74 DEEPDALE CAVE. 



and seventy years ago in search of some supposed money left 

 there by an old miser ''■'■ who disappeared suddenly and 

 mysteriously ; this also prompted us. At that time I was reading 

 Professor Boyd Dawkins' ' Cave Hunting,' and this set me 

 following his example, in a very modest way, of course. I soon 

 began to find bones and fragments of pottery, including Samian 

 ware. At length, I found the skull of a bear, and this set me 

 cave-hunting in right good earnest ; Mr. Salt joined me, and 

 you know the results." 



I need not describe these results, as they are well known 

 to the members of this society through former papers contributed 

 to the Journal. I will only remark that nearly all the objects 

 that have been found in such profusion are of Romano-British 

 age, and that from no other English cave has so remarkable and 

 large a series been obtained. The story of the miser is by no 

 means uninteresting. Hidden treasure was popularly associated 

 with most caves in bygone times ; but it is very probable that in 

 the case of Deepdale the story may have originated in, or at least 

 have received corroboration from, occasional discoveries of 

 Roman coins and other objects. It cannot be doubted that 

 hunters after treasure would be sure to turn them up in their 

 rummaging expeditions. 



Whatever may have been the nature of the human occupation 

 of the cave in ancient times, no memory of it lingers in local 

 tradition. The cave is marked on the Ordnance Survey as 

 "Thirst House." But another name that the old people of the 

 district know it by is " Hob's Thirst House," and it is a pretty 

 example of phonetic corruption, and of the origin of myths there- 

 from. Mr. Millett, in the above-mentioned letter, gives the 

 popular story — how Hob charmed the spring below the cave, and 

 how in consequence they who quench their thirst with its sparkling 

 water on Good Friday (with proper faith, of course) are cured of 



* Since writing the above, Mr. Salt has informed me that another local 

 tradition connects this miser with a robbery at Pig Tor in the vicinity. The 

 proceeds of the robbery were supposed to be hidden in the cave, and a search 

 was made, in which the small cavities and the pool below the second chamber 

 were examined, but without result. 



