The Underground Drainage 



which coated the leaves and stems of moss and other 

 plants, forming a spongy and somewhat friable mass, in 

 the neighbourhood of certain limestone springs. 



On returning to camp we found that the party had 

 come back from Lyell with the apparatus and provisions, 

 and we therefore determined to set about a thorough 

 investigation of the caves and underground water system 

 with as little delay as possible. 



Two of our men appeared to have a rooted objection 

 to underground work, so we decided to leave them in the 

 main camp, charged with the less exacting, but also less 

 interesting, duty of watching over the stores and making 

 rope ladders which we should probably require at a later 

 stage of our exploration. We then provided ourselves 

 with the most portable provisions in our stock, a good 

 supply of candles and some soft clay, the use of which 

 will be explained shortly. 



On reaching the far bank of the stream it was 

 necessary to carry the canoe and provisions, as the 

 stream was too rapid and too much encumbered by 

 stones to allow of navigation. Having arrived in an 

 alcove free from wind on the side of the dry ledge, we 

 decided as a necessary precaution to render some of our 

 matches waterproof, in case we should be so unfortunate 

 as to be upset during our subterranean voyage a by 

 no means unlikely eventuality. 



For this purpose we had brought with us a few wax 

 candles, and one of these having been lighted and allowed 

 to burn sufficiently long to form a pool of melted wax 

 around the wick, the heads of a number of ordinary 

 wax vestas were dipped one by one in the melted wax, 

 so as to be thinly coated. As soon as these were 



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