and flowing out in like manner at the other4 ,there seemed to be no egress1 till suddenly ,i noticed that the niche in which ,i was sitting was the end of a small horizontal hole or dry water-pipe1 striking off at right angles4 ,but my companion had found the tunnel too much for him4 ,the sides bristled with points of rock1 and pressed in so close that one could only wriggle through by fractions of an inch1 stretched at full length on the left side4 ,now he made a stout attempt to get through underneath1 in the water tunnel4 ,i heard the sound of wallowing1 and then my friend's head and shoulders came splashing in at the bottom of the cave1 his body dragging after through water and mud4 ,but again he stuck fast1 and announced that he would give the thing up4 ,it was not wise to go on far alone1 for fear of being left by any accident without a light2 but in order to make a reconnaissance for future work ,i pushed through the water-pipe1 and to my delight found myself in another horizontal tunnel running parallel to the main chamber4 ,crawling ahead1 first over a clay-lined floor1 and then over splinters of ,limestone mixed with stalagmites1 ,i emerged presently into an open passage1 #be or #cj feet high1 with the stream peacefully reposing in one long pool at the bottom4 ,it appeared to go on indefinitely1 and ,i might have gone farther1 but for the present determined to leave off the exploration at this point4 ,the parallel tunnel seemed to be going straight back towards the cave mouth1 and it looked as though it might form a short cut home4 ,as a matter of fact1 this was a right branch striking off from the point where our man had stuck fast4 ,by crawling in his direction and shouting1 ,i made him hear1 and at last saw his light through a chink only three inches wide4 ,fallen blocks of ,limestone choked the tunnel at his end1 where it leaves the main passage near the roof1 and in its present state this branch of the cave was practically invisible4 ,we shifted several big stones1 however1 and in a few minutes my friend joined me1 pleased enough to find a way out that saved the discomforts of his recent journey4 ,he had had the misfortune to array himself in white flannels1 and now the state of his garments was so deplorable that he straightway hid himself in the river1 like the pseudo ,marquis of ,carabas1 until more presentable clothing could be fetched4 ,illustration3 ,,lower ,,ceiriog ,,cavern4 ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,baker4 ,a veteran cave-hunter from ,liverpool gladly joined me in a second visit to the ,ceiriog ,cavern4 ,our host could not be with us1 but sent a village youth as his substitute4 ,this young man was very keen and plucky1 and1 as things turned out1 saved the situation1 for my speleological friend1 to his intense chagrin1 failed to get through the narrow entrance to the parallel tunnel1 and the two of us had to finish the job by ourselves4 ,climbing along the walls of the water-rift1 we soon found it best to wade straight through the stream bed1 and finally1 when the space grew more and more restricted1 to crawl through the water4 ,toward the end of the rift a small tunnel broke away to the left1 and the water disturbed by our advance flowed into it and away down a small swallet4 ,wriggling through1 heedless of a wetting1 we came into a small chamber with four exits1 each of which we explored1 marking off each with a cross or arrow to prevent our losing the route back4 ,every branch led eventually to other points of divergence1 and ultimately to small tunnels or pipes1 through which the water flows in rainy weather into the head of the cavern4 ,having conscientiously examined every one1 without finding the mythical passage to ,oswestry1 we returned to the tunnel of the swallet4 ,one of the bifurcations1 it was interesting to discover1 led back unexpectedly into the water-rift4 ,there were numberless chinks and fissures1 and holes in the roof1 leading into this network of passages1 all very interesting as a concise example of the whole history of the formation of a cave2 but the farthest point reached was1 by measurement1 only a little more than #ejj feet from the entrance4 ,only in places were there stalactites1 and those small ones4 ,there were stalagmite curtains on the walls at one or two spots1 and patches of very white amorphous tufa4 ,curious filaments of cave-weed1 white and brown1 without a vestige of leaves1 abounded throughout the cavern4 ,not far above the cave mouth ,i came across the exit of the water1 a beautiful spring1 pouring down into the ,ceiriog1 a few yards away4 ,on the top of the hill1 in a disused ,limestone quarry1 there were traditions of a cave opening that had been covered by a landslip for some thirty years4 ,a man was set to work digging it out1 and a small fissure was disclosed1 the old channel of a tributary leading into the middle of a cave running north-north-east and south-south-west4 ,the total length was #agb feet4 ,the water apparently entered at the top of the left passage and ran away into a low bedding cave to the right4 ,the floor is wet clay at present1 but there are traces of large stalagmites1 including one handsome beehive2 and the roof is covered with beautiful white and amber stalactites4 ,our further attempts to uncover openings into the ,limestone only brought us down to the solid rock1 and we found nothing to confirm the rumour that a cave exists which carried a stream down to the ,ceiriog1 #hjj feet below4 ,,the ,,exploration ,,of ,,stump ,,cross ,,cavern ,the explorers who have done so much work in ,derbyshire and ,somersetshire have also carried out extended explorations in some of the more remote caves of ,yorkshire4 ,recently a party carried out farther investigations than any previous explorers in ,stump ,cross ,cavern1 on the moors between ,wharfedale and ,nidderdale4 ,this cavern1 which is named after the ancient boundary mark of ,knaresborough ,forest1 and is situated near the summit of the moors1 #acbf feet above sea-level1 #d-a_/b miles from ,pateley ,bridge and #aa-a_/b from ,skipton1 was discovered in #ahdc by miners searching for lead1 as was the case with several of the ,derbyshire caverns4 ,the ,greenhow lead mines are not far off1 and the ground in many parts hereabouts is riddled with old workings4 ,no place could look more unlikely for caves than the flat field on the top of the hill1 where a few steps lead down to a doorway into the ground1 close to the rough road to ,grassington and ,appletreewick4 ,the party of five1 besides myself1 ,messrs4 ,b4 and ,f4 ,wightman1 ,j4 ,w4 ,puttrell1 ,j4 ,croft1 and ,h4 ,bamforth 7all members of the ,kyndwr ,club71 drove up from ,bolton ,abbey ,station by way of ,burnsall1 and through various delays did not reach the cave mouth till nine o'clock on ,saturday evening4 ,with our photographic and other apparatus we descended at once to a level gallery #ej feet or so below the surface1 whence several passages branch off1 and there we made a halt4 ,to give a clear general idea of the structure of this cavern is not easy4 ,it consists of a number of galleries running in different directions at different levels1 with a few intercommunications1 and many continuations that have gradually become choked with clay and stalagmite and have for ages been impassable4 ,descending the steep stairway in a northerly direction one soon reaches the first of the natural passages1 which bears to the west4 ,a gallery goes off to the right1 west-south-west1 and bifurcates1 but is uninteresting1 the earth and clay that show its proximity to the surface rendering it very dirty4 ,in the opposite direction1 east-north-east1 the corridor where we had placed the luggage and made our general rendezvous continues to a distance of #abj feet1 and then dwindles away into a low stalactite grotto4 ,being so inaccessible and so little known1 the various chambers have never yet been christened1 except with the vague and general names of ,upper ,caverns and ,lower ,caverns1 which have little meaning owing to the intricate conformation of the series4 ,from our rendezvous two important tunnels1 called the ,lower ,caverns1 go off in a westerly direction from the bottom of a natural shaft #bj feet deep4 ,these were left for the present whilst we went into the ,middle ,caverns1 which strike off to the north from the same spot1 and after many turns and twists approach the surface in the ravine of ,dry ,gill1 south-east from the entrance to the caves4 ,many chambers and passages open out from this series1 the largest and most beautiful being called1 very inappropriately1 the ,top ,cavern4 ,as it leads eventually to a charming piece of cave scenery that we agreed to call the ,bowling ,alley1 it might well be named after this4 ,illustration3 ,,in ,,stump ,,cross ,,cavern4 ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,baker4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,pillar1 ,,stump ,,cross ,,cavern4 ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,baker4 ,i will now1 as clearly as ,i can1 follow the steps of the party in their exploration of these ,middle ,caverns1 and proceed afterwards with them into the other series4 ,descending gradually1 and passing many nooks and corners where exquisite recesses are wreathed about by the ivory-white incrustations on wall1 roof1 and floor1 we stayed to drink a ceremonious glass from the icy waters of ,jacob's ,well1 a crystal pool curtained in with masses of stalactite1 and then passed on to one of the chief show places seen by the public1 bearing the modest name of the ,chapel4 ,its great attraction is the series of massive pillars of translucent white that seem to uphold the arching roof4 ,in few of the caverns that ,i have explored is there anything to compare with the stateliness of this pure colonnade1 the cylindrical shafts of which are a good deal longer than a man's height1 and modelled fantastically by the irregular deposit of the calc spar4 ,one column in this part of the cave measured three feet in circumference4 ,a peculiar beauty was the transparency of the material1 a pure glassy white through which the light of a candle shone clearly1 whilst a light inside converted the hanging folds and clusters of stalactites into a beautiful species of lantern4 ,on the walls were folds and ridges of snowy stalagmite1 and from the roof hung stalactites of all shapes and sizes1 myriads of threadlike growths hanging in a lacy fringe4 ,onwards the arcading and the array of pillars extended into a roomy vault1 the end of which struck upwards1 as already explained1 south-eastwards1 toward ,dry ,gill4 ,though a perceptible draught comes through from the open air1 and the heaps of clay-coated blocks show that a swallet is not far off above1 no way can be forced through without excavation4 ,augmented by the arrival of two or three local friends1 the party descended1 after lunch1 into the ,lower ,caverns4 ,unlike the other passages1 with their continual windings and perplexing branches1 these two series of large vaults1 narrow tunnels1 and almost impracticable crevices maintain a westerly direction throughout1 and the few branches strike off decisively to the right or to the left4 ,two of us1 being delayed by some trifling accident1 missed the others at the bottom of the short vertical descent1 and1 unaware that there were two series of passages1 crept on along the first that opened4 ,this had the appearance of an old stream-bed1 the ground being littered in places with blocks of ,limestone1 in others clayey1 and in some parts smoothed down by the rush of a torrent4 ,high in places1 it often dwindled to a very low passage1 through which we crept and wriggled after the manner of the serpent1 ofttimes exerting no little strength to push beneath the projections overhead4 ,here a shaft of glassy stalagmite1 uniting floor and roof1 tried to bar the way1 and there it was impossible to advance without scraping against the vitreous threads that hung like hairs from the dripping rocks4 ,we shouted to the others who we thought were ahead of us1 but got no reply1 and after twenty minutes of this painful progression began to think of returning4 ,noticing a hollow in the right wall1 ,i asked my comrade to wait while ,i examined it4 ,inside was a blind passage and the round orifice of a small tunnel1 into which ,i thrust my head and shoulders and then crawled forward4 ,it was not an inviting hole1 being wet and an exceedingly tight fit1 and ,i was on the point of returning when a voice was heard faintly in the distance4 ,listening intently and creeping on again1 ,i heard the voice more distinctly1 and shouted4 ,the voice replied from below4 ,i quickly realised that we two had missed the others1 who were following a lower series of passages somewhere beneath us4 ,unable to turn round1 and too far advanced to return up this slippery tunnel1 ,i saw there was nothing for it but to push on1 head downwards4 ,in a yard or two1 to my unspeakable relief1 the hole grew big enough to turn round in1 just before ,i got to the end of it1 and saw ,messrs4 ,croft and ,puttrell1 #ab feet below me1 holding out their hands and inviting me to drop4 ,the leap was a little sensational1 but ,i had my turn of enjoyment in witnessing the grace with which my comrade from above1 who was now courteously invited to follow me through the water-pipe1 took the jump on to the clay floor of the lower tunnel4 ,we returned later to the other westerly passage1 at the top of the water-pipe4 ,examining every opening carefully1 we noticed many similar communications between the two series1 evidently proving that the upper was a very ancient stream course that had been tapped successively until the lower tunnel superseded it as a waterway4 ,pushing ahead1 we soon realised that we had arrived at the richest part of the whole cavern1 though also the most inaccessible4 ,the roof came down bristling with spikes and shafts of the purest calcite2 the floor was one mass of crystallisation1 ridged all over with the rippling lines that form as the crust grows under water4 ,this exquisite scene was continued for hundreds of feet1 various and indescribable as a dream1 whilst our march onward over the sharp crystals of the floor and through the portcullis that closed every chamber was as painful as a nightmare4 ,loveliest of all was a long tunnel that once held many pools of water1 half-encrusted over with a film of carbonate4 ,only one of these lucid mirrors remained1 but the dried-up basins were as beautiful now as ever1 with the bottom and sides covered by a coraline growth delicate in colour as in form4 ,at the end was a small dome-like chamber1 where we extended ourselves for a hard-earned rest before facing the toils and tribulations of the journey back4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,chapel3 ,,stump ,,cross ,,cavern4 ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,baker4 ,we thought this expedition to the lower series had exhausted the principal beauties of ,stump ,cross ,cavern1 but we were wrong4 ,on our way to rejoin the other men in the ,middle ,cavern we were much impressed by two large curtains of stalactite1 one of them folded and wrinkled1 and the other hanging straight down without a curve1 but both striped with deep bands of crimson1 orange1 and golden yellow when a piece of magnesium was burnt behind them4 ,these were equal in extent and brilliance to anything ,i have ever seen1 even in ,cox's ,cavern at ,cheddar4 ,a round tunnel1 ribbed and groined with glistening dripstone1 and a broad low arch set with pillars and string-like stalactites stretched from top to bottom1 led into the long1 wide chamber that we dubbed the ,bowling ,alley1 on account of the stumps and pedestals of stalagmite that stud the floor between the pillars4 ,beyond it a short passage leads into a grotto to the right1 and a very difficult one continues some distance to the left4 ,it was now past three in the morning4 ,tired and battered to the point of exhaustion1 but delighted with an exploration that far exceeded in interest all we had looked for1 we returned to the cave mouth4 ,an unpleasant-looking bull which had with great suspicion watched us make our nocturnal entry into the regions below had1 greatly to our relief1 got tired of waiting1 and the coast was clear4 ,out of the everlasting silence and the shadows1 lit so rarely by the glare of the magnesium and the beams of the limelight1 we returned again1 with the surprise that never fails1 to the light of the heavens4 ,dusk was on the far-extending moors and hills1 daylight was creeping on over the sky1 a pair of larks saluted us with a hilarious song4 ,our driver was soon awake at the little inn1 two furlongs away1 and in the freshness of the morning we crawled down the break-neck road to ,appletreewick1 ,bolton ,woods and the ,wharfe growing in light before us2 and then at an exhilarating pace rolled up the dale to the ,red ,lion at ,burnsall4 ,,swallet-,,hunting ,,in ,,derbyshire ,,giant',s ,,hole ,,and ,,manifold ,between ,sparrowpit and the head of the ,winnats the old road from ,chapel-en-le-,frith to ,castleton skirts what is1 geologically1 one of the most important localities in ,derbyshire4 ,it runs along the side of a shallow upland valley1 about #abjj feet above tide-level and two miles long1 which is bounded on two sides by the curve of ,rushup ,edge and on the other two by ,elden ,hill1 ,windy ,knoll1 and other ,limestone acclivities4 ,one of the great faults of the ,pennine chain traverses this valley longitudinally1 the ,yoredale strata having been thrown down to the level of the ,limestone1 so that the middle of the valley is the boundary between the ,yoredale rocks1 shale grits1 and milestone grit on the north1 and the ,limestone plateau of ,mid-,derbyshire on the south4 ,the valley is completely encircled by higher