NOTES ON THE EARLY HISTORY OF STONEHOUSE. 
371 
APPENDIX. 
The following extract from the Edinburgh Magazine and 
Review of June, 1776, is at once so scarce and interesting that it is 
here cited by way of appendix : 
" An account of a Subterranean Cavern lately discovered at Stonehouse, 
near Plymouth. 
" To the Right Honourable Lord Edgecumbe. 
"My Lord, 
" Plymouth Dock, March 1, 1776. 
" I have the honour of communicating to your Lordship an account, 
which I took on the spot, of a subterranean cavern, lately discovered in 
your Lordship's demesne at Stonehouse. The place, at a considerable 
extent round, as your Lordship well knows, belonged formerly to the 
Monks. Part of the wall that enclosed their garden is still to be seen 
[This is an error ; the wall is that of the house of the Durnfords]. The 
cavern was accidentally discovered by some miners in blowing up a 
contiguous rock of marble. The aperture, disclosed by the explosion, 
was about four feet in diameter, and looked not unlike a hole bored 
with an auger. It was covered with a broad flat stone, cemented with 
lime and sand ; and twelve feet above it, the ground seemed to have 
been made with rubbish brought thither, for what purpose I know not, 
unless it were for that of concealment. Here indeed, but here only, we 
saw some appearance of art, and vestige of masonry. The hill itself, 
at the northern side of which this vault was found, consists for the most 
part of lime- stone, or rather marble. 
" From the mouth of this cave (through which we descended by a 
ladder) to the first base, or landing-place, is twenty-six feet. At this base 
is an opening, bearing N.W. by W., to which we have given the name 
of Tent Cave. It resembles a tent at its base and in its circumference, 
and stretches upwards, somewhat pyramidically, to an invisible point. 
It is, as far as we can measure, about ten feet high, seven broad, twenty- 
two long : Though there is an opening, which, on account of its narrow- 
ness, we could not well examine, and in all probability it has a dangerous 
flexure. In each side of this Tent Cave is a cleft ; the right runs 
horizontally inwards ten feet, the left measures six by four. The sides 
of the cave are everywhere deeply and uncouthly indented, and here 
and there strengthened with ribs, naturally formed, which, placed at a 
