537 



the right hand from the entrance, and leaves a sort of semicircular 

 recess, in which were exhumed the remains upon which I found the 

 opinion that the cave must originally have been the dwelling place of 

 an ancient race of men. These relics were found uuder the following 

 circumstances : — 



In the month of August last, the proprietor, having determined upon 

 making explorations for the purpose of finding out what might be 

 hidden from superficial view, set men to break up the surface, at the 

 distance of a few feet from the side of the cavern, in the before-mentioned 

 recess. As this operation w T as at the top of both the gravel and clay, 

 it was at the height of some seven or eight feet above the natural floor 

 of the cave. Nearly at the surface, and only slightly covered over, the 

 workmen came upon a layer of stalagmite, of varying thickness, but 

 averaging about three quarters of an inch. After this had been broken 

 through, there came a layer of the brown clay, about ten inches or a 

 foot deep. Below this was another laj-er of stalagmite, thinner than the 

 upper one, and averaging perhaps an eighth to half an inch thick. 

 When this in its turn had been broken up, there came again about ten 

 inches or a foot more of the brown clay, and then a quantity of bones 

 compacted within a small space, and mingled with fragments of broken 

 pottery, and charcoal, but without flint implements. I was not myself 

 present during the excavation, but upon hearing of it went into the 

 cavern, and made a personal examination of the place, when I found 

 no reason to doubt of the facts having been as described. I also disin- 

 terred in situ, with my own hands, some pieces of bone which had 

 escaped the first explorers, and brought away some of the charcoal. I 

 further procured a selection of the first found bones, and pieces of 

 pottery. All of these, as well as specimens of the two overlying layers 

 of stalagmite, you may now see before you. One of the pieces of pot- 

 tery discovered had a sort of rhombic ornamentation figured on what 

 had been the outside of the vessel. The bones are all of animals such 

 as would be used for human food, and there are none human, of carni- 

 vora, or extinct species ; they comprise remains of the cow, goat, and 

 pig tribes ; I am not yet, at least, aware of the existence of any other. 

 There is not, so far as 1 know, a trace of any of them having been split 

 up for the purpose of extracting the marrow. Upon one bone — an 

 astragalus — an adherent layer of stalagmite has formed. 



It is a matter of importance to find out what evidence the organic 

 remains give upon the subject of their own antiquity, and whether 

 this be in any degree confirmatory of what might be surmised from the 

 circumstances under which they were found. The outsides of the 

 bones are to a certain extent decayed and discoloured ; and some are 

 light, whilst others are comparatively heavy, which might lead to a 

 suspicion that the latter had been infiltrated with some weighty sub- 

 stance. There are but two such at all likely to cause the phenomenon 

 in question under the circumstances ; namely, iron, and carbonate of 

 lime. Accordingly, some portions of the bones which appeared to be 

 heavy have been boiled in hydrochloric acid, and treated with fer.ro- 



