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XIV. Account of a Cavern difcovered on the North-wejl Side of the 

 Mendip Hills, in Somerfetfire. 



By George Smith Gibbes, M. B. F. L. S. 



Read April 2, 1 799. 



"PERHAPS the following account of a cavern which I vifited fome 

 "*- time fince may be acceptable, as we there fee the procefs going 

 on, which Nature employs toenclofe foreign fubftances in the hardeft 

 rocks. 



At the bottom of a deep ravine on the north-weft fide of the 

 Mendip Hills, in Somerfetlhire, near the little village of Berrington, 

 there has been difcovered a cavern of confiderable extent, in which 

 was found a great colle£tion of human bones. 



As I have obferved in this cavern many circumftances which ap- 

 pear curious to me, I beg leave to mention them, as I do not believe 

 there is another place in the kingdom where the different ftages (if 

 I may be allowed the expreffion) of bones incorporating with lime- 

 ftone rocks can be fo well feen. From the top and fides there is a 

 continual dripping of water, which being loaded with a large quan- 

 tity of calcareous earth, depofits a white kind of parte on moft parts 

 of the cavern. Many of the bones are incrufted with this cement, 

 and a large proportion of them are adlually fixed in the folid rock. 

 I fuppofe therefore that this fubftance, which at firft is in a ftate 

 refembling mortar, by lofing its water hardens into a firm and folid 



5 ftone. 



