A CAVE IN THE TAKAKA HILLS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXII, Issue 140, 22 June 1898, Page 3

A CAVE IN THE TAKAKA HILLS.

y [Written for the.EwSMNO Mail.] Can anyene property deseribetba creepy feeling that- pervades him or her when entering a gloomy caVo? I cannot, ■ . -at any rate. "Creepy 1 ' la absut as good a 1 >-t "-.word to express one s feelings as any other. . ;..Tlw' oave in ajwstion wa* discovered by '3ifc P. W.BndMw Huffem, who invited iHo to yiaiOt.with {bemj an offer which I ■ *f course readily accepted. Ckmaeqnenfly, -on a fine morning, we ibh awaKa at arms, ■•:'-' wd arrived at the entrance of the cave ■ '«* 12-30. Arranging onr oanaleo, etc., . • we entered a fairly large opening, and, , descending 8 or 10 feet over a sloping '•"• rock, we found ourselvea on the floor of - «he cave. We here light onr .candles and ;. I proceed. Foe the first 50 yards it has /; ..somewhat of a gloomy appearanoe made 1 apparently more bo by th& candles held in ■ .oar: hands/ which seem like dull red ' 'f 1 - stiira , giving no lnßtre. The cold damp* ■ness of tbecava and the peif:ct stillness, - ', --io which ybti can hear a drop of water ' 'falling yards away with a dnll thnd, all ; v tend to create • Celling of awe ; but we are ;•*; i not used to il yet. " --„'.'•. I ; little whUe ana the light appears ; '';v brighter,.: and 'sheds a greater radiance. ■ We ean sea better aronnd aa, and directly "T : in out* p^atfe is the firsb objeob of interest, "X'\ Ju -the i shape 61 a skeleton of a gigsntio r - '"M«L V lying, aa it toll, in its last strangle •i'v?Kreatß. »*B legs straighJ/its neck exKt;i : v*ended; aad head twnedljadsk, as if it had .^'t- tried with: its little remaining strength to &*& 'ootopoae i»a:head under itt feathers. The i^ertebraton the, ,neck, 'the rings conjpos. il'ing tbS^tadfiiP 8 . the. heap of stones that S§- '^ncefllleii Us prop; are all thers, where in sWiallf'probability tne boneß have lain 'for of yearsi , A touch showed SijS^^a'naeleanesa of disturbing the skeleton, I 'BS^;,° n ' ' ; A'Kttle further we ;Stf;^^« (M^rpn^dvW^iJln)a^lJificent 1 8talagi-<• iilM^:frOT^;ipch^'to:Wfeet inheigfit^

ill I i i I flii liilhyij iH^iTi*t*niilinr . rfi ifm'iM riiitii beautiful stalabtites descending from tlie roof and aides in inconceivable numbers inspired wonder, amazement, and pleasure, all mingled. Oar gloom was soon dispelled, and we stood rapt in silent admiration at a scene so beautiful. Here and there on either side were galleries, some of which we went through. These appear in many instances to be supported by short, marble-like columns, almost equidistant, and between each are fringes of lovely little stalactites that scintilata in the light of our oandlea like diamonds. On once more, and Moa remains are again in evidence, some singly, others in small heaps as they had been disturbed by falling rooks, but none in very good preservation*. From these places we selected a few tolerably good specimens of what is evidently two speoies of Dinornis. These we laid out to he called for on onr return. Here, turning a sudden bend in the oavc, a curious formation is brought to view For abont 30 or 40 feet the roof drops in the centre, and in appearance I cannot compare it with anything better than a huge white hammock suspended from eitber end, the sides and body being fringed with sta'actit6B. And now on again over fallen rocks, and around lovely white pillars, admiring as we go till we reach the end. And here we gaze on the greatest wonder of all, a very curious stalactite, formed by having descended from a narrow crevasse on the roof of the cave in a , solid thin sheet, which in gradually lengthening has become beautifully draped, like a huge white ourtain. We put our candles behind it, and stood off to see the effect, •which I will not attempt to describe. I can only say to all lovers of • Nature's wondrous works : Come and see for yourselves. We explored around for a short time to see if there waa any further opening, but could find none, and so we returned to the open air, after having spent a pleasant three hours in the cave, N.B, — Vandals and curio-hunters not admitted. By order of the proprietor of the land. . H. B. 'cy? ro< i*"— ,