T9I0. Moloney and others. — A Blackwater Cavern. 149 



deep, the depth of the water at the bottom being 8 feet. 

 Around these dangerous funnels the floor was covered with 

 slipper}^ clay, seemingly of considerable thickness. On casting 

 in a large stone one of the party detected an unpleasant odour. 

 What seems an odd feature is that the sink-holes occur at the 

 highest level of the cave. Here is one problem for the sub- 

 terranean hj^drologist. Just before reaching the sink-holes the 

 roof in one place was scratched as if it had been subjected to 

 some grinding force. 



Retracing their footsteps to the " Magazine," the explorers 

 beheld for a course of about 25 yards festoons of pendants 

 from the roof, attaining in some cases the length of 8 feet. 

 A most remarkable feature is that some of the stalactites are 

 5'ellow, while others in the same cluster are glittering white. 

 In this cavern is the "Triangle," a stalactitic curtain 12 feet 

 by 8 feet by 5^ feet, suspended over the middle of the gallery. 

 It is so thin that the light of a candle shines through it with 

 a beautiful crimson lustre. A cluster which was named "The 

 Octopus" was 8 feet long by 12 in circumference around its 

 widest part. A drop of ten feet occurs immediately under 

 this cluster, and the roof beyond rises to a height of 25 feet. 

 Some distance farther on, a zigzag course of several 3'ards (in 

 the floor of which are situated several small " gours " or stal- 

 agmite water-terraces) brings us to a magnificent arched galler}^ 

 running in an absolutely straight line for about 80 yards. There 

 is a gradual descent to its northern extremit}^ There is a 

 fall of rocks at the end, and progress beyond seems to be very 

 difficult, if not impossible. Although this chamber seems at 

 a low level, its floor is drier than in an}- other portion of the 

 cave, and consists of a compact brecciated stalagmite. By 

 keeping the middle of the passage one can walk upright 

 beneath a fissure which cuts the roof of the gallery for nearl}^ 

 the whole length of its course, giving it a fine appearance. 

 The resemblance of this gallery to the beautiful work of the 

 mediaeval monks suggested the name " Cloisters." This 

 gallery seems to run beyond the face of the cliff in the direction 

 of the river. It is undoubtedly an ancient water-tunnel, as 

 corrosion by percolation alone could never have excavated 

 such a svnnnetrical formation. 



