The Jenolan Caves.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume xx, Issue 6637, 29 March 1893, Page 4

The Jenolan Caves.

Sydnkt, March 8

The famoua Jenolan C»ve» of New South Walea are attracting additional intereet at the present time through the discovery of a new one by the keeper, Mr J. Wilson. In an official report on the matter, Mr Wilson states :— " I discovered this cave by removing two rocks, one weighing about 2c wt, the other l£cwt, which was rather a difficuk matter, owing to the space being small where I was located, and in displacing them ran the risk of crushing my feet. When removed it was no easy matter getting through an opening which presented itself. 12in by 18in, and rising upward and inward for Sft on the face of another rock. Tha first chamber ia about 30ft lon« and 20ft wide, but has not many formations worth mentioning. After passing this I came to a cavern 20ft deep, and experienced somo difficulty in getting round it, as the sides decline towards the opening; but by holding on to some stalagmites got past in saf.ty, and th«n entered the second chamber, the height of which is 20ft and length 100 ft, with a huge rock standing in the centre. The walla are beautifully cevered with stalactites and the floor with corresponding stalagmites of the purest White, beyond the description of my pen. From this chamber there are many small passages branching off in different directions, which I shall explore in due course. The c&vo then takes a turn to the right, with a little rise in the floor. The main load runs to the left to the third chamber, which is from 7ft to 15ft high and 50ft long. In this chamber thero are some very beautiful grottoes going along for 30ft or so, and in the vicinity of which I am inclined to believe there are further caves tor future exploring, the formations, stalactites, and stalagmites being very evenly distributed all through, the latter much larger than the former, and there is a very pretty grotto on the one side. The entrance to the fourth chamber is 2ft by 3ft and lott long, so that some crawling has to be done ; floor sparkling like diamonds, with miniature cascades here and there. The chamber then opens to Sft high, and 7ft to 10ft wide, with ' bride's veils ' in the walls and floor for a distance of about 100 ft, which look as if studded with millions of diamonds when the lidit of the magnesium lamp is thrown on. The height of the fifth chamber is Oft to 14ft, width 6ft to 20ft, length, 50ft ; formations various, and of beautiful shapes and colors. On the floor of this chamber there is bat guano about lft deep. Tho sixth chamber is very remarkable and beautiful for the variety of shades of color aud shapes of the formation. It has seven or eight branches running off in different directions. Its dimensions are, 200 ft long, 10ft to 20ft high, and 10ft to 23ft wide."