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left here and there for support to the roof, the whole series was, in 

 fact, very neai-ly one large cave, with several openings. This was 

 not the case in every instance, and where they were enabled to 

 measure, from side to side, the width of the actual chamber was 

 about 4ft. 



Cave No. 1 was explored to a length of 19ft., at which the solid 

 chalk was not reached, for the wall there was still composed of 

 blocks of stalagmite, and on placing a lighted candle to a chink 

 the effect of a strong di-aught was observed. Now, on the surface, 

 at a distance of 20ft., there was an indication of another shaft, 

 from which he thought it was but natural to conclude that they 

 communicated one with another. A similar case occuri'ed in No. 

 6 cave, but there an unimportant difference was observed, for in 

 this instance they did clear the pit to the solid wall, and a squared 

 aperture of a few inches was found. If this communicated with 

 another open shaft (as it was reasonable to suppose was the case), 

 it was somewhat strange that it was so small as to preclude the 

 interchange of anything except words or very little articles 

 between peojile stationed on eithei* side. Part of a layer of undis- 

 turbed flint, of an exceedingly fine quality, lay at the bottom of 

 the galleries, and several detached pieces occurred all through the 

 filling up of the caves. Another layer of an inferior quality was to 

 be seen in the west side of the shaft, at a depth of 10ft., and two 

 vei'tical veins cut thi'ough the pit, one running N.W. and S.E., the 

 other nearly due E. and W. ; the latter dipped to the south, at an 

 angle of 63 degrees. 



Commencing the second division of the subject, various bad 

 been the suggestions as to the purpose for which these galleries 

 had been made. A very natural theory, and which seemed to 

 present itself first to the mind was, that they were dwelling places, 

 or at least caves of refuge, if not for the whole year, at least for 

 seasons when the winter storms would i-ender the rude wattle huts 

 but a poor shelter against the incleoient weather ; or when 

 harassed by war, the tribe in possession might have a safe retreat 

 for the women and children. He did not say that this might not 

 have been a secondary purpose to which they might have been 

 applied, but he deemed it highly- impi'obable primarily that for 

 either of these purposes they would have gone so deep; and 

 secondly that, had they done so, that a people even so barbaric as 