ground2 there is no egress for streams on the surface4 ,accordingly other modes of drainage are to be looked for1 and they will be discovered in a numerous series of swallets situated along the line of the fault1 the water that runs over the impervious shales perforating the ,limestone as soon as it comes in contact with it4 ,this shallow valley1 in fact1 is the gathering ground for the waters that pour into the abyss of the ,speedwell ,cavern1 traverse ,peak ,cavern1 and make their way to the open air at ,russet ,well and other springs at ,castleton4 ,that such is the case has long been proved by observations of the temperature and colour of the waters1 and by tracing chaff and other things thrown into the upland streams4 ,but there exist hardly enough data to establish the theory of the ,french speleologist1 ,m4 ,martel1 that ,peak's ,hole ,water comes from ,perryfoot1 and the water of ,russet ,well from ,coalpit ,mine1 near ,sparrowpit4 ,all that is definitely known is that these waters run through the massive ,limestone for distances varying from two to three miles and reappear in ,castleton1 #fjj feet beneath4 ,whether they unite into one or two large streams1 which form considerable chambers and caverns in the inaccessible region beyond the farthest known parts of ,speedwell and ,peak ,caverns1 is an interesting question1 that tempts one to answer boldly in the affirmative1 since the action of underground streams in ,somerset and ,yorkshire seems to justify the assumption1 if we take into account the extent of the vertical joints eaten away by the water in its descent of #fjj feet1 and the effects of periodical floods4 ,in ,somerset1 in a situation exactly similar1 two caves of #fjj feet fall and #bjjj feet horizontal measurement have recently been discovered by opening similar swallet-holes4 ,is there any hope of finding such hypothetical cavern or caverns here by exploring1 and if necessary opening artificially1 any of the swallets between ,perryfoot and ,giant's ,hole8 ,the investigations recently carried out by a friend and myself do not make us hopeful that if there are such caverns they will ever be made accessible4 ,we began our work at ,giant's ,hole1 which opens in the bottom of a little gorge between ,peak's ,hill and ,middle ,hill4 ,the brooklet that runs in at the cave mouth was very low1 and we passed almost dryshod over the rough stones that cover the stream-bed for some #fj feet4 ,giant's ,hole has an arched entrance about seven feet high1 and the first part of the cave retains the same form4 ,then the walls contract1 and the cave takes the shape of a deep and narrow canyon1 cut through solid rock1 with the stream coursing along at the bottom over little falls and waterslides and through pools that are not easy to pass without a wetting4 ,one hundred and fifty feet from the entrance to the cave is a lofty rift1 near the top of which an upper gallery turns west1 the general direction of the main passage being southerly4 ,passing this1 we followed the stream downhill for another fifty or sixty yards1 and were then brought to a standstill by a partial choke4 ,at this point a quantity of stones and gravel comes within two feet of the roof1 and the water is dammed back in a pool a foot deep1 so that there is barely a foot of clear space between water and roof4 ,returning to the steep climb to the upper gallery1 we scaled the wet and slippery rocks1 and found ourselves on a shelf over the canyon4 ,the shelf gave ingress to the gallery1 which rose gently in a westerly direction1 with frequent twists and turns1 and then turned north4 ,in #aej feet it divided4 ,we scrambled on2 but all the branches evidently approached the surface of the ground1 becoming earthy1 and we soon found it impossible to get any farther4 ,this upper level1 which for our purposes was of less interest than the lower1 is incrusted with deposits throughout its length of #hj or #ij yards4 ,there are stalagmite curtains and sheets of tufa on the walls1 the older rocks on the floor are cemented together with a crust of polished stalagmite1 and some of the boulders are covered with shining enamel4 ,we found it best to use an ,alpine rope in getting back to the lower level1 the ledges underneath not being easy to find by candlelight4 ,outside the sun was shining brightly1 and the light that streamed in at the cave mouth1 through the ferns and flowers and grasses that encircled it1 was stained a fairy-like green4 ,continuing our way through the gorge between the sharp ,limestone knoll of ,peak's ,hill and the bulkier ,middle ,hill1 we followed a stream that comes down from ,rushup ,edge1 perforates the ,limestone base of ,peak's ,hill1 and comes out on the other side at a small cave4 ,in three furlongs this stream is swallowed under a cliff some #bj feet high1 the ingress at present being through a series of holes1 where the water makes an intermittent roaring1 almost like the throb of a hydraulic ram1 as if a siphon were momentarily discharging4 ,older rifts are seen in the same line of cliffs1 and can be penetrated for #cj feet1 but are now deserted by the water save at flood-time4 ,farther on is a deep depression in the hillside1 big enough to engulf a house4 ,it is supposed locally to have been produced by the falling in of a cave roof1 but it is more probably an independent swallet1 one of a series1 nearly all funnel-shaped and long out of working order1 that lie along a higher level in the ,limestone than those that occupy the line of demarcation from the shales4 ,the biggest of them is ,bull ,pit1 which we come to later4 ,next to the last pair of large openings into which streams are running1 and which may be called the ,peak's ,hill ,swallets1 since their waters rise out of ,peak's ,hill1 we come to a large irregular series of trough-shaped hollows converging on another swallet at this same geological border-line4 ,the openings here are all little ones4 ,but the next swallet has a cave above it1 into which we entered4 ,it does not go far1 but it has two ascending branches that can be traced to two small depressions in the ,limestone where tiny affluents have percolated and cut for themselves little tunnels in the rock4 ,the next swallet beyond this has but a small opening1 although the hollow cut out by its rivulets through the shales is hundreds of square yards in area4 ,an abrupt cliff walls in the hollow on the ,limestone side1 only a few paces from which are naked patches of ,yoredale rocks1 clearly defining the boundary of the two series4 ,we now came to one of the most interesting openings that we have met with4 ,it lies about #bjj yards north of ,bull ,pit4 ,as often happens1 immediately above the swallet1 in the ,limestone1 is a deep chasm almost perforating the escarpment4 ,at the base of the escarpment is a rounded archway with a turbulent stream running in4 ,after securing a photograph we enter1 and make our way down stream easily for a little distance2 then the cave twists and narrows1 and at a distance of #dj feet or so we are disappointed to find the channel too confined for us to force our way farther4 ,outside we had observed that the basin-shaped area had been flooded not long ago1 and inside the vegetable dbris that was plastered over the walls and roof showed that the swallet must have been completely choked during the recent wet weather4 ,but the peculiarity of this swallet was that the solid mass of rock through which the stream had carved its way was not ordinary ,limestone1 but beautifully veined and crystalline like marble1 and its surface smooth and polished4 ,it had very much the same appearance as the marmorised ,limestone found in the neighbourhood of intrusive lavas1 such as those near ,tideswell4 ,by the action of the water it had been sculptured into fantastic shapes2 in one place a corner had been cut through and a small pillar left1 joined to the rock at top and bottom4 ,we scrambled with some difficulty into the chasm behind the swallet4 ,at the bottom1 on the same side as the existing swallet1 was the broad and lofty arch of a cave1 which went only a few yards in1 otherwise it would have broken through the escarpment4 ,right above the keystone of the arch was a weathered group of stalactites hanging from a ledge1 and under them the broken stalagmite floor of a tiny grotto4 ,it is a rare thing to find such deposits in the open air1 and doubtless it indicates that the chasm was formed by the destruction of a larger cave4 ,a thick deposit of earthy mud covered the floor1 and at one side a big hole penetrated this to a depth of six feet1 the work of a stream that had perhaps not run for ages4 ,this deposit1 though dry1 was so soft that ,i nearly sank through into the hole4 ,we found four birds' nests in this cave mouth1 with eggs and young in them1 and were disappointed not to come across the egg of a cuckoo that flew out the moment before we entered4 ,in the wiry grass not far away from