CAVE EXPLORATIONS. 
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researches in the boue cave of Kent's Hole, near Torquay, and their 
relation to the archieology and palaeontology of Britain. The scene 
of these researches is somewhat remote from Yorkshire, but the value 
of the discoveries had a considerable influence on the cave work 
throughout the whole country, and for this reason it may not be 
inappropriate to give a short account of the cave. The mountain 
limestone of South Devon, like that of Yorkshire, is full of ancient 
water-courses and caves. Kent's Cavern, one of these, is about a 
mile and a half eastward from Torquay. Like similar caves its floor 
was more or less covered with stalagmite, and it had been of general 
interest for centuries before the scientific interest of its contents was 
discovered. Mr. Northmore, in 1824, was the first to make an 
investigation of the cave. He had embraced what was called the 
helioarkite origin of mytholog}% a religion consisting of the worship 
of the sun, combined with the deification of Noah as the symbol of 
the deluge. Mr. Northmore had a belief that this worship had been 
widely different over the ancient world, and had its share in pro- 
ducing Druidism ; its rites were celebrated in caverns, and Mr. 
Northmore was convinced that he should find in Kent's Hole evi- 
dence of the performance of helioarkite and mithraic worship. In 
the course of his exploration he found a tusk of a hyaena, bones of 
bears, and others. Mr. Xorthmore's researches were followed by those 
of Mr. Trevelyan, who obtained a large number of specimens of the 
teeth of rhinoceros and other animals, which he took up to London, 
and submitted to the inspection of Dr. Buckland. At this point 
Mr. M'Enery took up the investigation and carried it on for several 
years, and as the result made a large and valuable collection of fossil 
remains and works of art. He intended to publish a description of 
his labours, but after two appeals to subscribers was obliged to give 
it up. His manuscript was sold, along with bundles of sermons, but 
eventually came to light, and in 1859 was published by Mr. Vivian. 
Some of the finest and rarest of Mr. M'Enery's specimens found their 
way to the British Museum. More recently, Mr. Pengelly, F.R.S., of 
Torquay, had taken great interest in the cave. He was convinced 
that much remained to be explored and valuable information could 
be obtained providing a sufiicient sum to cover the expenses could be 
