KOTA GLANGGI. 157 
three round holes which are placed at regular intervals and give 
the roof almost the appearance of artificial construction, whilst the 
narrower one is lighted by a square hole near the top and looks 
like a gigantic belfry ; a third, rather wider, leads up, by a series 
of cyclopean steps, to a narrow exit higher up the precipice, and 
from this we emerged, and by the aid of a rattan climbed up and 
over an awkward ledge, and reached a jagged pinnacle four hun- 
dred feet high, with a sheer drop to the valley beneath. From this 
point we had a very fine view of the country and of distant moun- 
tains, by means of which I obtained some good bearings for future 
guidance. 
Retracing our steps, we approached Kota Papan, which is really 
the great cave of the district. Our road lay through another 
part of Kota Tongkat, a series of dark and dangerous galleries, 
with dismal abysses of unknown depth, yawning at our feet ; along 
one of these we had to travel by a narrow ledge against an over- 
hanging wall to the right, whilst to the left one of these horrid 
culphs was gaping to reccive us in its maw, should we make a false 
step. At last we emerged from this “ hell’s gate,’ and found our- 
selves under the entrance to Kéta Papan, but no one unacquainted 
with the locality would ever guess that there was a cave here at 
all, much less one of such gigantic proportions as this. An over- 
hanging ledge projects from the face of the cliff, and up to this we 
climbed by the aid of arattan ladder. Reaching the ledge, we 
found an insignificant-looking entrance, with no appearance of 
depth or size. Stepping within, however, we were assailed by a 
blast of air which came rushing continuously from the interior 
with an amazing force and with a sound lke the rumbling in a 
chimney on a windy night. This considerably disconcerted our 
torch-bearers, whose futile attempts to light their damars were 
accompanied by volleys of “ chélakas.” Having at last got our 
torches alight, we began first to descend, then to ascend, then to 
descend and ascend again, wending our way between immense 
angular masses of fallen stone, and groping and clambering with 
hands and feet over shin-breaking ledges, until we found ourselves 
involved in a labyrinth of passages. Selecting that on the right. 
our guides led us into the great cave of Kota Papan, 
