296 



opposite or northern side of the valley, and a little highui- 

 up, is another cavern, with a high arched entrance, and 

 about fifty feet above the bottom of the ravine (PL I., 

 Fig. 3). On entering the cave it is found to be a tunnel 

 penetrating for about fifty yards into the limestone rock, 

 in the direction of N. 60° E., and then turning off at- 

 right angles to its former course, the strike of the 

 cretaceous limestone being N. 60° W., with dip to the 

 S.W. Within, its floor is much encumbered with fallen 

 blocks, but near the entrance it presents an eai^then floor with 

 only a few stones, some of them of large size. Against the 

 sides are masses of stalagmite, some of which rise to a height 

 of six feet above the floor, and at the mouth is a ridge of 

 similar stalagmite, extending beyond the mouth of the cave, 

 and indicating that the roof formerly projected farther than it 

 does at present. On the side of the cliff there are also the 

 remains of an old tunnel, long since cut away, and showing 

 only a part of one side. The stalagmite of this cave contains 

 a few flint knives and bones, but differs in appearance from 

 that in the Nahr-el-Kelb caves, and is less rich in remains. 

 The earthen floor is a very rich deposit of flint knives and 

 bones, the former very thin and well made, and accompanied 

 by a few small cores (PI. II.). It is possible that the stalag- 

 mite of this cave may belong to the time of the primitive 

 people who lived in the Nahr-el-Kelb caves; and that, 

 after their deposits had been sealed up in this material and 

 some portions of the front of the cavern removed by erosion, it 

 had been again occupied by a similar rude people, whose 

 debris is found in the earth. But it is also possible that the 

 stalagmite may be no older than the cave earth; and the 

 excavations I was able to make are not sufiicient fully to 

 decide this question. The cave earth I would refer to the 

 same age with that of certain rock-shelters discovered on the 

 banks of the Nahr-el-Kelb, and which are stated by Lartet to 

 contain remains only of the recent animals of the country. 



Among the remains in the Ant Elias cave are bones of 

 birds, and shells of the large Helix {H. poviatia) now common 

 in the country, and still used as food. This species was not 

 seen in the older deposits. A shell of a species of Turbo still 

 common on the coast was also found. 



The cavern at Ant Elias is large enough to have accommo- 

 dated a considerable tribe of ancient Troglodytes, and the 

 time during which it was so occupied need not have been 

 very long, provided the occupants were numerous. The 

 country at the time was no doubt wooded and well stocked 

 with game, and the primitive people may have been prodigal 



