170 



THE GEOLOGIST. 



as the large quantities of charcoal found, and the numerous burnt 

 stones, etc., lead to the belief that the cave had been inhabited for a 

 considerable length of time ; and that fires had been burned at diffe- 

 rent places the thick deposits of charcoal testify. 



The bronze implements found at H and J in fig. 1, were asso- 

 ciated with a few bones, a limpet- 

 shell, some mussel-shells, and a 

 large quantity of charcoal, and 

 were deposited in sand and gravel. 



The deposits throughout the 

 cave are nearly on the same re- 

 lative level, with the exception of 

 the hillock already mentioned ; 

 and while the greatest part of 

 them have only one stalagmitic 



COA ering, the hillock and a few Fig. 3.— Transverse Section at G. 

 feet towards q, in fig. 1, had a open cave, 7 feet ] ^, stalagmite, 4 inches ; 

 sheet under the " bone-bed," ex- ^' ^^'^ gravel, bones, etc., 15 inches, 

 tending over h h, fig. 2, where it vanished, and its place was occu- 

 pied by sand and pebbles, as we see in the transverse section (fig. 3). 



The " Communion Table," as it was called by the visitors to the 

 cave, was a large pillar of the rock, around which the water had 

 washed until it had undermined the base, when the pillar fell down.^ 

 leaving a considerable space between its top and the roof of the cave, 

 which had afterwards been partially refilled by pendulous stalactites 

 from the roof, forming a junction with the stalagmitic bosses on the 

 "table" (as shown at fig. 4); 

 and on the top of the "table" 

 there was found a tusk, some 

 bones, some large snail-shells, 

 and pieces of charcoal, under an 

 incrustation of stalagmite. One 

 of the workmen wondering what 

 thickness the incrustation had 

 attained on the "table," struck 

 his hack into it, and exhumed 

 the above-mentioned relics to his 

 no small astonishment. Perhaps 

 this is the first time that such a 

 discovery has been made " on removing the cover." 



The appearances of the deposit at F, fig. 1, and the great thick- 

 ness of the stalagmite — in places 6 and even 8 inches thick — shows that 

 portion must have taken a greater length of time to form than the 

 rest, which was only 2 to 4 inches, while from the absence of any 

 bronze implements, I am led to consider it of more ancient date ; the 

 probability also is, that bone implements would cease to be used 

 when metal ones were introduced. 



The general appearance, on entering the cave before it was de- 

 molished, was very interesting and grand. The fine pendent stalac- 



18 feet. 



Fig. 4. — Transverse Section at H, showing 

 " Communion Table." e, " Communion 

 Table ; d, open cave, 4 feet 6 inches ; c, 

 stalagmite, 2 or 3 inches ; h, sand, etc., 12 

 inches ; a, rock. 



