REVIEWS. 



335 



Another of the Go wer lions is a bone-cave, sitnated under the cliffs in the 

 neighbourhood of Paviland. Dr. Bevan's book does not, however, give the 

 utmost encouragement to the visitor for tijing to get there ; for he tells us he 

 made a fruitless effort himseK ^vith that object ; that he only "got half -way, 

 and was weR pleased to retiu-n and take for granted that Dr. Buckland's 

 description, in his Reliqu'm Dili/>:iaii(e, was correct. It is possible, however, to 

 get a boat at Port Eynon, but it is a long way round, and after seeing the 

 Bacon Hole, scarcely worth the journey ; but if the traveller can happen to 

 hit the fortunate conjunction of low-water and spring-tide, he may then get 

 down to the caves without being sea-sick or breaking his neck. It was made 

 pubKc about 18:22, although kno^ii to the peasants some time before; but in 

 the following year Dr. Bucklaud visited it, and published the account in the 

 work before mentioned. These caves (for there are two) are the most 

 important in Gower, and the antiquary will share the interest with the geolo- 

 gist, since human relics were found in the shape of bones, articles of ornament, 

 coins, &'C. On the cliff above are the remains of a British camp, which, doubt- 

 less, was contemporaneous with the skeleton found below ; the largest of the 

 caves is the Goat's Hole, in which the floor ascends, and is covered with dilu- 

 vial loam, mixed with fragments of limestone and spar, recent marine shells, 

 and bones of elephant, rhinoceros, bear, fox, hya?na, wolf, horse, deer, ox, rats, 

 birds, and fragments of charcoal. The recent shells and bones of birds were 

 most plentiful in the interior extremity, and the material in which they were 

 found was earth, cemented by stalagmite. The skeleton was that of a female, 

 the bones stained of a dark red colour, and covered with a coating of raddle, 

 tinged by red oxide of iron, rragments of ivory too Avere there, cut into 

 curious and fantastic shapes (probably charms). The coins were of the reign 

 of Constaiitius. In the second cave — which, from its position as regards the 

 Goat's Hole, Dr. Bucklaud conjectures was connected with it, and, in fact, with 

 the other, formed part of a large cave, cut away by denudation — were more 

 bones of animals, covered with a bed of fine pebbles. The iuquiriug palseon- 

 tologist will find a unique collection of these bones, as well as those from the 

 Goat's Hole, in the Swansea Museum, where they are well arranged and 

 preserved." 



The AYorms Head is a noted place also in Gower, It is the most westerly 

 point of Gower and Glamorgansliire — the end, in fact, of that county in 

 general and of our locality in particular ; and with it we conclude our review, 

 as affording a remarkable instance of the abrading power of the sea-waves. It 

 was a noted point in old Leland's day, and he tells us, iu his quaint but accu- 

 rate lDOok : " Ther is in Gowerlaiid by-twixt Swansey and Lochor a litle pro- 

 montori caullid Worms Head, from the wich to Caldey is communly caulLid 

 Sums Tinbechicus." Dr. Bevan says that " it has obtauied its name from the 

 cuiious arrangement of the rocks which compose it — two or three successive 

 elevations, with causeways between, which, seen from the chamiel, certainly do 

 look like a large sea-serpent with uplifted head. The force and action of the 

 waves is mightily shown by the queer and fantastic shapes of the rocks, the 

 footpath in one part being carried across the boiling sea by a narrow arch, peri- 

 lous enough when a strong south-wester is blowing. Immediately in front is 

 the Head, a sheer precipice of more than 200 feet ; and yet, high as it is, I 

 have seen the waves dash over the very top, and that too when there was 

 scarcely a ripple visible on the surface of the sea. It is rarely that this phe- 

 nomenon is visible, but the effect is wonderful — a dense volume of water run- 

 ning up the side of the rock, and breaking over the summit in a vast fountain. 

 Whenever this is seen, calm and bright as the weather may be, the fishermen 

 know that rough weather is impending, and they account for the circumstance 

 by the meeting of two under-currents. One of the most singular facts about 



