CUTTRISS : NOTES ON THE CAVES OF YORKSHIRE. 319 
in a direction slightly to the west of north, and about 200 yds. from 
the lead mine, is the entrance to the cave, at the bottom of a hollow, 
which is fenced on the dangerous side to prevent cattle falling down. 
The entrance, at an elevation of 885 ft. above the sea, gives access to 
a passage, about 36 ft. long, 4 ft. to 5 ft. wide, and some 20 ft. high. 
At the further end it branches off to the right and left. The 
latter passage contains a few small chambers of no great interest, 
except that the walls are studded with chert nodules, left protruding 
by the dissolving away of the surrounding limestone. It has a 
rapid upward inclination, receiving a small stream from the surface, 
which flows down into the right-hand or east passage. This branch 
appears to end abruptly in a few yards, but a close scrutiny reveals 
a low passage, the entrance to which is blocked by a large mass of 
rock. By chipping away the corners a hole large enough to squeeze 
through was made. The passage, which is entirely waterworn, 
rapidly decreases in size until only large enough to admit the body 
at full length. A waggish member of the party christened it the 
" Fat Man's Misery." At the far end is a perpendicular drop of 
12 ft. into a small chamber. On climbing down to the bottom, it is 
found to communicate with another chamber of larger dimensions, 
but here the explorer is brought to a sudden halt on a slippery ledge, 
as he finds himself on the brink of a chasm down which water is 
heard splashing into unknown depths. Pulley-blocks were securely 
fastened to the walls of the chamber, and each one in turn w^as 
lowered by a rope to the bottom, 66 ft. below. Chert nodules of a 
much larger size than those in the upper chambers were noticed pro- 
truding from the rock a few feet below the ledge. At the bottom is 
a pool of water, into which the descent has to be made, the falling 
water forming a natural shower-batli during the descent. Several 
passages, having a rapid upAvard inclination, radiate from the bottom 
of the chasm, but they are encumbered with fallen stones and clay. 
The water sinks away in a small pool a few yards from the first 
one, so its further course cannot be followed, and there is no 
evidence of it appearing on the surface again in the valley below. 
The rock in the upper portion of the cave is very hard, and dark in 
colour, while that at the bottom is lighter, and not so hard. The 
