CAVE EXPLORATION
1. – New Discoveries.
Fermanagh, Knockmore, Reyfad Pot (alt. 990 ft., ½ mile S.W. of Pollanaffrin). 16th May, 1948. Main shaft under the smaller hole, 200 ft., Godley, Marsden, J. A. Holmes. Some possibility of another 50 ft. Route by the larger 40 ft. pot found too dangerous. The second really deep pot to be descended in Ireland. An attack in 1947 was repelled by the heavy surface water.
Fermanagh, Greenan, Pollnatagha and Polliniska (alt. 1,000 ft., on the Border, marked on O.S., 3 fur. N.W. of Greenan Hill, 2 miles N.W. of Swanlinbar). Polliniska is a fine 25 ft., waterfall pot-hole opening by windows into Pollnatagha, 168 ft., deep. – 7th May. J. A. Holmes and H. Stembridge, followed by Burton and Cullingworth, who with one ladder went down 80 ft. more into a passage with a strong draught for 200 yards.
Fermanagh, Greenan, Pollprughlisk (a short distance S. of Polliniska, both actually on the Border. On the six-inch map). – 8th May. H. Armstrong, F. Stembridge, Spenceley, W. Booth, Haslam, E. E, Roberts and the six named. 100 ft., then a long slope, and another 50 ft., ladder climb in a parallel rift floored with masses of peat. The head of this second descent needed an incredible amount of clearing. Not an active swallet.
Fermanagh, Peter Bryant’s Bullock Hole (alt. 1,000 ft., 300 yards N. of Polliniska, also a waterfall pot). – 9th May. The above party of twelve. A commodious floor, 25 ft. down, opens to the S. by an easy 130 ft., of ladder climb into a great cavern, 40 yards by 30 yards, floored with enormous blocks.
Cavan, Aghaboy, Pollnagollum (alt. 700 ft., 1½ miles W.S.W. of Swanlinbar). – 9th May. Armstrong, H. Stembridge, Holmes. A fine open pot masked by vegetation, N. wall 40 feet high. An easy scramble. Three passages, the longest 75 yards. A legend-destroying visit.
Fermanagh, Greenan, Peter Bryant’s Hole (alt. 1,000 ft., somewhere due N. of Cratty, in the peat-diggings N. of Polliniska, a very small hole by a footpath leading S.W. from the top of the severe climb on the road above the quarry). – 10th May. Holmes, Marsden, Cullingworth. One ladder, then 220 ft., of hand-line scrambling to a depth of 140 ft.
Cavan, Slieve Rushen, Pollnagollum (alt. 970 ft., 4¼ miles due S. of Kinawley). – 21st May, 1948. Almost all the party. Open pot, nearly 100 ft. ladder. Small pitches led down to 215 ft. depth. Very rotten, but the last group found the bad places left quite solid. Not an active swallet.
Fermanagh, Marble Arch Cave. – May, 1948. Spenceley and Burton just got through in the rubber boat where Gowing and Nelstrop swam. May, 1947, Marsden, Holmes and Miss Hoey climbed out from the top of the boulders by a route parallel to Brodrick’s ladder.
Florence Court, Legnabrocky Pot (alt. 630 ft., 225 yds. N.E. of Monastir Sink, W. slope of Legnabrocky Hill). – May 30th, 1947. Marsden, Holmes, and Roberts. To the N. of two small pots. Thirty and twenty ft. pitches led to a varied passage running true N. for 60 yards. Brodrick went down the outer pot only.
Clare, Slieve Elva, Pollnagollum (Baker’s). Messrs. Coleman and Dunnington have followed two more branches below the Junction for 400 and 120 yards. Pollnaelva has been descended, and a cave forced for 25 yards. The Upper Cave was explored for 1,100 yards, 500 new. The survey now makes Pollnagollum system itself nearly four miles.
Ingleborough, Car Pot (alt. 1,330 ft., first pitch opened out 1909, see Y.R.C.J., III., 174). Digging by the Craven Pot Hole Club has gone on at times since 1933. In May, 1948, a thin letterbox was opened out at about 80 ft. depth and descended by B. Hartley and D. Brindle into a shaft, by a 25 ft. pitch. Owing to the persistence of Hartley, Brindle and K. M. Wood a very bad tight crawl was dug out and pitches of 26 and 50 ft. descended, Brindle on the wet 6th June going down 130 ft. into the very fine Craven Passage, running to N. and S. Seven men only in all were able to get to it and the exploration was completed on the 14th August.
