CAVERN OF CRYSTALS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 453, 8 April 1909, Page 3

CAVERN OF CRYSTALS.

UNDERGROUND LAKE DISCOVERED. A wonderful series of caves (reference to which was made in a cable message a few days ago) has been discovered buried in the heart of Cape Patten, about ten miles from Apollo Bay and fifteen miles from Lome, Victoria. The special correspondent of the Melbourne Argus says:—The caves, so far as they have been explored, have been found to contain a large fresh water lake, fed from some unknown source, and a “ crystal chamber ” studded with stalactites and stalagmites, and floored with gleaming crystals. Of all the headlands which fringe the coast between Point Lonsdale and Cape Otway the boldest and most precipitous is Cape Patten. The coast line may everywhere else be safely traversed by daring tourists, but the most venturesome cannot pass the Patten at high tide. Its rugged cliffs have great jagged rocks clustered round their foot, and on these the long rollers of the Southern Ocean beat themselves into foam until the whole sea-front is a lather of spume, white as snow and light as feathers. Cape Patten frowns out over the sea in rugged grandeur. But its Irovvn j and its grandeur are all so much j make-believe, for the bold headland is, after all, hollow. For years past the Messrs Ramsdeu, who own the land round the cape, have noticed a hollow ring from the grouud as they rode across it, and often they vaguely guessed at caves burrowed out inside, and prophesied laud-slips and other misfortunes. The proof of the rugged cape’s imposture was not obtained until a few weeks ago. A goat—and goats are valuable animals down the coast —got lost. It was found that she had reached a narrow ledge about half-way down the rocky face of the Patten. Above and below her stretched almost sheer walls of rock rooft both ways. No one had ever ascended or descended to that ledge. It had always been regarded as impossible to scale these cliffs. But one of the Messrs Ramsden decided to attempt the feat to save the goat. He started from the sea-front, scrambling round the rocks and plunging into the surf until the foam covered him from head to foot as with a fleecy garment. He clambered up the cliff face with great difficulty, and at length stood beside the goat, perched in mid-air on a ledge about 2ft wide. To his astonishment he saw an irregular hole about ißin in diameter at the side of the ledge. He rolled in a stone. It rumbled away into unknown depths, and then, alter what seemed an interminable time, there came back the sound of a splash which awoke a multitude of echoes. This was the hollowness of the Patten.

Mr Ramsden’s curiosity was aroused, and he resolved to explore the depths. He did so some days later, and found unsuspected marvels hidden in the rugged old cape. The roof of the cave is domed like the roof of a great cathedral. The walls are dry and grey and hard, and away out into the vastness of the cave stretches a lake. It is still and silent. No wave, no faintest ripple marks its surface. But it is crystal, clear, fresh and sweet. The Patten has guarded it against the inroads of the sea, for no salt water finds its way through. For nearly 140 ft the explorer wades through the limpid water until a reef of rocks is reached about the centre. These rocks have to be clambered over. Above them the roof reaches its greatest height. The centre of the dome is about 45ft above the surface of the water. Beyond the rocks the lake is deeper, about 4ft 6iu, and it stretches away for about 270 ft. The length of this first cave is, therefore, about 420 ft. It is about 200 ft wide.

The cave and the lake are but the entrance hall to the inner temple.. vi This is reached through a slit, a narrow tear in the rock wall of the cave. The inner cave is smaller than the outer one, and it is dry. Not a dip of water could be found on it. The floor is covered with an incrustation of crystals, and at first glance it appears as if thousands of candles had been set in this diamondstrewn floor. In rows, in circles, in bunches, all over the floor these candle-like stalagmites rise. The longest are about two feet. These long ones are pure white, but towards the sides of the cave they become shorter, and as they shorten their colour changes from white to cream, and then to the faintest shade of pink, which gradually deepens as the stalagmites grow shorter. From the roof depend hundreds of stalactites, and the same rules govern them. The long ones in the centre are white. The shorter ones at the sides are pink. The air in the caves is crisp and bracing. There is no “underground” feeling—no darkness, nothing slimy, only dry, grey walls, clear water, and gleaming crystal. Nowhere throughout could any sign of life, past or present, be found —no water beetles, no sea life, no fungus, no shells. The bottom of the lake is a hard, black sand, almost like mud. On leaving the inner chamber a wonderful sight presents itself. It is hard to believe that it is an underground scene. All around the cave is Stygian darkness. But at the far end high up, is a round disc of light, and a long faint beam travels down,, striking the water, and leaving a moonlike reflection. It seems as if it were night in a great canon, vyith walls %

hundreds of feet high, and then the moon had just risen over the edge. The caves have not beeu thoroughly explored yet. When with proper lights the walls are examined there is no doubt that other chambers will be revealed, perhaps more extensive than those already discovered, and containing who shall say what marvels. The Messrs Ramsdeu believe that a large part of the Patten is hollow, and they hope to find ways into these other caves, and open up a series which will rival the wonders of Buchan and Jenolan,