83 
The effect of being lowered into the dark abyss, with the 
blue sky above and the green ferns and creepers around, was 
very fine, but the knocking one got against the rock a few 
yards down soon distracted the attention from scenic effect. 
At a distance of 180 feet from the top a landing place was 
reached, although not a very secure one, as it was inclined 
at an angle of about 45 degrees. Thence a cavern ran dowm 
wards towards the south or south-east ; the floor was entirely 
covered with loose fragments of limestone, probably extend- 
ing to a considerable thickness. 
This is no doubt to some extent natural, but principally 
artificial, being the result of the favourite amusement of 
visitors, the throwing down of loose stones from the pro- 
jecting wall which surrounds the top. The farmer told me 
that during his time two or three walls had disappeared 
and been replaced. No doubt it had been the same in time 
of his predecessors. There was quite sufficient light at this 
point to enable one to sketch or read. Having refreshed 
ourselves we left daylight behind, and scrambled, or rather 
slipped, into the cavern for some few yards, during which 
we descended a considerable distance ; it was of a tunnel- 
like shape ; then it suddenly expanded into a magnificent 
hall about 100 feet across and about 70 feet high. The 
floor of this hall sfoped like the tunnel, and like it was 
covered with debris. At the lower side we were about 60 
feet below our landing place, and therefore about 24f> feet 
beneath the surface. The entire roof and walls of this 
cavern were covered with splendid stalagmitic deposits. 
From the roof were hung fine stalactites, whilst the sides 
were covered with almost eveiy conceivable form of depo- 
sited carbonate of lime. In some places it was smooth and 
white as marble, in other places like frosted silver, whilst 
the rougher portions of the rock were clothed with all sorts 
of fantastic shapes glistening with moisture. When we had 
lighted some Bengal fire, I need hardly say the effect was 
