REMARKABLE LIMESTONE CAVE NEAR MASTERTON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4857, 23 November 1883, Page 3

REMARKABLE LIMESTONE CAVE NEAR MASTERTON.

A dieoovery of considerable interest "has been made in the heart of the dense forest, about 17 miles from Masterton, in the shape of a subterranean passage extending about 432 ferh through a solid liaioo-u v ridge. The vora ; orforme the functions of nn immense culvert, not the least peouliar feature of which is that tho water, drained from an extensive are* of country, dißappears below the surface of the ground at the upper entrance to the cave, and re-appears above the surface again about 182 yards below the lower extremity, while the floor of the cavern, eyiept in time of heavy rainfall is perfectly dry. The floor throughout averages 15ffc in width, and the walie, abounding in crevices or fissures, taper like the internal section of a hollow cone to a height of about 26 to 80ft. The upper portion of the underground passage for about half its length is formed of the softer limestone, and the lowor portion of harder limestone. This portion of the cave presents a truly wonderful picture. Long vaults on either side reveal a weird-like succession of beautiful alabaster grottoes, fringed and draped with every description of fantastic ornamen t. On every side rise massive columns covered with oaloareous incrustations, and overlapping huge sheets of limestone, the result of the waters filtering through the porous rock or trickling through the fissures becoming charged with carbonate of lime and then evaporating. Beautifullyformed stalaotites hang like crystal pendants from every orag, and lustrous petrifactions, operating like refleotore, romiod one of the fairy oaves in a splendid pantomime. The roof in places resembles the inside of a refrigerating chamber, from whioh are suspended sides and haais of carbonised pork or mutton, made radiant by myriads of brilliant lights from a small kind of glow-worm. Xhe floor consists of blooks of limestone that seem to have fallen from the roof, and the fragments are soattered about promiscuously. Indications show that the oavern has originally been of much greater length, as at Ihe lower end, for a distance of about sixty feet, the roof as fallen in, after whioh the cavern again continues for about 132 ft. The cave haß a fall of prebably between thirty and forty feet from its upper extremity, and its exploration, without candles or matches, would have been ex< tremely risky. Ibe labour in scrambling down the bush traok te reash the spot is very considerable, but it is amply repaid by one of the most wonderful sights in this part of New Zealand.— Wairarapa Star.