442 
CUTTRISS : NOTES ON THE CAVES OF YORKSHIRE, 
and frequently fill with water; we did not, therefore, linger in 
such an undesirable locality longer than necessary to make some 
instrumental observations and leave a record of our descent.'"' 
The temperature of the water was found to be 48° F., that of 
the air 48|" F., while the outside temperature was about 65° F. 
On returning to the bottom of the main chasm, consider- 
able time was lost in re-establishing communication with those 
above owing to the failure of the telephone. In our tired and 
wet condition the ascent of the 135 feet of rope-ladder without 
a rest was very trying, but all reached the Bridge again without 
mishap. Then followed the work of hauling everything up the 
remaining 100 feet to the surface. Only those who have had 
experience in hauling ropes under such trying conditions can 
fully appreciate our obligations to Mr. Scriven and the others 
for the generous Avay in which they laboured on the Bridge. 
The whole expedition occupied over 14 hours of continuous work. 
The writer is frequently asked if there is no danger to be 
apprehended from the presence of impure air in these chasms. 
A not inconsiderable experience in caves and pot-holes, the latter 
both absolutely dry as well as wet, leads me to affirm there is no 
danger to be feared on that account, under usual conditions, in 
limestone formations. I have never felt the slightest inconvenience 
from that cause, or has the light of the candle shown any diminu- 
tion in intensity. With the object of ascertaining the proportion 
of the constituents of the air, a sample at a depth of about 
300 feet was obtained during one of the attempts on Rowten 
Pot, together with one from the surface for comparison. These 
were submitted to Prof. Smithells, who kindly consented to have 
them analysed at the Yorkshire College, but, unfortunately, the 
quantity supplied was too small to allow of accurate determination 
of the carbon dioxide; the relative proportion of oxygen was, 
* The ribbed character of erosion of the rock referred to in the earlier 
part of the paper is here found in profusion, and with the additional 
peculiarity that a large proportion of the ribs or flakes are supported from 
above instead of below. This latter is a feature not noticeable in other 
pot-holes to any extent. 
