DISCOVERY OF EXTRAORDINARY CAVES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4821, 4 September 1876, Page 3

DISCOVERY OF EXTRAORDINARY CAVES.

Intelligence has reached us, says the Bathurst Free Press o£ the 29th July, of an extraordinary discovery, in the shape of several large oaves, containing fossil remains, supposed to be those of some extinct animals, having been made in the limestone country between Cowra and Canowindra. We have at present before us a letter written by one of the party of four by whom the discovery was made. From that letter we take the following information: —The entrance to cave No. 1 was accidentally discovered by the party when engaged in work in the bush, and is in country of limestone formation. The mouth of the cave is very large,but the roof gradually falls, and: progress can only be made upon the hands ;and knees for the space of about twenty feet, when there is another

.abrupt* rise,.-and a. - very. -, largo -,cavern.*, is entered. The astonishment of the exploring party on discovering this cave was great, but more .astonishing discoveries were before thpm„ Entering the roomy space, and searching for further openings, they , came: across a largo deposit of bones,, about five feet in width, embedded in a layer of different colored soil, boItween two layers of limestone. The writer 'says:—“ This- strange deposit* is about fifty jfeet from the surface, but I cannot give yon a ; good description of the bones just yet, as we did not like to'disturb them; There'was one ! bone, however, which we could not help observing above the others, as it was larger than any exposed to view. It is about twelve or thirteen inches in length, -and about an inch and a half in diameter. There are thousands of bones in the heap and I am sure they are hot those of the kankaroo. We intend to forward sumo of them to Sydney by-and-by, in order to ..ascertain what animal they belong to.” Below' the spot where these remains -were found there is another cavity about twenty feet dPep; where other bones are to be seen. He also says that there are many other caves leading i from the one described, and he promises to give a full description when he and his party have made further researches. Cave No. 2is described as being,in the same hill, and about one hundred yards distant from Cave No. 1. To this cave there is a splendid entrance; which extends some fifty or sixty feet inwards, when it nan ows down, as in the first mentioned cave, the explorers being under the necessity of crawling for some distance :on their elbows and knees. A roomy cave is then entered, but nothing very striking appears. Satisfied that there were other compartments further. on, the party made care-' ful search,-but for a long time could find no; outlet. At last one of the four discovered a small hole in the back waff of the cave—a bole “ just about large enough to put your hand through.” That hole was after some trouble made larger, and cautiously and tremblingly one after another of the party crawled through the newly-made aperture, and then found themselves' in a cave of narrow dimensions. A descent of several feet upon a narrow ledge of rook brought them to an opening “ just large enough for a man to get down through”—' and down the plucky fellows went, and again crawling for twenty feet with their faces 1 near the ground, they found themselves in a cave of large dimensions and grandeur. The writer says :—“This is the principal cave, as far as we have yet discovered. The scenery is truly magnificent; the stalactites, &c, forming a very grand sight. The height from the floor is eighty or ninety feet; and there are some twelve or fourteen different openings leading into other cavities. Into some of these we but from others we were driven by the foul air. The sights in some of them are beautiful to behold. Strange to say, in the deepest part of the large cave there is the same sort of strata as we found in the first cave, and stranger stiff, there are many bones here also. These bones are lying about 300 or 400 ft. lower in the earth than were the bones we saw in No. 1 cave.” The writer proceeds to say that he and his mates intend to explore numerous other underground palaces, the entrances to which they had discovered, mentioning that on their next expedition they will enter a cave “ about 100 feet perpendicular before there is any bottom.” It is somewhat remarkable that the discovery of these subterraneous caverns has not been made before this, for we are informed that the spot is not isolated, and the caves must have been passed and repassed by numerous travellers.