ON Kent's cavern, Devonshire. 3 



precisely the same conditions as the bones of the extinct animals with which 

 they lay ; that, with the exception of three, they were all of the kind deno- 

 minated flakes, the excepted specimens being wrought to an edge all round 

 their perimeters ; that, like the bones, they were least numerous in the first 

 foot below the stalagmite ; and that those most elaborately wrought were 

 found in the third and fourth foot-levels — the greatest depth to which the 

 excavation had been carried. 



In conclusion, the Committee stated that, unlike Mr. M'Enery, they had 

 not succeeded in finding the remains of MacJiairodus latUIens or of Hipj)0])0- 

 tamus major, nor had they detected any part of the human skeleton either 

 in the cave-earth or in the overlying black mould, but that with these 

 exceptions they had confirmed aU the statements of the early explorers. 



During the twelve months which have elapsed since the First lleport, just 

 recapitulated, was drawn up, the Committee have carried on their labours 

 ■without interruption, the Superintendents have continued to visit the cavern 

 daily, the original rigorous methods of excavation and examination have been 

 itniformly followed, the results of each day's labour have been carefully 

 registered, and at the commencement of every month a lieport of progress 

 has been forwarded to Sir Charles Lyell, the Chairman of the Committee. 



The selected Chamber has been completely explored to the depth of 4 feet 

 below the stalagmite. It measures about 62 feet from east to west, and 

 something more than 30 from north to south. The limestone floor has been 

 reached in several places, but elsewhere the deposits descend through wide 

 fissures to probably considerable depths, and there is reason to believe that 

 beneath the limestone there arc extensive undervaultings. 



In the inner or back wall of the Chamber, almost due west from the 

 entrance, the workmen laid open the mouth of a Gallery, about 16 feet wide 

 and extending westward for a distance of 29 feet, where it suddenly tei'mi- 

 nates in a mere sht in the limestone rock. This Gallery has also been exca- 

 vated in the same manner and to the same depth as the Chamber. 



A comparatively narrow passage leads out of the Chamber northwards, 

 and must be traversed in proceeding, within the cavern, from one of the 

 external entrances to the other. Mr. M'Enery termed it the " Passage of 

 Urns," on account of the large amount of broken pottery which he there 

 found in the black mould above the stalagmite. Since the completion of the 

 exploration of the Gallery, the workmen have been occupied in excavating 

 this Passage, a work now almost completed. 



AU the investigations of the Committee have been carried on in virgin 

 ground. iN'o traces of the earlier researches have been encountered, the 

 deposits being everywhere indubitably intact. 



Several blocks of limestoiie overlying the black mould have been met with 

 in the Chamber and the Passage of Urns. Some of them were of great size, 

 and one greatly surpassed the largest of those mentioned in the First Report. 

 It measured 19| feet long, 9 feet broad, and 2| thick, or upwards of 430 

 cubic feet ; so that its weight must have exceeded 30 tons. In order to the 

 removal of this huge mass, it was necessary to blast it five times, each blast 

 being very successful. 



From their characters and positions, as well as from the condition of the 

 roof, it is obvious that, from time to time, the blocks were severed naturally 

 from the limestone strata, perhaps by the action of acidulated water along 

 planes of jointage, such planes being prevalent and well defined in the 



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