ON CAVES CONTAINING BONES 



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that of the Rhine. The Thuringerwald and the Hartz 

 continue to limit the basin of the Elbe, by separating it 

 from that of the Weser. 



These different chains have but slight intervals be- 

 tween them. The caves of Westphalia alone are not 

 connected in so evident a manner with the others. 



Very lately, bones have been discovered in a cavern, 

 which extends more towards the south, and is even 

 situate on the other or Italian side of the Alps. It 

 is that of Adelsberg in Carniola, a place situate on 

 the great road from Laybach to Trieste, and about 

 half way between these two cities. The whole of this 

 country is full of caverns and grottoes, which have given 

 rise to numerous sinkings of the surface, thus giving 

 a very singular appearance to the country. Several of 

 these caverns have long been celebrated among natura 

 lists. That of Adelsberg is generally visited by travel- 

 lers, on account of its being near the highway, and be- 

 cause a river called the Piuka or Polke is lost there, 

 forming a subterranean lake, and emerging again on the 

 north side, under the name of Unz. A hole which the 

 Chevalier de Lowengreif discovered in 1816, in one of 

 its walls, at the height of 14 fathoms, conducted him to 

 a series of new caves of vast extent, and of incom- 

 parable beauty, from the lustre and variety of their sta- 

 lactites. 



A part of these caves was, however, known, and must 

 be, or have been accessible, by some other place, for in- 

 scriptions were found in them with dates, from 1393 to 

 1676, together with human bones, and entire carcases, 

 that had been buried there. A German pamphlet was 



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