CHAPTER X 



THE COUNTRY ROUND LYELL THE UNDER- 

 GROUND DRAINAGE 



HAVING returned to our main camp, we spent a few days 

 in the exploration of the country to the south-east, along 

 the foot of the limestone cliff. 



At a short distance behind the camp we came upon 

 a deserted stream channel, which, however, showed traces 

 of having carried a considerable flood of water quite 

 recently, probably during the thunderstorm which we 

 experienced on the plateau. On following this channel 

 upwards we found that it ended abruptly in a mass of 

 loose stones, which evidently covered the mouth of 

 some tunnel or cavern from which the waters had issued. 

 This channel we called Blind Burn. 



Travelling along the foot of the line of cliffs, or 

 escarpment as we should prefer to call it, we next 

 encountered the East Fork, which flowed over the edge 

 of the plateau in a picturesque fall, and was at once 

 augmented by the waters of several large springs which 

 rose amongst the stones on both sides of the stream, and 

 close to the foot of the escarpment. 



The waterfall had produced a great mass of calcareous 

 tufa, and this formed a sort of apron or screen over 

 which the water poured in a thin sheet. The pebbles 



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