2 REPORT 1871. 



C. Busk, A. Champernowne, Channing, Chaplin, F. A. Fellows, T. Fox, 

 T. Glaisher, J. Harrison, Howard, W". Jones, C. Pannel, Eichie, W. Spriggs, 

 E. B. Tawuey, G. H. Wollaston, and many others. 



Smerdons Passaije. — The Committee stated in their last Report that, in 

 excavating the "North Sally-port," they had been led to a third External En- 

 trance to the Cavern, in the same limestone cliff as the two Entrances known 

 from time immemorial, but at a considerably lower level, where it was com- 

 pletely buried in a great talus of debris. After adding that it had not been 

 thought necessary, or desirable, or even safe to dig through the talus to the 

 open day, they stated the facts which left no doubt of their having pene- 

 trated to the outside of the Cavern. During the winter of 1870-71, the 

 question of the existence of the third Entrance was put beyond all doubt ; 

 for, after a considerable rainfall, that portion of the talus which the workmen 

 had undermined fell in, and thereby laid open the Entrance. This cavity 

 was at once filled up, in order to prevent any one from intruding into the 

 Cavern. 



It was also stated last year that the new or low-level opening was the 

 External Entrance not only of the North SaUy-port, but of another and 

 unsuspected branch of the Cavern, to which had been given the name of 

 " Smerdon's Passage," the exploration of which had been begun. 



This Passage was found to consist of two Reaches, the first, or outermost, 

 being about 25 feet long, from 3 to 10 feet wide, and having a northerly 

 direction. Near its entrance, or southern end, there are in the roof a few 

 circular holes, from 6 to 12 inches in diameter, apparently the mouths of 

 tortuous shafts extending for some distance into, or perhaps through, the 

 limestone rock. The roof itself and the adjacent portions of the wall bear 

 traces of the long- continued erosive action of running water, but below the 

 uppermost 12 or 18 inches the walls have many sharp angular inequa- 

 lities. Further in, the roof has an irregular fretted aspect, apparently the 

 result of the corrosive action of acidulated water, whilst the walls retain the 

 angular appearance just mentioned. 



The Second lleach runs nearly east and west, is about 32 feet long, some- 

 what wider than the first, and its roof is several feet higher. At its outer or 

 eastern end the roof and walls are much fretted ; further in, there are holes 

 in the roof similar to those just mentioned, with the exception of being 

 larger. Some of them contain a small quantity of soil, resembling 

 Cave-earth, and firmly cemented to the wall ; whilst adjacent to others 

 there is a considerable amount of stalactitic matter. Still further in, the 

 roof, which has the aspect of a watercourse, is covered with a thin veneer 

 of white stalactite ; and near the inner cud there is a considerable hole in 

 the roof containing a large accumulation of the same material. 



At the western or inner end of this Second Ecach, the limestone roof gave 

 place to one consisting of angular pieces of limestone cemented with carbo- 

 nate of Ume into a very firm concrete. In breaking this up, the workman 

 thrust his iron bar up through it, and found he had thereby opened a pas- 

 sage into the easfern end of that branch of the Cavern known as the " Sloping 

 Chamber," the concrete floor of which was at the same time the roof of the 

 Passage, 



At the outer or eastern end of the Second Eeach there was found another 

 Low-level Entrance, about 20 feet from that previously mentioned, and 

 having no marks of the action of water. 



Narrow ramifications extend through the limestone rock from both Reaches 

 of Smerdon's Passage (westward from the first, and southwards from the 



