CAVES AT SUK&EI BATF. 117 



at the base runs a bubbling crystal streamlet over many-coloured 

 quartz and blue and limestone pebbles, such as would gladden 

 the heart of a trout-fisher to take a cast over. 



After reaching the hill we climbed about 50 feet over 

 rocky boulders and stood opposite a lar^e gateway, hollowed 

 out of the limestone hill, a great cavern, looking black and 

 ominous as we faced it, and the scent of the bat's manure was 

 strong. This is called the " Gua Lambong " (or swinging or 

 hanging cave), No. 1. Here tha Saheis and others commenced 

 their notes of warning as to the deep holes in this cave, and the 

 party entered with cautious steps. The writer tried hard to 

 take up a modest retiring position in the rear, like Mark 

 Twain when there were rumours of Arabs at the Pyramids of 

 Egypt, but he found that other members were also anxious 

 to show their humility in staying behind, some stopped to tuck 

 up their trowsers on account of the bat's manure, another 

 walked very suddenly on one side and stopped and closely ex- 

 amined the nature of the limestone formation, and the worst 

 case of timidity was of one who foremost at the start, suddenly 

 wheeled round to the rear saying he wanted to light a cigar. 

 However, having lighted torches the gallant representative of 

 H. .M.'s 28th Regiment took the lead and boldly advanced. 

 After a few yards' walking on the soft elastic layer of the bat's 

 manure, we had to throw away the damar torches, as the rosin 

 from the damar that dropped on the manure set fire to it, and 

 in their place long split bamboos were used for torches, which 

 answered admirably. 



The appearance of this cave was very grand. On a main 

 bearing of N. N. W we walked for about a quarter of a mile 

 over rocks and then gently over dry deposits of bat's manure, 

 which were from 3 to 6 feet deep. The roof and sides of the 

 caves, which were 50 to 70 feet high and some 60 feet wide, were 

 beautifully arched, presenting the appearance of a great Gothic 

 dome, with curved arches and giant buttresses. Verily there 

 was a stillness and sublimity in this work of nature that even 

 surpassed the awe of the holy place raised by human art. 



Hanging from the conchoidal arches of this vaulted dome 

 were thousands of bats, whose flitting fluttering noises resem- 

 bled the surging of the sea on on iron-bound const. Arriving 

 at the end of the cave we came upon an opening in the lime- 

 stone crust above, which shed a -soft light over the scene, a 

 subdued tinge over the green-crusted walls at the top and a 



