THE DALES OF DERBYSHIRE. 57 
there is no evidence of a slip at either side, it may safely 
be concluded that the pass was water-worn. 
From this point, there is very little more of interest till 
we reach Buxton Gardens. Here we find that the Wye 
divides into two branches, one to the right, which comes 
down ruddy and rusty, and there is little difficulty in 
coming to the conclusion that it does not rise in the Grey 
Rock country; if, however, we follow the left branch 
towards its source, we reach a point where the water 
bubbles out of the grey rock as out of a sewer, and here 
the Wye, the excavator of the lovely dales through which 
we have passed is lost to daylight for the time. Whither 
does it disappear, and where does it come from? If we 
cross the road, keeping the School Buildings to our left, we 
soon come to another road bustling with directions to 
Poole’s Cavern, which is a long tunnel, with vast arches 
here and there, with a stream rushing through it. It has, 
I believe, been well established that this stream is the 
Same water which forms the branch of the Wye _ which 
enters the Buxton Gardens under the Macclesfield Road, 
and which we have just seen. There is no difficulty in 
concluding what the functions of the water are in this 
cavern. It is wearing away the grey rock, making the 
cave longer and bigger, and forming a new dale; and were 
a large collecting area of water behind it, the work would 
soon be done. Poole’s Cavern closely resembles most other 
caverns. Castleton Cavern will give you a general idea of 
cavern formation. We see the masses of grey rock forming 
the sides and roof, shewing the excavating action of the 
water on every hand. I must not omit to draw attention 
to certain peculiar formations met with in this cavern, the 
so-called “stalactites” and « stalagmites.” The former are 
slender spikes or bold bosses descending from the roof, the 
latter conical masses rising up beneath them from the floor, 
a drop of water falling periodically from the descending 
