THE 



^iciovxan Natural t0t* 



YoL. Y.— No. 9. JANUARY, 1889. No. 61. 



NOTES OF A VISIT TO THE JENOLAN CAVES, NEW 

 SOUTH WALES. 



By F. G. a. Barnard. 



( Rea^^ Wi October, 1 8 8 8. ) 



The following notes of a recent visit to the Jenolan Caves and 

 district are offered more with the view of giving our members 

 some idea of what they may expect to see should they ever have 

 the opportunity to visit this Australian wonder-land than of 

 attempting to adequately describe the many beautiful and 

 mysterious shapes and forms resulting from the action of moisture 

 on limestone. 



These caves, formerly known as the "Fish River Caves," from 

 the usual route taken to reach them, though they are on the other 

 side of the Great Dividing Range to the Fish River watershed, 

 and also as the " Binda Caves," from being situated in a spur of 

 that mountain, are now known as the " Jenolan Caves," from the 

 district in which they are situated. This name is said to have 

 been obtained by leaving out the full stops in the name of Mr. 

 J. E. Nolan, the original surveyor of the district. This adapta- 

 tion of a name, it seems to me, would be a very happy one to 

 adopt in many cases, and would save our maps from becoming 

 crowded with persons' surnames who have no particular claim 

 to be immortalized — being, by this plan, still recorded, but to 

 a certain extent hidden from view. To my mind the name 

 " Jenolan Caves " is far preferable to " Nolan's Caves," as they 

 might have been called had the usual plan been adopted. But I 

 am wandering from my subject, and before getting our first 

 glimpse of the " Grand Arch " you must permit me to make some 

 remarks on the journey from Sydney, the necessity for which you 

 will see presently. 



Besides the business meetings of the Australasian Association 

 for the Advancement of Science recently held in Sydney, a 

 number of excursions to places of interest were arranged. Among 

 these were the Jenolan Caves. Along with some nine or ten 

 others, I put down my name for what I expected would be a very 

 interesting trip, as some good names appeared on the list as 



