Notes and Commenis 



37 



THE NETHERWORLD OF MENDIP. 



This is a work of a type of which we have seen a good 

 deal in recent years ; a work which records the hardships and 

 privations, the 'discoveries,' 'explorations,' and 'investigations' 

 made during half-day or week-end rambles in more or less well- 

 known caves and pot-holes. The extraordinary dangers of 

 cave exploring are well and frequently described in the book. 

 We learn what ' the first explorers must undergo, when to 

 the ordinary difficulties of such an exploration is added the 

 great uncertainty felt at every step taken, and when every 

 boulder upon which our weight is to rest must first be care- 

 fully examined.' And 'the exertion it [cave exploring] entails 

 is exceedingly severe. The innumerable obstacles and difficult 

 problems to be faced make incessant demands on our inventive- 

 ness, adaptability, and presence of mind. The exposure, the 

 hardships, the dangers that must be encountered, form an 

 admirable discipline,' and so on. The marvel is that so many 

 of these ' explorers ' get home unharmed. But they always do ! 



DANGERS OF CAVE EXPLORING. 



In ' Strenouus \sic\ Days in the Eastwater Swallet ' the holes 

 and pits are all 'awkward,' and 'deluged with water,' and the 

 journey is 'painful,' the 'gigantic blocks' are 'seemingly on 

 the point of collapsing' (whatever that may mean). 'The S-bend 

 has to be taken with the body lying on its right side. Once in 

 it the explorer cannot turn round .... My \i,e.^ the explorer] 

 candle went out half-way through, and to iijijam my arm and 

 get it down for the waterproof matches was a difficult and 

 protracted operation.' There were also other ' severe tasks,' 

 etc., etc. 



SCIENTIFIC RESULTS. 



We observe that one of the authors is responsible for the 

 'scientific results,' and he has been working at the geology of 

 the Mendips, and especially the caves, for the past thirty years. 

 We have failed to find any serious contribution to geological 

 science in this part of the book, notwithstanding the fact that 

 the work detailed is modestly described as supplementary to 

 Prof. Boyd Dawkins' Cave Huiitifig^ 'and, largely, outside the 

 scope of his aims.' As a sample of the geological research, we 

 find that the great chasms of Ebbor and Cheddar have ' rent 

 the rocks asunder,' and ' the Carboniferous Limestone, evenly 



* By E. A. Baker and H. E. Balch. Clifton ; J. Baker & Son, 1907. 

 172 pp 



1908 February i 



