XIV. Account of a Cavern di ifeovered on the North-weft Side of the 
Mendip Hills, in Somerfetfbire. 
ET ashes Smith Giles, M. B. F.L.S. 
Read dori 25 1799: 
prusass the following account of a cavern wh s I vifited fome 
time fince may be acceptable, as we there fee the proceís going 
on,which N ature employs, a gn fobtancess in the kardet 
rocks — Peg is T 
At the tern oF a 6:53 ravine on "ic ea ect fide F the 
Mendip- Hills, in Somerfetíhire, near the little village of Berrington, | 
there has been difcovered a cavern of Seamus extent, in which 
was found a a great collection of human bones. - 
Asl have obferved i in this cavern many. circumftances hic ap- 
pear curious tome, I beg. leave to mention them, as I do not believe — — 
there is another place in the kingdom where the different ftages (if 
I may be allowed the expreffion) of bones incorporating with' lime- 
{tone rocks can be fo well feen. From the top and fides there is a 
continual dripping of water, which being loaded with a large quan- 
-tity of calcareous earth, depofits a white kind of pafte on moft parts 
of the cavern, Many of the bones are incrufted with this cement, 
and a large proportion of them are actually fixed in the folid rock. 
I {uppofe therefore that this fubftance, which at firft is in a ftate 
_refembling mortar, by lofing its water hardens into a firm and folid 
$^ Eo ftone. 