Ingleborough, West side, Quaking Pot (alt. 1,450 ft., half-way from the top of Crina Bottom to Tatham Wife Hole, near the sink P.102A). – 942. B.S.A. parties. Two very tight pitches, arduous. About 200 ft. total depth.
Ingleborough, Mere Gill Hole. – August, 1947. A. C. Waterfall (Craven P.H.C.) found on the second pitch it was possible to crawl along the undercut ledge. The Craven men had the pitches almost dry. His light was seen from below and the wall was climbed to it.
Sunset Hole. January, 1949. Mr. J. Eyres (Red Rose Club) made a stiff climb in the end chamber, and later 80 yards of varied progress was made.
Chapel-le-Dale, Douk Cave. – 1943. Miss M. Lodge, solo, cleared the unpleasant right hand passage and got out through a narrow slit under the sheepfold wall.
Ribblehead, Thistle Cave (alt. 1,000 ft., 100 yds. W. of the Runscar rising). – 1948. Mr. W. Taylor. Entrance very tight, 190 yards of wide passage.
Penygent, Hull Pot (alt. 1,250 ft.) . – Under normal conditions the stream does not enter the pot, but leaves the upper cave and descends to a pool reached by a crawl from the N.E. corner. Messrs. R. D. Leaky and A. Gemmell, B.S.A., June, 1940, diverted the beck into the open pot, and Mr. Leakey then led through the “siphon” to a pitch, which later proved to be 110 ft, deep, into a chamber in which a total depth of 200 ft. was reached.
Fountains Fell, Coronation Pot (alt. 1,550 ft., 120 yds. S. of Gingling Hole along a line of shake-holes, fell in during winter 1936-37). – June, 1937. Messrs. E. Smith, A. Mitchell, A. C. Waterfall descended 66 ft. ladder into a large chamber 100 ft. by 40 ft., 100 ft. high. Nasty boulder slope. Further drop of 25 ft. through jammed boulders. Like all the Fountains Fell pots except Gingling Hole, loose and very dangerous.
Fountains Fell, West Pots (alt. about 1,650 ft.). Landmarks wanting. Follow up the quite definite W. branch of the depression N.E. of Rough Close till New Year Pot, now quite obvious, and Rocky Pot are reached. 200 or 300 yards S. is a line of three pots; Batter Pot dug out 1947 by the Northern Pennine Club, 50 ft. deep; 38 yards off, bearing 155° true, the very dangerous Shatter Pot, and a further 55 yards, Strangle Pot, both already recorded. From them Rough Close Farm bears 235° and 240°.
Rough Close Pot (alt. 1,600 ft., 250 yards from the corner of the wall running N.E. from the farm). – 1947. Northern Pennine Club. 45 ft. deep.
Whernside, Gaze Gill Cave (alt. 1,100 ft., N. bank of Gaze Gill). – Dug out by the N. Pennine Club. A roomy passage, about 150 yards.
Kingsdale, Simpson Pot, near Rowten. – 1940. Description and survey by Mr. A. Gemmell appears in B.S.A.’s Cave Science II. The entrance is very inconspicuous, about 100 yds. from the distant first gate S. from Rowten Pot, in a marked line of weakness running down to the swallet of the Rowten Beck. There are eleven pitches, ten small, the last but one, Slit Pot, 75 ft., being extremely difficult through the slit and on to the ladder, the return very exhausting.
The real entrance was found by Mr. Greenwood. The principal workers were Messrs. Leaky, Burgess, Greenwood and Glasmell, and C. L. Railton was the first down the last pitch. A fine sporting place, full of variety. Finish in the final passage of Swinsto, 395 ft. down.
Leek Fell, Notts Pot (alt. 1,275 ft., almost due S. of Lost Johns’ over one wall, i.e. it is between the two walls above the Iron Hut, but a good way up from the grass road. In a well marked line ot weakness). – March, 1946. Messrs. W. Oakes, G. Cornes, L. Lewis (B.S.A.) found an interesting series, partly dry. Three main routes with interesting pitches lead to a sump at 415 ft. (See British Caver XVI.).
Notts Pot opened out just before the Second War, and P. M. Stott of Nottingham University was the first to draw attention to it, January, 1946.
Easegill, Cow Dub Holes, Oxford Pot (alt. 1,020 ft., R. bank, 80 yards above the Easegill Waterfall and its swallet pool, revealed by a landslip in winter of 1947). – Noticed twice in March, cleared Easter, dug open Whitsun, 1947, by Messrs. Simpson and Gilbert, the latter making first descent of a 55 ft. pitch. In June Messrs. W. and J. Oakes, Cornes, and W. Taylor began the cave, ½ – ¾ mile easy passages, total depth 130 ft., which was practically completed in July by a large party. Mr. Gemmell has made a plan and given us a copy.
