3 REPOKT 1875. 



regularly sent to Sir Charles LyeU until his decease, and subsequently to 

 Mr. John Evans. 



The Committee have the satisfaction of stating that they still retain the 

 services of George Smerdon, foreman of the work, who has been engaged on 

 it from the beginning. As John Clinnick, the second workman, believing 

 the employment prejudicial to his health, has sought more congenial labour, 

 they have engaged Nicholas Luscombe in his stead, and hope that he may 

 prove an equally satisfactory workman. 



The Cavern continues to be much visited by persons desirous of studying 

 on the spot its characters and phenomena; and during the last twelve 

 months the Superintendents have had the pleasure of taking the following 

 gentlemen through those branches which have been explored, and of 

 explaining to them the mode of operation : — Sir C. Wheatstone, General D. 

 Lysons, Colonel Brine, Major J. Virtue (Madras), the Revs. Dr. Stebbing, 

 J. L. Ball, W. E. Buckley, G. Henslow, J. Parker, T. E. E. Stebbing, 

 T. Talbot, J. H. Tooke, and E. H. J. Turrell, Dr. T. Oldham (Calcutta), Dr. 



E. B. Tylor, and Messrs. E. W. Alexander (New Zealand), W. F. Alexander, 

 A. E. Baker, J. E. Baker, H. S. Ball, W. Beer, C. A. Bleckly, H. F. Bleekly, 

 Ceilings Blow, A. Brine, N. Brown, M. de Bunsen, "W. Carruthers, Moncure 

 D. Conway, J. D. Crossfield, P. L. Davidson, W. J. Dobie, F. Elder, E. C. 

 Elliott, W. Francis, G. S. Gibson, J. Giles, H. Gurney, T. Gurney, T. Har- 

 rison, T. N. Hart-Smith, E. S. Hastings, F. J. Hext, C. Holdsworth, J. Holds- 

 worth, J. A. Holdsworth, J. H. Holdsworth, J. S. Holdsworth, E. Holds- 

 worth, A. E. Hunt, T. Hunton, H. J. J. La\is, J. Norman Lockyer, D. C. W. 

 Lysons, J. I. Mackenzie, D. Pidgeon, A. D. Powell, H. Eeutcr, A. Eichard- 

 son, A. F. Eobinson, H. Segar, J. Sollas, E. B. Stott, J. S. Stott, F. E. Thom- 

 son, J. E. Terry, H. Tozer, J. H. Tuke, S. Tukc, W. S. Tuke, W. A. E. 

 Ussher, C. Staniland Wake, E. G. Wake, J. C. Wheat, J. N. White, B. H. 

 Williams, F. WlUiams, F. E. Wolfe, B. B. Woodward, H. B. Woodward, and 



F. L. W^oodward. 



Numerous visitors have also been conducted by the " Guide," who, though 

 under the control of the Committee, is not permitted to take parties to those 

 branches of the Cavern in which the exploration is in progress or has not 

 been begun. 



As in former years, rats have frequently been seen running about in 

 various parts of the Cavern, including those in which the men have been at 

 work, though hundreds of feet from any glimmering of daylight ; and they 

 have displayed their usual boldness as well as their skill in carrying off 

 candles. In other branches, almost as far from the entrances, where all 

 researches have ceased for some years, their footprints are to be seen in very 

 great numbers, especially on. the silt left, here and there, where the drip is 

 copious in wet weather. It is difficult to understand what draws them 

 thither, unless it be the small amount of tallow which drops from the candles 

 of visitors. 



On 29th January, 1875, a " buzzing fly" was heard by one of the Super- 

 intendents in " The Cave of Inscriptions," about 300 feet from daylight, and 

 was subsequently seen by the workmen in the same Cave. 



CKnnicl's Gallery .^-1\ig> Tenth Eeport (1874) stated that the Committee 

 had discovered that the " Long Arcade," aboiit 225 feet from its entrance, 

 threw off a narrow branch, which had been named " Clinnick's Gallery" 

 after the workman who first entered it- — that its exploration was in progress 

 and had been completed for about 34 feet — that below the least ancient, or 