the top of the cavity we discovered a lark's nest with two eggs in it4 ,bull ,pit lies in the wood just above this opening1 nearer the road4 ,it is a great open abyss1 walled on three sides by crags of ,limestone nearly a hundred feet high1 and with trees growing all round the edges4 ,this1 no doubt1 is a very ancient swallet that has not been in operation for ages--belongs1 perhaps1 to the same period as ,elden ,hole1 which opens #bjj or #cjj feet higher1 a mile away1 on ,elden ,hill4 ,a little way on1 near ,perryfoot1 we come in sight of another very ancient cavity1 on the side of ,gautries ,hill4 ,it is a gaping pit about #gj feet deep1 with a noble arch inside1 spanning the entrance to a broad cave4 ,at present the cave mouth is silted up with sand and clay4 ,all these rocky openings are the lurking-places of beautiful ferns and mosses2 the feathery fronds of the ,limestone polypody1 the late primroses1 various saxifrages1 and the delicate foliage of herb robert making a brave show4 ,the wilder birds take refuge there4 ,a crow flew out of the hole on ,gautries ,hill1 and one day on approaching ,elden ,hole ,i was startled by a dense cloud of jackdaws1 more than a hundred1 suddenly rushing out4 ,farther down1 from #ej to #ajj feet lower1 a host of starlings had built their nests on the walls of the chasm4 ,disturbed1 they came flying up in twos and threes1 beating the air in painful efforts to wing their way straight up and out of the hole4 ,at ,perryfoot a stream is engulfed which ,m4 ,martel considers to be the source of ,peak's ,hole ,water1 and to be identical with the stream that flows through the inmost passages of ,peak ,cavern4 ,it now runs into a cleft that is too small to be explored4 ,but at a comparatively recent date it was swallowed in a number of large fissures in a crescent-shaped wall of ,limestone #ajj yards away4 ,most of these openings are impracticable1 but at the extreme east ,i had already reconnoitred a promising cleft which we now proceeded to examine thoroughly4 ,this complicated swallet1 with the passages behind it1 is known locally as ,manifold4 ,going east for #ce feet1 the fissure divides1 one passage striking up towards the surface and the other turning south4 ,we soon had to crawl1 the passage being very low1 narrow1 and lined with objectionable stones4 ,after #cj feet more we came to a wider place1 with a sort of chimney on one side4 ,here was the sole mark of humanity that we found in this cave1 a stake that had apparently been used to climb into the chimney4 ,nothing was gained by climbing it1 so we squeezed our way along the main passage4 ,now the tunnel grew into a high but narrow canyon where we could stand upright1 then it dwindled to a tunnel again1 generally descending1 but occasionally rising in what was once a siphon4 ,we passed one or two branches1 at the most important of which the principal tunnel curved to the left and descended a little more steeply over some small ledges and basins brimming with water4 ,we began to feel sanguine about the wished-for cavern1 but presently the diameter of the tunnel grew so small that we could not advance another yard4 ,my companion was some distance behind with his candle out1 and ,i would not make a move until he had got it relighted1 the consequences of both candles going out at once being unpleasant and possibly dangerous4 ,for a long way we could not turn round1 and had to crawl feet foremost4 ,just after repassing the junction my companion shouted that we were going wrong4 ,he did not recognise the passage4 ,i remained at the junction whilst he went farther and ascertained that it was the right channel after all4 ,then ,i examined the branch4 ,it ascended #bj feet and then divided1 the left branch1 which was earthy1 plainly striking up to the surface1 the right branch going back towards the swallet4 ,undoubtedly there must be quite a labyrinth of dry water channels to correspond with the numerous series of openings in the cliff1 but the one we explored seemed to be the largest and most practicable4 ,very tired and hot1 not to mention the dirt1 we made our way back to the exit1 glad to feel that our day's work was done4 ,the one thing that had impressed us most during our explorations was that all these swallets and water channels are cut through solid rock4 ,only when the rocks are shattered or disintegrated1 as in the cases alluded to in ,somerset1 would there be any possibility of enlarging a swallet artificially4 ,and though we had penetrated to a distance of #djj feet at ,manifold we had not found the passages growing more roomy nor enlarged by the accession of tributaries4 ,so far1 the prospect of opening up the large fissures and chambers that must surely exist deeper in the rock seems unfavourable1 unless the main channel of ,giant's ,hole can be unblocked4 ,e4 ,a4 ,b4 ,,exploring ,,new ,,caves ,,in ,,derbyshire ,the new and exciting game of cave-exploring has been pursued so strenuously during the last four years that one would almost think the possibilities of fresh discoveries had been exhausted4 ,when a little while ago1 therefore1 rumours came in of a big cavern in ,lathkill ,dale1 so big that people were said to have been lost in its recesses1 they were received not a little incredulously4 ,but after the usual allowances had been made for exaggeration and myth1 and the alleged casualties reduced to the misfortunes of a sheep-dog who spent fourteen days in the cavern1 probably rock-bound on a ledge1 it still appeared that there was something worth exploring4 ,accordingly two friends1 ,messrs4 ,w4 ,h4 and ,g4 ,d4 ,williams1 who were residing near ,matlock1 kindly undertook to find the cave or caves1 and see what was to be done2 and a native of ,middleton was commissioned to make further inquiries4 ,first1 a letter arrived with the disappointing intelligence that there was no cave on the ,lathkill1 nothing but old mine workings3 but hard on its heels came a wire to say that a cave had been located and was being explored tentatively4 ,then further messages arrived with mention of another opening1 but which was the reputed great cavern was a question to be settled only by a regular exploration4 ,a day was fixed for the campaign1 and my section of the party drove up early in the morning from ,bakewell ,station on the ,midland4 ,our friends were waiting at the head of ,ricklow ,dale1 a mile below the little village of ,thornyash1 and we proceeded without delay down that streamless canyon1 first over smooth greensward between the grim ,limestone walls1 then hopping from point to point of huge1 close-packed fragments1 until we reached the uppermost cave mouth4 ,it has a very imposing entrance1 solid piers supporting a massive lintel1 about #bj feet wide4 ,it opens in the west cliff of ,ricklow ,dale1 at a height of #fij feet above sea-level1 and is evidently the source at times of a large stream4 ,ricklow ,dale is really the upper part of ,lathkill ,dale1 above the junction with ,cales ,dale1 and the head streams of the ,lathkill originally flowed down it from the neighbourhood of ,monyash4 ,but at a later period1 seemingly1 the stream betook itself to an underground course1 until it emerged into the open from this cave4 ,at the present time the cave is swept by water only when the deeper cavities of the rock overflow4 ,this happened1 for instance1 a few weeks ago1 when the cave discharged a considerable stream1 and was for the time being quite impenetrable to man4 ,as the ,messrs4 ,williams had been into this cavern a day or two before1 we left it for the present1 in order to try some unexplored openings farther down the dale4 ,on the same side of the dale they had detected the entrance to something1 whether cave or mine they knew not1 covered in by stones and earth4 ,with pick and crowbar an entrance was soon exposed1 not much larger than a badger's hole1 and we crept through4 ,at once it became evident that the hole was not a natural one2 it was no self-cave1 as the country people say1 but an ordinary level or a sough draining a lead mine4 ,a pool of water filled the tunnel from side to side1 stretching away into the distance2 and as we preferred1 if wading were necessary1 to postpone it as long as we could1 we left this alone for the present1 and went on with our quest at two other spots in the entrance to ,cales ,dale4 ,needless to say1 we had missed no opportunity of cross-examining the inhabitants of the district1 but the results had been absurdly inaccurate and conflicting4 ,already a crowd of rustic onlookers had gathered round1 but the only individual among them who knew anything about the region inside was the afore-mentioned sheep-dog1 who could tell us nothing4 ,he1 too1 was the only one who showed any inclination to join our underground party4 ,in the upper ,cales ,dale ,cavern1 as we named it1 he actually went ahead of us1 and put our candles in jeopardy with the spirited wagging of his tail4 ,this cave is doubtless a very ancient channel of the ,cales ,dale ,water1 which now runs through hidden crevices till it meets the ,lathkill2 the span of its antiquity may be gauged by the fact that ,cales ,dale has been cut #bjj feet deeper1 and the cave left high and dry1 since it was a regular stream-course4 ,i say dry in a comparative sense1 for we quickly found ourselves confronted by a short passage of extreme dampness4 ,the main channel runs west for #aej feet1 and then divides1 both branches dwindling rapidly to mere water-pipes4 ,but near the entrance a branch strikes off to the right4 ,although the roof came down on our backs as we crawled1 we managed to keep just above the surface of a shallow pool that lay in the middle3 but a second pool was almost entirely mopped up by our journey to and fro4 ,the passage ended in a chamber where two can stand upright4 ,every bit of this little nook is covered with a creamy-white and brownish coating of amorphous carbonate4 ,it is like a small empty shrine1 with heavy curtains flowing over its walls1 their folds and ridges flecked with innumerable scaly projections1 like some delicate frilling4 ,the rest of the cave is devoid of charm1 though there are interesting masses of white tufa on the walls1 as soft as putty4 ,at the bottom of the dale1 almost exactly under and parallel to this upper cave1 is a larger one1 which we called the ,lower ,cales ,dale ,cavern4 ,it is entirely concealed by bushes and nettles1 and we had to remove a mass of blocks and detritus before we laid bare the two entrances4 ,even then1 room could not be made for the broad-shouldered member of the party to get in4 ,at the end of #ae feet of very tight wriggling there was more head room4 ,we were in a straight tunnel1 arched as evenly as a culvert1 the floor covered with the gravelly deposits of a stream4 ,evidently it is a channel still used frequently by the ,cales ,dale ,water4 ,it ran due west for #cjj feet1 with room in most places for us to crawl on hands and knees3 then it bent one point to the north4 ,here the stream had thrown up a low dam1 behind which it had bored a series of holes on the south side1 through which most of it gets away4 ,soon a wall of rock1 shaped like the steps of a weir1 confronted us1 at the top of which we found ourselves in a wide1 irregular chamber1 the height of whose roof varied from #f feet to #ah feet4 ,we called it the ,pot ,hole ,cavern1 because of the number of water-worn cavities in the roof4 ,the biggest of these cavities appearing to give entrance to an upper gallery1 ,i climbed into it with the aid of a comrade's shoulder4 ,it contained a pretty grotto1 lined with incrustations1 but led to nothing4 ,deep horizontal fissures yawned on every side of the ,pot ,hole ,chamber1 and vertical joints split the interposing strata4 ,all the exits1 however1 came to an end speedily except two1 one extending a point east of south1 the other a point east of north4 ,i explored the northern branch before my friends arrived4 ,it had several short ramifications1 in some of which there were trails of rabbits1 and other evidences of a communication with the surface1 such as pieces of sodden wood and deposits of soil2 but it gave ingress for barely #ej feet4 ,the other branch seemed more important1 and as we were tired out and hungry1 we left it until we had returned to the dale for rest and lunch1 a waste of time1 unfortunately1 for it ran only for #ajj feet farther4 ,illustration3 ,,ricklow ,,cave ,,in ,,flood4 ,photo by ,g4 ,d4 ,williams4 ,we crept over a pavement of fractured blocks1 into a broad1 low passage that seemed to have been hewn by giants out of the solid ,limestone4 ,all around were the marks of a powerful1 swirling current1 that had split and torn the rocks asunder1 and bored its way through their joints2 yet not a grain of sand or a speck of mud was visible on their cleaned and polished surface4 ,fissures and passages twisted away at the side1 but returned in a few yards to the main corridor4 ,in the roof were discernible the clean-cut hollows whence slabs of ,limestone had fallen that still cumbered the floor4 ,the large chamber that we reached finally was bestrewn and heaped up with such masses1 and all the ways of egress save one were entirely blocked up4 ,this very soon came to an abrupt termination in a bell-shaped cavity1 floored with a crust of stalagmite4 ,but there were narrow fissures1 a few inches only in width1 running away in many directions2 a strong draught made the candles gutter2 and the occasional presence of great volumes of water was made evident by the damage done to some of the incrustations4 ,there was no sign or sound of flowing water now2 the silence was as profound and impressive as the darkness4 ,yet this rock-strewn chamber was once the birthplace of a river4 ,hither1 from countless fissures1 the streamlets gathered together and poured through the hidden places of the hill1 now in a rippling brook1 and now in a torrent1 crashing and rending4 ,at present the ,cales ,dale stream finds its way to the ,lathkill river by still more secret channels4 ,but at no infrequent times1 even yet1 the torrent thunders over the waterfall in the ,pot ,hole ,cavern1 the swallet is inundated1 and a flood pours on through the long tunnel1 and so into the open stream-course in the dale1 now dried up and covered with vegetation4 ,proofs of this were legible all around us4 ,returning up the dale1 we closed the mouth of the artificial level1 and went back to the ,ricklow ,cavern4 ,although the portal is so majestic1 the passage becomes anything but commodious at the end of a few paces4 ,once more we had to crawl over hard1 water-worn rock1 deeply fissured and thrown out of the horizontal2 our galled knees and elbows could scarcely be induced to go at all1 and the pace was miserably slow4 ,then the roof came down so close in a horizontal fissure of huge extent1 that there was nothing for it but to wriggle4 ,my friends had ascertained that #bhj feet of this work leads into a lofty chamber4 ,it is one of those long1 vertical fissures1 not wide but enormously high1 that are common in the ,castleton caves4 ,there were indications of galleries overhead1 but we were too much exhausted to attempt climbing without a ladder4 ,only one exit was practicable1 which led in #bj feet into just such another hollow1 but still wider and uglier of aspect4 ,filling the cavity to a height of #cj feet was a mountain of shattered rocks1 flung together pell-mell and wedged loosely4 ,when we climbed it1 the light of our candles showed that the structure was hollow1 and hardly more durable in appearance than a house of cards4 ,some of the rocks were held by points and corners1 swinging on their long axes2 a touch sent others clattering down1 as we crept with the utmost caution up the adjoining wall4 ,it was as if the interior of the hill had been rent apart by an earthquake1 and the headlong stream of rocks caught suddenly and held by the closing in of the fracture4 ,we clambered to the summit of this hollow mass of ruin1 and lit some magnesium wire4 ,the formless walls went up into a dark void above us1 their ledges fringed with glistening spikes and tendrils of transparent stalactite1 revealed by the glare4 ,there had been visitors here before4 ,scratched on the walls1 but partially coated over by a crystalline enamel1 were the initials ,h4 ,b4--,r4 ,a41 and the date #ahag2 other scrawls were indecipherable4 ,no doubt this was the cave whose legendary renown had reached our ears4 ,getting down our shattered staircase was a more formidable job than the ascent4 ,one stone1 as big as a table1 rocked like a see-saw when we set foot on it4 ,stalactites were not numerous in these caves1 which are not only very humid1 but continually swept by water4 ,animal remains were plentiful1 all recent1 bones being carried in by beasts of prey and deposited by floods4 ,as this process must have been going on for ages1 the two ,cales ,dale caverns would probably yield good results to palontological research4 ,a comic incident cheered my fatigued comrades when we regained the open air4 ,in the morning ,i had brought my family up from ,bakewell ,station for a day in the country1 a work of supererogation that now placed me in a curious predicament4 ,the waggonette had gone off to pick them up for the early train1 and1 to my distress1 ,i found the driver had relieved us of all the luggage1 including the rcksack which held my clothes1 not to mention boots1 pipe1 and railway ticket4 ,the alternative stared me in the face of proceeding to town in slimy overalls or in attire of dangerous slightness4 ,but the broad-shouldered friend came to the rescue with his cave jacket1 a garment that fell about me like a baggy greatcoat1 hiding the worst deformities1 and with battered hobnailers at one extremity1 and a cap that had more stiff clay than cloth in it at the other1 ,i made the best of my way