82 
and the country-side still went on believing in Leicester’s 
speechless man and dead cat ratlier than in the scientific 
explorer, and Elden Hole remains an unfathomable abj^ss to 
this day in the belief of the peasant and the tourist, and its 
glory has departed not through diminished depth, but 
because it is near no railway and even adjoins no carriage 
road, and the nineteenth century traveller rarely visits 
beauties or wonders the way to which can only be travelled 
on foot. 
On the 11th of September, 1873, we explored the chasm 
for ourselves. 
A number of stout beams and planks had been brought 
up the day before, and of these a rude platform was con- 
structed. We found it was impossible to make this platform 
and place our windlass so as to obtain a descent plumb to 
the bottom, or rather to the first landing place in the chasm, 
inasmuch as the northern end is the only part where such a 
drop can be obtained, and there the gulph was much too 
wide to be bridged over. Having made all our arrange- 
ments, we commenced our descent. My friend Mr. J. Tym 
of Castleton was the first to go down. He was let down for 
about 15 or 20 yards before coming in contact with the pro- 
jecting side of the gulf. For about another 10 or 12 yards 
he slipped over the rock, which was however perfectly 
smooth, so that there was no risk of cutting the rope. He 
sustained no further injury than that which befell those of 
us who followed him, viz., a complete rolling in mud derived 
from the damp and slippery rocks. As the pioneer, how- 
ever, he ran considerable danger from stones which had 
lodged on ledges of rock and which there was risk of dis- 
turbing. When a little more than half way down he came 
clear of the rock again, and there was a sheer descent to the 
bottom, the rope continuing to run over the smooth pro- 
jecting side. Three of us followed him, one at a time, each 
of us being tied to the rope so as to have the hands free to 
guide the body. 
