Mr D. Scott on the great Cavern of Boobon. 55 



stone rock, in which such crevices are usual, is capped by sand- 

 stone of full 1000 feet in thickness, — an inference, how- 

 ever, which I do not draw from actual observation on the spot, 

 but from those made at some distance to the east and west, 

 where the face of the hill presents very similar appearances. 

 At the extremity of the branch C, and at various other places 

 where any accumulation of soil had taken place, I examined it, 

 in hopes of finding fossil remains, but without success. The 

 greater part of the floor is quite bare and dry, the rock 

 limestone of the common Sylhet kind, containing marine re- 

 mains. The stalactites are superb, hanging in rich festoons 

 from the top and sides, and forming in many places ribbed 

 arches, resembling the interior of a Gothic church. There are 

 also many of a pyramidal form, rising from the floor; and one of 

 these is worshipped by the natives of the plains, as represent- 

 ing the lingum, annually in the month of Magh. I regretted 

 extremely being obliged to return without exploring to their 

 extremities the remaining branches. In point of size there 

 seemed to be no diminution, as far as we proceeded, the hall 

 from which we returned being as lofty and spacious as any of 

 the preceding ones. These halls resemble empty vaulted 

 Gothic buildings. They are from sixty to a hundred feet in 

 height, and about the same or more in breadth and length. 

 These are connected by passages, from twelve to thirty feet in 

 height, and about the same breadth, formed apparently by one 

 of the strata of the limestone rock in its natural inclined 

 position, leaning against, another more upright, in this form, 

 ffj ^\ sometimes from the left, and sometimes from the right, 

 according to the different turns taken by the cave, but with- 

 out, as far as I could judge, any great regularity in the direc- 

 tion of the dip. 



Reference to Plate /., Fig. 10. 



A. The mouth of the cave low and narrow. 



BB. Lofty vaulted chambers from 60 to 100 feet in height. 



C. Branch explored to the extremity where the thermome- 

 ter stood at 71° Fahr. 



DD. Branches not fully explored. 



E. On our return we took one hour to walk from this point 

 to the mouth of the cave. 