home under the cover of darkness4 ,a ,,visit ,,to ,,mitchelstown ,,cave ,mitchelstown ,cave1 the largest ever discovered in the ,british ,isles1 is not situated at the town of that name1 in county ,cork1 but #aj miles away1 in ,tipperary1 on the road to ,cahir4 ,its entrance is in a small ,limestone hill in the broad vale of the ,blackwater1 midway between the ,knockmealdown ,mountains and the ,sandstone ridges and tables of the ,galtees4 ,the cave was laid open in the course of quarrying operations in #ahcc1 from which time to the present the work of exploration has gone on progressively1 if at long intervals1 and may1 perhaps1 continue until the extent of the passages known is considerably enlarged4 ,it seems now to be entirely forgotten that the spot has been famous from time immemorial for a wonderful stalactite cavern4 ,in ,october #aggg1 ,arthur ,young was taken into a cave1 known as ,skeheenarinky1 after the townland1 but the old ,irish name of which was ,oonakareaglisha4 ,the opening1 he says1 is a cleft of rock in a ,limestone hill1 so narrow as to be difficult to get into it4 ,i descended by a ladder of about twenty steps1 and then found myself in a vault of #ajj feet long and #ej or #fj high3 a small hole1 on the left1 leads from this a winding course of1 ,i believe1 not less than half an ,irish mile4 ,he goes on to describe the beautiful scenery of the cave1 which1 he says1 is much superior to the ,peak ,cavern in ,derbyshire1 and ,lord ,kingsborough1 who has viewed the ,grot d',aucel in ,burgundy1 says that it is not to be compared with it4#e ,the odd thing is that the very existence of this cavern seems to have been forgotten since the discovery of its much finer neighbour4 ,yet the trees and brushwood guarding its mouth are in full view of the well-frequented entrance to the other cave2 and ,dr4 ,lyster ,jameson1 who was with ,monsieur ,martel on his visit in #ahie1 told me some years ago that an opening had been pointed out to him into a lower series of caves1 which ,i have little hesitation in identifying with ,young's cavern and the cave mouth ,i allude to4 #e ,arthur ,young's ,tour in ,ireland2 ed4 by ,a4 ,w4 ,hutton4 #b vols4 ,bell1 #ahib4 ,see pages #dfd-dfe1 vol4 i4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,great ,,pillar3 ,,mitchelstown ,,cavern4 ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,baker4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,fairy ,,lantern3 ,,mitchelstown ,,cavern4 ,photo by ,e4 ,a4 ,baker4 ,dr4 ,c4 ,a4 ,hill and ,i visited the spot in ,august #aije1 intending to go through all the accessible parts of the huge series now known collectively as ,mitchelstown ,cave1 and also to examine the series referred to by ,dr4 ,jameson1 who had been unable to undertake their exploration4 ,our impression was that little or nothing was known of the latter series1 and it was not until after our return from ,ireland that we were startled and puzzled by turning up an account in ,the ,postchaise ,companion 7#ahje ed41 pp4 #cja1 #cjb7 of a cave in this place already known and celebrated thirty years before the discovery of the ,mitchelstown ,cave4 ,the explanation probably is that the guides find one cave a more profitable investment than two4 ,to show the second 7or rather the first1 since the other is the usurper7 would involve twice as much labour1 but would hardly bring in twice the income4 ,since #ahcc1 then1 the original cavern has been suppressed1 so successfully that even the omniscient ,baddeley never suspected that there are two series1 although he had read ,young's description and confused it with the other4 ,dr4 ,hill let me down a few feet into the old cave-mouth1 just such a narrow slit as ,young depicts2 but we found that the rock was cut away immediately beneath1 and without more hauling power1 the only way to get down was to use a long ladder1 and this we could not obtain4 ,the guide told us that the hole led into nothing of any interest1 and that the entrance had been used as a receptacle for deceased dogs and other excreta4 ,this effectually took away any wish to pursue our researches in that direction for the present4 ,still1 the old cave ought not to be lost sight of2 and we propose1 if no one else undertakes the work1 to explore the lower series on some future visit to ,ireland4 ,the unscientific explorers of a hundred years ago may have left discoveries to future workers as important as those which remained for so many years after the early explorations in the neighbouring great cave4 ,what was done in the latter during the first year after the discovery may be read in an article by ,dr4 ,apjohn in the ,dublin ,penny ,journal for ,december #bg1 #ahcd1 an article reproduced from the ,dublin ,geological ,journal1 vol4 i4 ,dr4 ,apjohn carried out a most elaborate and painstaking survey to points considerably beyond the second great cavity1 now known as the ,house of ,lords1 but failed to reach ,o',leary's ,cave1 the key of the farther ramifications1 or to explore the tunnels connected with ,the ,river4 ,his plan1 worked out to scale1 and showing the differences of level with great minuteness1 remained the only map of the cave until ,m4 ,martel's survey in #ahie4 ,meanwhile various adventurers had got to more distant points1 particularly to the long chain of caverns running east to ,brogden's1 at the end of which ,m4 ,martel's chart stops4 ,the ,french explorer does not seem to have broken any fresh ground2 but his plan1 which appeared in ,the ,irish ,naturalist for ,april #ahif1 with an account of his visit1 was a brilliant achievement1 especially when the short time at his disposal is considered1 six hours for the whole of the cavern4 ,parts of this chart were only hastily sketched in1 either from a rapid survey or from information supplied by the guide1 as ,m4 ,martel explained to me in a conversation some time ago1 and errors of detail were1 under these conditions1 unavoidable4 ,for instance1 ,o',leary's ,cave is much larger than appears on the plan1 and the ,chimney is not situated at the far end of a passage1 but actually opens in the floor of ,o',leary's ,cave4 ,the caves running east1 again--,o',callaghan's and ,brogden's--are not such a simple series of straight passages as they seem on the chart2 our guide had considerable difficulty in threading his way among the various bifurcations4 ,as will transpire later1 there is a mystery connected with the name of ,cust's ,cave1 the real ,cust's being in a totally different part of the series1 and a different chamber altogether in shape4 ,unfortunately we did not go prepared to carry out any survey1 believing that all this had been done2 so that we can at the most point out some places where the existing plans are at fault4 ,we were also unfortunate in not being prepared to take a large number of photographs1 the accounts we had read not leading us to anticipate the actual grandeur and extent of the scenery4 ,m4 ,martel compares the ,mitchelstown ,cave with such famous continental caverns as those of ,adelsberg1 ,padirac1 ,dargilan1 and ,han-sur-,lesse1 and it comes off but poorly in such a comparison4 ,i have seen his lantern slides of these caves1 and after exploring all the most beautiful caves discovered as yet in ,england1 ,i venture to say there is not one ,english cave that would not come off badly if set beside any of these4 ,compared1 however1 with other ,british caverns1 that of ,mitchelstown can hold its own easily2 though individual chambers may be surpassed1 there is nothing like the same extent of brilliant subterranean scenery anywhere else in these islands4 ,the tourist portion of the cavern1 a fraction of the whole1 but yet a considerable extent of underground passages1 is deservedly much frequented4 ,the spacious vault1 nicknamed the ,house of ,commons1 vies in dimensions and dignity with those in the ,peak of ,derbyshire1 but it is far surpassed by the ,house of ,lords4 ,seventeen massy columns of pure white stalactite1 surmounting enormous cones of terraced stalagmite1 tower from floor to roof of this impressive dome1 some #adj feet in span and #gj feet high4 ,the grandeur of its height is lost somewhat through the mountain of fallen blocks that rises from the entrance almost to the apex of the roof4 ,behind this vast accumulation a sort of ambulatory runs round under the walls1 opening here and there into side chapels and irregular cavities1 all bountifully adorned with the fairy-like work of the ,limestone carbonate4 ,the so-called ,tower of ,babel is a majestic pillar rising from the summit of a pyramidal mass of stalagmite1 #dj feet in circumference1 that being also the measure of its total height4 ,a crowd of other ,limestone freaks1 some aptly and some incongruously nicknamed1 and many extremely beautiful1 are found in this chamber4 ,the cavities and passages that lie to the north-east of the first great chamber are not often visited4 ,they start from ,sadlier's ,cave1 which is not large but bewilderingly picturesque1 and contains a superb pillar1 ,lot's ,wife1 almost of the prodigious size of the ,tower4 ,the ,kingston ,gallery is a straight rift1 nearly #cjj feet long1 but only two or three feet wide1 with sheets of snowy white sweeping down the walls1 and breaking into whole garlands of scrolls and pennons and curtains1 which in places have been thrown right across the gallery1 dividing it into lofty cells4 ,manholes1 actually1 had to be cut through these diaphanous partitions to create a passage4 ,from the cave at the end1 a lower passage1 the ,sand ,cave1 comes back in a parallel direction to the point of junction1 and from the quantities of fine sand on its bed1 was evidently an important stream-course after the ,kingston ,gallery was drained of its waters4 ,it has one unique feature1 the succession of parallel rifts1 called the ,closets1 which are connected together by rents in their dividing walls4 ,some of these are extremely narrow1 and by candlelight it is impossible to see any limit to their height1 depth1 or length4 ,similar widenings of the master joints and degradation of the ,limestone separating them1 are a special feature of the ,mitchelstown ,cave1 and the key to its ground-plan1 with its maze of right-angles4 ,the great eastern vault1 the ,garret1 which is only #ai feet below the level of the entrance1 does not fall1 as stated by ,m4 ,martel1 towards a series of choked swallets1 that originally carried the waters farther down1 but rises towards inlets from the surface4 ,its fretted roof has fallen in at the upper end4 ,a little to the south is a nameless series of charming vestibules1 grottoes1 and tunnels1 meandering towards the insignificant lakelet called the ,river4 ,here we spent the whole of our first day4 ,it is possible1 we learned1 to reach the easternmost series of caverns by this route1 which also takes one into the square cavity designated as ,cust's ,cave on ,m4 ,martel's chart4 ,we chose the other way1 that is1 through the passage from the ,house of ,lords to the ,cathedral4 ,in the tangle of contrary passages into which this leads we lost ourselves several times1 in the absence of the guide1 and only recovered the thread by careful observation with the compass4 ,eventually we found the way into ,o',leary's ,cave1 which struck us as one of the most impressive chambers in the whole cavern4 ,it is not only much larger than is shown on the plan1 but different in shape4 ,apparently it is the most recent of all in formation1 although this may be only an appearance caused by the falling in of the roof4 ,unlike the other parts1 where every bit of dbris is sealed down by a glistening layer of stalagmite1 this great cavity is heaped high with loose fragments1 as free from incrustation as if the ceiling had collapsed yesterday4 ,so wild and vast is the configuration of ,o',leary's ,cave that1 standing on the lower side and looking across a depression in the middle to the ascending ground opposite1 one fancied oneself1 in the dim candlelight1 gazing across a valley to a range of hills in the distance4 ,we spent some time vainly searching for the horizontal tunnel supposed to end at the ,chimney1 and before the guide joined us were lucky enough to hit upon a string of chambers that seem never to have been entered before4 ,these run1 so far as we could make out without actual measurement1 right over the ,o',callaghan series4 ,in fact there were openings in the floor which we might have explored but for the aggressive and tenacious clay bedaubing everything1 apparently leading down to these nether passages4 ,brilliant draperies swept down to the bold masses of stalagmite below the walls1 and long crystalline wands hung from the roof in thousands1 so that we could not move without committing havoc in this pendulous forest4 ,conducted by the guide1 we now descended the ,chimney into the tortuous passages leading to the ,scotchman's ,cave1 which lies under ,o',leary's4 ,it is a small but very beautiful chamber1 giving one the idea that it has been hollowed out in a mountain of ,parian marble4 ,now we struck into the long series running east through ,o',callaghan's ,cave to the farthest point yet reached4 ,this was one of the principal channels by which the ancient waters descended1 from openings now unknown and inaccessible1 to the labyrinth of forsaken waterways we had left behind4 ,our guide1 who astonished us by the rapidity with which he got over difficult ground1 was unable to make very speedy progress here4 ,the ramifications are extremely hard to unravel1 and he had only been in this part twice before1 in #ahie with ,m4 ,martel1 and twenty-five years earlier1 as a boy1 with his father4 ,eventually1 after many wanderings1 we reached ,brogden's ,cave1 where hitherto all direct progress had stopped4 ,on the south side 7not on the north1 as shown in the chart7 is the ,chapel1 which ,m4 ,martel rightly described as the most beautiful thing in the whole cavern4 ,it is an arched recess1 canopied with stalagmite of the purest and most delicate lustre4 ,whilst my companion rested1 ,i joined the guide1 who was hunting for the passage to a cave where his father had taken him thirty-five years ago4 ,we discovered the opening at last1 and after wriggling and squirming round innumerable twists and corners1 we dropped over a low cliff1 beyond which a short wriggle brought us into a long and lofty cave1 magnificently walled and pillared with snowy calcite4 ,floor1 walls1 and roof were a spotless white1 wrought into intricate reliefs and embroideries by the flow of the freakish stalagmite4 ,the guide stated that this was ,cust's ,cave1 and the one beyond1 where our progress stopped1 he called the ,demon's ,cave4 ,m4 ,martel's chart shows a ,cust's ,cave of a totally different shape and size1 near the ,river2 and1 as there is no mention extant of any cave beyond ,brogden's1 ,i take it that this1 the real ,cust's1 was unknown to him4 ,unfortunately ,i had followed the guide without bringing the plan or a compass1 unaware that we were going so far from the known parts of the cavern2 and now1 to my disgust1 the guide was unable to find the way out4 ,twice he descended into a hole at our end of the cave1 and emerged with the intelligence1 ,it's not there1 sir4 ,we ransacked every opening in wall and floor1 but failed to hit on any exit whatever4 ,the guide grew alarmed1 and rushed off to the farther end of the cave1 wondering if we had completely lost our sense of direction4 ,he tried whistling2 but the hundreds of feet of rock between us and our companion were well able to guard their ancient silence4 ,tired with these exertions1 he next proposed that we should put out the lights and rest for a while4 ,whether his idea was to husband the only provisions we had1 ,i could not say2 but at any rate the situation did look serious1 since rescuers might have taken days to discover our position in this remote corridor1 of whose very existence1 probably1 our guide was the only man in ,ireland that knew anything4 ,but where there is a way in1 there is a way out1 as ,i very well knew from several similar experiences2 and after a pretty bad half-hour1 we did manage to recover the trail1 and got back to our friend1 who had been completely mystified by our disappearance1 and was almost as relieved as we by our return4 ,after many hours of fatiguing work1 we were glad to follow our guide back through the labyrinthine passages1 by the most direct route to the open air4 ,our chief regret was that we had relied too much on the completeness of previous surveys1 and had not taken materials for correcting the map4 ,we had secured many photographs of the earlier chambers1 but had not taken the camera into the innermost cavities1 where photography would be most profitable4 ,m4 ,martel's dictum can still be endorsed that there is a great field for research in the ,mitchelstown ,cavern4 ,,index ,abergele1 #abc4 ,abmes1 ,les1 #cd1 #ci4 ,adelsberg1 #dc1 #afb4 ,albanets of ,couvin 7,belgium71 #ca4 ,alfred 7,king71 #c4 ,alps1 #dc4 ,anemolites1 #ij4 ,angels and ,men 7quotation71 #de4 ,antiquity of caverns1 #ah1 #ba1 #be4 ,apjohn 7,dr471 #afa4 ,arragonite1 #aai1 #abd4 ,arthur 7,king71 #b4 ,attrition1 effect of1 #bi4 ,avalon1 ,isle of1 #b4 ,aveline's ,hole1 #ii1 #ajc4 ,aven de ,vigne ,close 7,ardche71 #cg4 ,avignon1 #cc4 ,axbridge1 #ajf4 ,axe1 the river1 #b1 #c1 #e1 #g1 #bc1 #be1 #bf1 #bg1 #ca1 #cf1 #df1 #eg1 #gj1 #hb4 ,badger ,hole1 #ac1 #bc4 ,bagshawe ,cavern1 #db1 #ic4 ,balch 7,mr471 #ca1 #cf1 #cg1 #dh1 #fa1 #ga1 #hc1 #aja4 ,bamforth 7,mr4 ,h471 #ga1 #hc1 #he1 #ajj1 #ach4 ,banwell ,cave1 #bb1 #bh1 #aac4 ,barnes 7,mr471 #ga4 ,bath1 #aj1 #fi4 ,bats1 #ed1 #ic1 #abe4 ,bear1 #ad1 #bc1 #bd4 ,beehive1 #cj4 ,beehive ,chamber1 ,lamb's ,lair1 #aag4 ,betsy ,camel's ,hole1 #ad4 ,bishop's ,lot ,swallet1 #h4 ,bishop's ,palace at ,wells1 #e4 ,bison1 #bc1 #bd4 ,blackdown1 #c1 #ag1 #ii1 #ajd4 ,blackwater1 #aei4 ,blue ,john ,mine1 #ch1 #hh1 #ij4 ,bonheur 7,gard71 #ci4 ,bos1 #ad4 ,boule 7,m471 #ca4 ,bouvier 7,m471 #cc4 ,bowling ,alley1 #aci4 ,bramabiau 7,gard71 #ci4 ,bristol1 #a1 #b1 #fi4 ,bristol ,channel1 #c4 ,brogden's ,cave1 #aff4 ,brue1 #b1 #c4 ,buckland 7,dean71 #cc4 ,bull ,pit1 #adg1 #adh1 #adi4 ,bunter ,sandstone1 #abi4 ,burrington1 #ag1 #bh1 #db1 #fb1 #ig1 #ii1 #ajb1 #ajd4 ,buxton1 #bi4 ,cadbury1 #c4 ,calamine1 #cc4 ,cales ,dale1 #aed1 #aee1 #aef4 ,camden's ,britannia1 #df4 ,camelot1 #c4 ,canyon1 #fd1 #fe1 #gb1 #gc1 #ha1 #aej4 ,carbonic acid 7action of71 #d4 ,carboniferous or ,mountain ,limestone1 #a1 #b1 #c1 #d1 #e1 #g1 #aj1 #aa1 #bf1 #bh1 #bi1 #ec1 #ajf4 ,cascades1 #f4 ,castle of ,comfort1 #ag1 #bi4 ,castleton1 #cg1 #add1 #aeg4 ,causse de ,gramat 7,padirac71 #dj4 ,cave-earth1 #ba4 ,cave ,hunting1 #dg4 ,cave ,man of ,cheddar1 #he1 #hf4 ,ceiriog ,valley1 #acc4 ,cevennes1 #cg4 ,chapel-en-le-,frith1 #add4 ,charterhouse1 #ag1 #bg1 #ig4 ,cheddar1 #c1 #g1 #af1 #ag1 #ah1 #ai1 #bb1 #bh1 #bi1 #cj1 #ca1 #hb1 #if4 ,cheddar ,water1 #e1 #hb1 #ib4 ,chokes1 #i1 #cd1 #fc4 ,clemens ,alexandrinus1 #de4 ,clevedon1 #d4 ,coalpit ,mine1 #ade4 ,compton ,bishop1 #bh1 #ajf1 #aac4 ,compton ,martin1 #be4 ,copper1 #cc4 ,coral ,cave1 #bh1 #aje4 ,corridors1 #i4 ,cotherstone ,hill1 #abc4 ,cows hounded over cliff1 #bd4 ,cox's ,cavern1 #hc1 #ib4 ,cox's ,hole1 #aj1 #aa4 ,croft 7,mr4 ,j471 #ach4 ,crook's ,peak1 #aaj1 #aaa4 ,croscombe1 #ad4 ,cross1 #ajf4 ,crosse 7,andrew71 #abd4 ,cust's ,cave1 #afb1 #afd1 #aff4 ,dangers of exploration1 #da1 #dc4 ,dargilan1 #afb4 ,dawkins 7,prof4 ,boyd71 #bc1 #ca1 #cc1 #df1 #ii1 #aja1 #ajb4 ,de ,launey 7,m471 #ca4 ,deer1 #ad1 #bc1 #bd1 #gd4 ,demon's ,cave1 #aff4 ,denny's ,hole1 #aaa4 ,denudation1 #b1 #e4 ,derbyshire1 #a1 #bi1 #db1 #dc1 #dd1 #ia1 #ach4 ,devil's ,hole1 #dg4 ,devil's ,punchbowl1 #bi4 ,dinder ,wood1 #ae4 ,dolomitic ,conglomerate1 #ab1 #ac1 #bc1 #be1 #bf1 #bg1 #bi1 #ca1 #dh1 #ec1 #aaj4 ,dovedale1 #acc4 ,doveholes1 #bi4 ,downside ,monastery1 #ab4 ,drayton1 #dg4 ,dulcote1 #b1 #ad4 ,east ,harptree1 #aaf4 ,eastwater1 #g1 #h1 #i1 #cj1 #cf1 #cg1 #db1 #dh1 #fj1 #gj4 ,ebbor1 #c1 #g1 #ac1 #ag1 #bi4 ,elden ,hill1 #adi4 ,elden ,hole1 #ch1 #adi1 #aej4 ,english ,channel1 #c4 ,enmore1 #abc4 ,eocene1 #ca4 ,exeter1 #a4 ,exploration 7dangers of71 #da1 #dc1 #gb4 ,extinct animals1 #bb1 #bc1 #cd1 #gd4 ,fairy ,slats1 #ab4 ,fauna of caves1 #cc1 #gd4 ,fissures1 #e1 #ab1 #bg1 #cc1 #ci1 #ff1 #gc1 #he1 #hg1 #hi1 #id4 ,flatholm1 #d4 ,fluor-spar1 #cc4 ,fontaine de ,vaucluse1 #cc4 ,foreland1 #a4 ,foxe's ,hole 7,burrington71 #ii4 ,fox's ,hole 7,compton ,bishop71 #aaj4 ,frome1 #a1 #g1 #bg4 ,frost 7action of71 #f4 ,galtees1 #aei4 ,gaping ,ghyll1 #ce1 #cg4 ,gautries ,hill1 #adi4 ,geological ,survey1 #be4 ,giant's ,hole1 #add1 #ade1 #aea4 ,gibson 7,mr4 ,james71 #aja1 #ajd4 ,glacial drift1 #bi1 #ca4 ,glastonbury1 #c4 ,goatchurch ,cavern1 #db1 #fb1 #ii1 #ajj1 #ajd4 ,golden ,cap1 #c4 ,gough 7,messrs471 #af1 #ai1 #bh1 #hb1 #ic1 #ajf4 ,grassington1 #ach4 ,gravel1 #h4 ,great ,cavern of ,cheddar1 #hb1 #hc1 #ib4 ,great ,chamber of ,lamb's ,lair1 #aaf4 ,green ,how1 #ach4 ,grotten und ,hhlen von ,adelsberg1 ,die1 #cd4 ,gurney ,slade1 #bg4 ,gypsum1 #cc4 ,han-sur-,lesse1 #afb4 ,harptree1 #ah4 ,harrington 7,dr47 of ,bath1 #df4 ,helln ,pot1 #cg4 ,hiley 7,mr471 #gj4 ,hill 7,dr471 #afj4 ,hillgrove1 #g1 #fa1 #gj1 #aad4 ,holwell1 #bg1 #abc1 #abd4 ,hope1 ,dale of1 #cg4 ,horse1 #ad4 ,hyna1 #bc1 #bd1 #df4 ,hyna ,den1 #ac1 #bb1 #bc1 #bd4 ,hydrology1 #cc4 ,ingleborough ,cave1 #ce1 #cg4 ,inscriptions1 #bb1 #cj4 ,irish ,elk1 #bc1 #bd4 ,irlande et ,cavernes ,anglaises1 #cd4 ,jackdaws1 #ed4 ,jacob's ,well1 #adj4 ,jameson 7,dr471 #afj4 ,joints1 #e1 #aa1 #ac1 #ga4 ,katavothra1 #cc4 ,kent's ,cavern1 #cj4 ,kentucky1 #dc4 ,keuper1 #ca4 ,knockmealdown ,mountains1 #aei4 ,kyndwr ,club1 #ach4 ,labyrinths1 #h1 #i1 #fb4 ,laibach1 #cc4 ,lake village1 #c4 ,lamb's ,lair1 #cj1 #ci1 #aae4 ,lathkill ,dale1 #aeb1 #aec1 #aed4 ,lathkill ,river1 #aef4 ,lead1 #cc4 ,leland1 #df4 ,lewsdon1 #c4 ,lias1 #bg1 #bh1 #bi4 ,lion1 #bc1 #bd4 ,llangollen1 #acc4 ,long ,hole1 #ai1 #bh1 #ig4 ,long ,kin ,hole1 #cg4 ,long ,wood1 #ig4 ,lower ,limestone ,shales1 #b1 #d1 #e4 ,loxton1 #aab1 #aac4 ,mammoth1 #bc1 #bd4 ,manifold1 #aej1 #aea4 ,marble ,arch1 #db4 ,marshall 7,mr471 #aa1 #ac4 ,martel 7,mons471 #ag1 #ai1 #cj1 #cd1 #cg1 #ci1 #eg1 #ade1 #afj1 #afa1 #afd1 #afe1 #afg4 ,master-joint1 #cd1 #aca4 ,matlock1 #ajd4 ,mazauric 7,m471 #ci4 ,mc,murtrie 7,mr4 ,j471 #abb4 ,mendip plateau1 #cf4 ,middle ,hill1 #adg4 ,mitchelstown ,cave1 #aei4 ,monyash1 #aec4 ,morfa ,rhuddlan1 #aca4 ,morland 7,mr4 ,j4 ,o471 #hc4 ,murray's ,guide1 #aaf1 #abb4 ,natural wells1 #ah4 ,neolithic barrows1 #c4 ,niagara 7,gough's ,caves71 #cj4 ,nidderdale1 #ach4 ,north ,hill1 #c1 #fj4 ,o',callaghan's ,cave1 #afb1 #afe4 ,offa's ,dyke1 #acc4 ,ogo1 #de1 #abg4 ,ogof1 #de1 #abg4 ,old ,red ,sandstone1 #a1 #b1 #c1 #d1 #g1 #aa1 #bf1 #ec1 #fj4 ,o',leary's ,cave1 #afa1 #afd4 ,ookey1 #de4 ,oonakareaglisha1 #aei4 ,outfit1 #da1 #fb4 ,padirac1 #afb4 ,parrett1 #c4 ,peace of ,wedmore1 #c4 ,peak1 #cd1 #ch1 #ci1 #db1 #dg1 #add1 #aei4 ,peak's ,hill1 #adg4 ,peak's ,hole1 #ade4 ,peak's ,hole 7source of water of71 #aej4 ,pen ,hill1 #b1 #d1 #fj4 ,percolating water1 #f4 ,percy's ,reliques1 #df4 ,perryfoot1 #ade1 #aej4 ,phelps1 #ajf4 ,phosphorites1 #ca4 ,pilsdon1 #c4 ,pleistocene gravel1 #bh4 ,pliocene1 #bi4 ,plumley's ,den1 #ajj1 #ajc1 #ajd4 ,polyolbion1 #dg4 ,pot1 #cd1 #hd4 ,pothole ,cavern1 #aee1 #aef4 ,potholes1 #f1 #fh1 #gb4 ,pottery1 #ba1 #bb1 #eh1 #gd4 ,priddy1 #g1 #h1 #ag1 #dh1 #fj1 #fa1 #ih4 ,primitive man1 #ac1 #bb1 #bd1 #cd1 #dg1 #abh4 ,puttrell 7,mr4 ,j4 ,w471 #ach4 ,quantocks1 #abc4 ,quercy1 #ca4 ,radstock1 #bg4 ,radstock ,coalfield1 #aj4 ,rain 7action of71 #f4 ,rakes1 #cc1 #ch4 ,ravine formation1 #ai4 ,ravines1 #f1 #bj1 #bc4 ,raymond1 ,walter1 #ih4 ,red ,deer1 #bc1 #bd4 ,reindeer1 #bc4 ,reliqui ,diluvian1 #cc4 ,revolving stones 7action of71 #f4 ,rhaetic1 #bg1 #ca4 ,rhinoceros1 #bd4 ,rickford1 #bh1 #ajb1 #ajd4 ,ricklow ,cavern1 #aeg4 ,ricklow ,dale1 #aec4 ,risings 7extent of flow71 #ag4 ,rock of ,ages1 #ajd4 ,rock shelter1 #ae4 ,roman ,cave of ,cheddar1 #ic1 #ie4 ,roman mines1 #ig4 ,romano-,british pottery1 #ba1 #bb1 #eh1 #gd4 ,rookham1 #b1 #bh4 ,rowberrow ,farm1 #ag4 ,rushup ,edge1 #add1 #adg4 ,russet ,well1 #add1 #ade4 ,s bends1 #fe1 #fh4 ,st4 ,andrew's ,well1 #e1 #bh1 #ca4 ,st4 ,dunstan's ,well1 #aj1 #aa4 ,st4 ,george's ,cave1 #abg1 #acj4 ,st4 ,paul's1 #hf1 #hh4 ,st4 ,swithin's ,hole1 #g4 ,salle ,manger1 #ch4 ,sand 7action of71 #f4 ,sand ,pit ,hole1 #h4 ,schmidl 7,dr4 ,adolph71 #cd4 ,scotchman's ,cave1 #afe4 ,secondary ,rocks1 #e1 #ab1 #ah1 #bg1 #bh4 ,sedgemoor1 #c4 ,severn1 #d4 ,shakeholes1 #bi4 ,sheldon 7,dr471 #hc1 #hd1 #ij1 #ajj4 ,sheldon 7,mr41 of ,wells71 #ag4 ,shipham1 #ajj4 ,silt1 #aj1 #aa4 ,siphons1 #cc1 #cd4 ,skeheenarinky1 #aei4 ,slater 7,mr471 #ga4 ,smith 7,w4 ,w471 #de4 ,snowdonia1 #acj4 ,socit de ,splologie1 #cd4 ,solomon's ,temple1 #hf1 #hh4 ,somerville 7,a4 ,f471 #ad1 #ae4 ,sorgue1 #cc4 ,sparrowpit1 #add1 #ade4 ,speedwell ,mine1 #ch1 #add4 ,speleology1 #cb4 ,spiders1 #ed4 ,springs1 #e1 #aa4 ,spur and ,wedge1 #ec1 #ef4 ,squire's ,well1 #ajd4 ,stalactites1 #aj1 #gf1 #gg1 #hj1 #hi1 #aah1 #adj1 #adb4 ,stalagmite bridges1 #gh4 ,steepholm1 #d4 ,stoke ,lane1 #g1 #aj1 #aa1 #ab1 #ac4 ,stratton-on-the-,fosse1 #aa4 ,stump ,cross ,cavern1 #ach4 ,subterranean streams1 #f1 #g1 #h1 #gb4 ,subterranean waterfalls1 #gb4 ,swallets1 swallow-holes1 #a1 #e1 #g1 #h1 #ab1 #bf1 #bg1 #cd1 #fj1 #fa1 #hd1 #adh4 ,swildon's ,hole1 #g1 #h1 #cf1 #dh1 #fa1 #gj4 ,tanyrogo1 #abg4 ,tennyson1 #d4 ,thornyash1 #aec4 ,tideswell1 #adh4 ,tindoul de la ,vayssire 7,aveyron71 #dj4 ,tone1 #c4 ,torquay1 #cj4 ,tower ,rock1 #ad4 ,traps1 #cd1 #fe4 ,trias1 #ah1 #bf1 #bg1 #bh1 #bi1 #ca1 #ajf1 #aji1 #aaj1 #acj4 ,troup 7,mr471 #ba1 #ei1 #gj1 #ga4 ,two ,men o' ,mendip1 #ih4 ,ubley ,farm1 #ih4 ,undermining1 #d1 #f1 #be4 ,upper ,langford1 #aje4 ,van den ,broeck1 #ca4 ,vaucluse1 #cc4 ,wastdale1 #if4 ,wavering ,down1 #ajf1 #aaj4 ,wedmore1 #c4 ,well 7in ,swildon's ,hole71 #gc1 #gg4 ,wells1 #b1 #e1 #g1 #h1 #ag1 #bf1 #bh1 #bi1 #cf1 #hc4 ,wells ,museum1 #ad4 ,west ,riding1 #cd4 ,weston-super-,mare1 #af4 ,wharfedale1 #ach4 ,wightman 7,mr4 ,f471 #ach4 ,wild ,boar1 #bc4 ,wild ,goat1 #bc4 ,wild ,horse1 #bc4 ,willcox 7,mr471 #cj4 ,william of ,worcester1 #de4 ,williams1 7,w4 ,h4 and ,g4 ,d471 #aeb4 ,wills ,neck1 #abc4 ,wind 7action of71 #f4 ,winnats1 #ia1 #add4 ,wirral1 #abi4 ,witch of ,wookey1 #df4 ,wolf1 #bc1 #bd4 ,wookey1 #de4 ,wookey ,hole1 #e1 #g1 #ac1 #af1 #ag1 #ah1 #ba1 #bb1 #bd1 #cj1 #ca1 #cf1 #cg1 #db1 #dc1 #de1 #eb1 #fj1 #gj1 #hb1 #abg4 ,woolly ,rhinoceros1 #bc4 ,wrington ,vale1 #aae4 ,yoredales1 #add4 ,yorkshire1 #a1 #aj1 #bi1 #ce1 #dd4 ,young's ,cavern1 #afj4 ,printed by ,j4 ,,baker ,,son1 ,clifton ,,transcriber',s ,,note3 ,obvious printer errors have been corrected4 ,otherwise1 the author's original spelling1 punctuation and hyphenation have been left intact4