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somewhat unpleasant and rather si>oilt the pleasure otherwise 

 obtainable from the pretty peeps up and down the ravines. 

 Halting under a hedge for a space Mr. Nicholls gave a short 

 account of the discovery of these caverns, from which the following 

 facts were gleaned. It seems that they were well knoivn to the 

 old people, for the " Philosoi^hical Transactions " in the year 1700 

 contain a description of them, by a Captain Beaumont, under the 

 name of " Lamb Lear," of which the following is an extract : — 



The most considerable of these vaults I have known on Mendip bills 

 is on the most northerly part of them, iu a hill called Lamb, lyiug 

 above the parish of Harptree. Much ore has been formerly raised on 

 this hill ; and being told some years since tbat a very great vault was 

 there discovered, I took six miners with me and went to see it. First 

 we descended a perpendicular shaft about 10 fathoms; then we came 

 into a leading vault, which extends itself in length about 40 fathoms ; 

 it runs not upon a level, but descending, so that when you come to the 

 end of it you are 23 fathoms deep, by a perpendicular line. The floor 

 of it is full of loose rocks ; its roof is finely vaulted with limestone 

 rocks, having flowers of all colours hanging from them, which present 

 a most beautifid object to the eye, being always kept moist by the 

 distilling waters. In some parts the roof is about 5 fiithoms in height, 

 in others so low that a man has much ado to pass by creeping. The 

 wideness of it for the most part is about 3 fathoms. This cavern 

 crosses many veins of ore in its running, and much ore has been thence 

 raised. About the middle of this cavern on the east side lies a narrow 

 passage into another cavern, which runs between 40 and 50 fathoms in 

 length. At the end of the first cavern a vast cavern opens itself. I 

 fastened a cord about me and ordered the miners to let me down, and 

 upon the descent of 12 or 14 fathoms I came to the bottom. This 

 cavern is about 60 fathoms in circumference, above 20 fathoms in 

 height, and about 15 in length ; it runs along after the raikes, and not 

 crossing them as the leading vault does. I afterwards caused miners 

 to drive forward in the breast of this cavern, which terminates at the 

 west ; and after they had driven about 10 fathoms, they happened into 

 another cavern, whose roof is about 8 fathoms, and in some parts about 

 12 in height, and runs in length about 100 fathoms. 



