FOWKB] ARCHEOLrOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS 129 



of several acres. Formerly most of the surface drainage carrying 

 this down flowed into the cave, thus keeping a passageway open 

 through which a man could crawl. Ditches have recently been cut 

 to turn away the water, the entrance walled up, a solid door hung, 

 and the cave is now used for a storeroom. It was never habitable. 



A mile north of the above-mentioned cave, toward Dunlap, is a 

 cave with a very large entrance : a sort of rock-house or half dome. 

 The floor is covered with huge rocks and a constant stream flows 

 out. It is said that a party once entered Lakey's Cave and emerged 

 at this one. There is no dry place in it. 



Pickett's Cave. — Seven miles southwest of Dunlap is a cave, de- 

 scribed as having an ample entrance, with much room inside, per- 

 fectly dry, and opening in a cliff 20 or 30 feet above a large, never- 

 failing spring. The description is correct as to location, but not as 

 to size. The opening is about 4 feet across each way, with a slight 

 covering of earth on the floor. The cave winds like a flattened 

 corkscrew. At no place near enough to the mouth for a glimmer of 

 light to penetrate is the roof more than 5 feet above the floor or the 

 side walls more than 5 feet apart. 



There are two recesses in the cliff on the opposite side of the little 

 creek formed by the spring. They are 40 to 50 feet above the water, 

 each with an irregular floor of 20 by 30 feet under shelter of the 

 rock. No solid rock is visible in front of them, but a projecting 

 ledge, which seems continuous, appears on either side about 6 feet 

 below the present average level of the floor ; and this is probably the 

 depth of accmnulation at the front. It may be less toward the rear. 

 The cavities are in a stratum which is somewhat shelly and crumbles 

 easily. 



Hixson's Cave. — Six miles northeast of Dunlap is a cave said to 

 be large, accessible, dry, and well suited for occupancy. It is on the 

 side of Walden's ridge, 400 feet or more above the base, a mile from 

 water, and with an opening in the solid rock that can not be entered 

 except on hands and knees. By the time one can straigliten up he 

 is in absolute darkness. 



Land Company's Cave. — This is 7 miles northeast of Dunlap. To 

 enter, one must crawl between the rock front and the detritus, de- 

 scending 10 or 12 feet. The floor is fairly level, where it can be 

 found, but is nearly hidden from sight by rocks of all sizes, over 

 and between which it is necessary to scramble almost from the start- 

 ing point. 



Henson's Cave. — This cave, 9 or 10 miles northeast from Dunlap, 



and perhaps in Bledsoe County, is somewhere on Raccoon Mountains, 



near the head of. a valley up which a mountain road winds along in 



the bed of a stream. It is said to have a dry dirt floor, with an 



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