FOWKE] ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIOlSrS 107 



French Lick Springs. — Two or three miles from this place is 

 " Star Cavern," which is advertised as being of great size and beauty. 

 The immediate surroundings are quite romantic and deserve the 

 praise accorded the spot by visitors. The cave itself, however, more 

 resembles an artificial tunnel than a natural result of erosion. The 

 floor is clean rock with a little brook flowing over it. 



Two other caves not far from Star Cave are dry, but with solid 

 rock floors, so they were not visited. 



Orangeville. — Near this place are the so-called Gulfs of Lost 

 Eiver. The stream sinks a few miles east of Orleans, emerges at 

 the " Gulfs " from one side of a very large sink hole with precipitous 

 margin, and immediately goes out of sight again in a deep pool 

 or chasm. It reappears a mile or so away at the foot of a cliff where, 

 after heavy rains, it boils up like a gigantic fountain. Numerous 

 small caves or sink holes exist in the neighborhood, three of which 

 were reported as being dry, lighted, having good entrances, and well 

 suited for habitancy. One of them is at the bottom of a sink hole 

 on a hill. The descent is steep and rocl^ for 20 feet (it was not 

 followed farther) and no doubt so continues to the level of the river 

 which flows almost directly under it. 



The two others are in the principal " Gulf." They are open and 

 of good size, but mud high on the walls shows they are filled with 

 water in wet seasons. 



CRAWFORD COUNTY 



Marengo Cave. — This is growing famous as it becomes better 

 known. Blatchley sa^^s that in it " are probably crowded more beau- 

 tiful formations of crystalline limestone than in any other known 

 cave of similar size in the United States." Visitors who have been 

 in both say it surpasses Luray Cavern in the magnificence of its 

 sheets and columns of deposited material. 



As it was not opened until 1883, and the bottom can be reached 

 only by a stairway 60 feet high, it was of course unknown to the 

 aborigines. 



A small cave near Marengo has an opening on a hillside, and can 

 be directly entered from the outside ; but it is at times a passageway 

 for a strong current of water 3 feet deep and extending the full 

 width of the cavity. 



MiLLTOAVN. — A mile north of the town is a large cave which would 

 furnish an abode for scores of people. The entrance is in a slight 

 depression on the level upland west of Blue River. The descent is 

 down an easy slope of fallen rock and earth about 30 feet deep to a 

 rock floor. Beyond the foot of the slope there i^ a slight thickness 

 of earth, so that explorations could reveal nothing that had a cer- 

 tainty of antiquity. 



