Hill, Brodrick, and Rule — The Mitchelstown Caves. 255 



roof. This is known as Lot's Wife. Facing this cohimn, on your left, is a 

 mound of boulders. Crossing this, and winding back abruptly to the left, 

 you presently find yourself at the bottom of the shaft you have just looked 

 into from above, the Bed Chamber. Its walls, however, are too steep to 

 surmount except with the aid of a rope-ladder. 



Eetracing your steps to the pillar known as Lot's Wife, you climb up 

 the slope on which it stands, and immediately arrive at the entrance to 

 the Kingston Gallery, which opens out on the left, straight ahead being 

 the way to the Garrett Cave. 



The Kingston Gallery is remarkable for its absolute straightness. It 

 runs north for a distance of 82 yards, and is richly bedecked with calcite 

 formations. Originally triangular in section, its floor has subsequently been 

 excavated by water-action to a depth, in places, of 9 feet. 



To enter this gallery you descend a steep boulder-slope thickly plastered 

 over with stalagmite, and are then able to walk along a level floor. Imme- 

 diately on your right is a low arch through which the return journey is made 

 when leaving the Sand Cave, a passage running parallel with the one now 

 about to be traversed. On the left a fine pillar blocks the centre of the path, 

 bearing an inscription dated 1833. You then climb 9 feet "up, and pass along 

 a tunnel, which in two places is partitioned into cells by a central pillar 

 flanked on either side by curtains of snowy-white calcite, ribbed with 

 coloured bands of iron and other minerals. In one instance an artificial 

 opening has been made through a curtain ; unnecessarily as it happens, since 

 the parallel Sand Cave affords an alternative route. 



Arrived at the termination of the Kingston Gallery, you descend from 

 the higher to the lower level and enter a lofty chamber, roughly square 

 in shape, which is known as the Kingston Hall. On its right-hand wall 

 are openings leading into a system of parallel fissures known as the Closets ; 

 these are accessible also from an opening a short distance along the Sand 

 Cave. 



This cave is named from the sand which covers its floor. It runs parallel 

 with the Kingston Gallery, which it rejoins at its southern extremity. 

 Immediately before this point a large mass of fallen boulders obstructs the 

 way. Here water drips from the roof, and in one of the pools thus formed 

 on the floor, there was found a nest of perfect " Cave Pearls." 



You rejoin the Kingston Gallery by creeping under the low arch 

 referred to above, and, making your way up the stalagmited boulder-slope, 

 bend at once to the left around some stalactite pillars, and after a short crawl 

 are able to stand upright in the Garrett Cave. 



This cave ranks with O'Leary's as being one of the largest chambers 



