1886.] Mr II. Oadow, On some Caves in Portugal. 383 



floor is partly covered with stalagmites, but chiefly by bats' dung, 

 many feet deep, the bats themselves clinging in great numbers to 

 the ceiling. We were a large party, about a dozen, led by our 

 host, the Mayor of Salir, and half a dozen peasants, whom we 

 had at last persuaded to undertake this superstitiously feared 

 exploration. From the church we had provided ourselves with 

 some big wax candles, which gave no light to speak of, and 

 torches made of unravelled grass ropes. These primitive torches 

 could be kept burning only by being rapidly swung round one's 

 head, whereupon they gave a sudden glare of light, smouldered 

 away for a minute, produced a dense mass of smoke, and then went 

 out. 



The dome of this cave had never been visited within memory 

 of living men. Von Maltzan could not squeeze his big frame 

 through the narrow passage ; but they still tell the story of a 

 priest, who proceeded from the dome into still another chamber, 

 till he reached the source of a large river, when he thought it 

 prudent to return. We all felt rather disappointed ; the passage, 

 the chamber, and the large river have all disappeared, and the 

 priest has died long since. 



Not far from this large and deep cave there is said to exist 

 another, called Igreja dos Soudos, compared to a church because of 

 its many stalactitic columns. 



This year I visited the caves near Querenca in July. A kind 

 letter of recommendation from His Excellency the Minister of the 

 Colonies, Barboza du Bocage, to the Governador Civil of the 

 Algarve, Joaquim Bivar, in Faro, caused the latter gentleman to 

 request the Administrador do Conselho de Louie, Joaquim Manoel 

 Adelino Perreira, to facilitate the purpose of my exploration. Six 

 excellent miners, who had recently returned from Spain, were 

 requested to place themselves at my disposal for 18d. a day each ; 

 moreover, I was allowed the use of the municipal crowbars, pick- 

 axes, hammers and other necessary tools. I had also secured the 

 written permission of Manoel da Silva, the owner of the caves, for 

 exploring the latter, and last not least, Messrs Mason, Bary and 

 Co., the owners of the rich copper mines of Sao Domingos near 

 Pomorao on the Guadiana, had kindly consented that my friend, 

 Thomas Warden, civil engineer, should accompany me for a time 

 not to exceed a fortnight. My friend being thoroughly master of 

 the Portuguese language, and knowing the ways of the workmen, 

 his practical experience made matters easy and cheerful. 



There being no other accommodation, we established ourselves 

 in the antechamber of the south-eastern cave, and, considering 

 that we never left the caves for longer than an hour, to take a bath 

 down below in the Bio Secco, and that we lived there for 7 days 

 and 7 nights, we may w T ell be said to have played the Troglodytes. 



