JJAT Ca'ANO IN KIIODKSIA. l(jl 



stream of them emerging' from the cave in mass formation, 

 and at the end of that period the stream showed no signs of 

 abatement. 



At the time of my visit, most of the surface acciimidation 

 of guano in the main chamber had been removed to a depth 

 of two feet. The actual depth of the deposit still remaining 

 has not, hoAvever, been definitely determined beyond proving 

 that it extends more than eight feet below the present level. 

 It is impossible to give any idea of the extent of the deposit, 

 as the entrances to the side chambers in some cases are only 

 large enough to enable one to crawl through, and in others 

 they are so completely filled with the guano that the presence 

 of the chambers is not discovered until the deposit lying in 

 front of the entrances thereto has been removed. 



Method of Woilinf/ file Deposit. — At present the material 

 is all carried out of the cave by hand and sifted through 

 a quarter-inch sieve, the material which fails to pass through 

 the sieve being discarded. The sifted material is then packed 

 to a depth of tAvelve inches on the floor of a drying shed 

 adjoining the cave, and continually raked over for three to 

 four days before being placed in bags and consigned to the 

 factory in Salisbury, where it undergoes fiu^ther grinding, 

 mixing and air-drying before being sold. At the time of 

 my visit I was informed that over 250 tons of guano had been 

 withdrawn, principally from the main chamber. 



Farticuhiis of SdinpJes. — From this cave the toUuAving 

 samples were diawn for purposes of analysis : — 



Lab. ]!so. 117 Gr. — Average sample of the surface layer 

 to a depth of 15 inches taken from most of the 

 available chambers. 



I^ab. Xo. 118 (x. — Average sami)Ie taken f'lom the Avest 

 side of the main chamber to a depth of 15 inches. 

 This portion of the deposit is much damper than that 

 from which Xo. IIT G sample was drawn. 



Lab. Xo. 119 (x. — Average sample of 20 tons of guano 

 which had been withdrawn principally from the main 

 chamber of the cave. 



Lab. ]S^o. 120 G. — Average sample taken from the section 

 two to seven feet beloAv the original surface of the 

 dei>osit in the main chamber. 



Lab, No. 121 G. — Average sample of soft yellow nodules 

 occurring in the deposit on the north-east side of 

 the main chamber. 



The samples were air-dried, and sifted through a 

 qiiarter-inch sieve to remove stones, etc. Tlie following are 

 the results of analysis of the air-dried material after the 

 samples had been passed through a one-millimetre sieve :— 



