﻿112 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



opposite Alexandra, the other towai^ds the Obelisk ; the foi'mer is a steep 

 incline, the other exactly like a funnel, and is in the centre of a flat about a 

 quarter of an acre in extent, while the former is surrounded by rocks. The 

 descent into the cave, which is accomplished by sliding down feet foremost, is 

 by the former opening — by the other opening the descent is difficult ; the two 

 oj)enings communicate with each other. On entering what may be termed as 

 the first or upper floor, you have to be in a bent position. This floor is 

 composed of loose dirt, pieces of wood, and other rubbish, and a few bones, and 

 is bounded on all sides by rocks ; and it is here that the separation of the rock is 

 most apparent, and the fracture can be easily traced on all sides. Below this 

 is another floor, to enter which you have to go on your face and slide imder a 

 piece of rock about ten feet long, there being just sufficient room to pass through, 

 and the descent is also an incline. In this compartment, where you are alto- 

 gether unable to stand, stooping, or rather kneeling and sitting, being the 

 only positions that can be assumed, are found all the bones, lodged against 

 the side of the i-ock (towards the south). The position may be described as 

 that assumed by a ship when lying well over on her side. Below this floor 

 are others, which become rocky as you descend, and in which are observed 

 other rents. The entire depth of the cave from the surface is at least from 

 forty to fifty feet. I have been so far minute in describing the place in order 

 to give you some idea of how the bones found got there. I may mention that 

 in the third floor the height is at least ten feet, so that there is plenty of 

 room for standing erect. 



" At our visit, and on entering the first floor, our attention was attracted to 

 the remains of a fire. We found numerous charred bones, both moa bones and 

 sheep bones, pieces of wood, and spear grass. No bones worthy of note 

 were obtained here, but on entering the second floor, and by scraping away the 

 loose dirt to a depth of two feet, we came upon numerous bones — -femora, 

 tibice, fihulce, ribs, vertehrce, tracheal rings, and (esophageal rings, and pieces of 

 skin and muscle, also bones of the toes and tarsal bones, and a portion of a 

 velvis. In the third storey we found pieces of egg-shell and the bones of some 

 kind of flying bird (the keel on the breast-bone indicating the kind of bird). 



" Our visit was paid rather late in the day, and as it began to rain and 

 snow alternately we had to leave. Since then other people have been into 

 the cave, and one man found a perfect head with lower jaw and tracheal rings 

 attached ; these were found lying whole. They also found a large lower jaw. 

 The latter I have now in my possession, but the former the finder would not 

 part with. 



" On one of the thigh bones portions of muscular tissue are observed, in 

 pretty good preservation, and found at the same spot where the portion of 

 neck was found. 