Westmorland, Casterton Fell, Lancaster Hole (970 ft., 130 yards S. of Cow Pot, concrete top and locked man-hole). – An amazing discovery of a vast ancient network of caverns and passages, by an accident as singular as that of Pwll Dwfn. Sitting on the slope, Mr. R. W. Taylor noticed a powerful draught, and in a few minutes a 100 ft. pitch was dug out. 13th October, 1946, first descent no ft. pitch, which now has an iron ladder, by Messrs. R. W. and W. Taylor, Oakes, Kitchen and Cornes, B.S.A. Other pitches and innumerable branches followed, now provided with 150 ft. of iron ladder. In November, 1946, Messrs. R. W. Taylor, Gemmell and Ridges reached the Master Cave and found the great Montagu Cavern. (Cave Science II and in Cave Science VI full description and plan of the Near Series.)
Lancaster Hole through Cow Pot. – August 9th and 13th, 1948. Messrs. Gemmell, Leach, and Wild. A very tight fissure with a strong draught was noticed near the foot of the ladder as bad as Flood Entrance, but Mr. Gemmell got down and opened a way in a horrible mud crawl of 50 yards to a deep pitch. Attacking with tackle, Mr. Gemmell went down a splendid 150 ft. pitch into Lancaster Hole, went up the iron ladders and out through the man-hole. The ladders came out that way, too.
Cave Science VII announced that six feet of concrete had been put into the fissure, but a Y.R.C. party found it open in February. However in the night of 5th March they had to get out 10 feet of stones, and of Spenceley, McKelvie, Burton, Cullingworth, Marsden, and R. H. Holmes, there was only time to send the last down the 150 ft. pitch. Conditions that snowy weekend dreadful, out at 7 a.m.
Malham Tarn Sinks. – A dig by the Craven Pot-Hole Club, January, 1949, put down a deep shaft and reached a passage 4-20 ft. high.
Nidderdale,Lofthouse Rising. – May, 1946. Messrs. E. S. A. Gill and Kyme, Post Office Engineers, in a rubber boat pene trated 30 yards to a beach. This was repeated by Messrs. W. D. Gray, Crosby and Fitch.
Swaledale, Kisdon Pot. – Matheson reported in 1940 that a pot-hole covering had fallen in at the far end of a row of shake-holes in the field behind a ruined cottage seen on the shoulder of Kisdon from the Cathole Inn.
October, 1945. Messrs. Francis and Gray, P.O. Engineers, 90 ft. deep, overhung all round, top 6 ft. wide.
Bishopdale, Kidstones Fell, Underset Pot (alt. 1,660, close to a dry branch of Back Gill, 200 yards from base of the scarp of Main Limestone) . – October, 1948. W. Booth, Blair, Burton. In a large well-marked sink, has to be uncovered, 26 ft. deep. Believed to be the first pot found in the Underset Limestone.
Wharfedale, Mossdale Swallet. There is a full account of this remarkable cavern in Cave Science I. The entrance, a tight 8 ft. drop, made by Mr. R. D. Leakey in May, 1941, is under the overhang round the corner to the right from the actual sink. It is necessary to dam off the stream or you will enter a deluge. Exploration of the labyrinth went on till September, 1941.
Gritstone Fissures. – At least two articles have recently appeared dealing with descents of fissures near Saddleworth; mention is also made of them in Moorhouse’s Postlet Walks.
Warm Hole (Chew Beck) is the deepest, 85 ft. with 20 ft. pitches. First explored 1899. Through Humphreys I learn Mr. W. Waring went into the narrow cracks ahead until 180 feet of rope was out. Repeated 1931 by a party led by Mr. S. S. Williamson of the 1899 group.
Fairy Hole (Alderman Head near Pots and Pans). – 40 ft. deep. H. and A. Humphreys did this about 1907 and found a record of 20 years before. They also found Tom Bell’s Cave near Heptonstall on the edge of a steep crag; H. Humphreys about 1916 went down 60 ft. in what appeared to be a ruckle of boulders against the crag. Hell Hole further up the valley was similar.
Derbyshire, Peak Cavern, Buxton Water. 17th August, 1947. Messrs. Balcombe and Coase made their way under water for 100 yards. Progress beyond is shown on their plan, and there have been Press reports that divers have reached through the water into dry caves early in 1949.
Peak Cavern, Swine Hole. Same date and divers. This flooded tunnel is shown on the plan to run also for 120 yards.
Peak Forest, Gautries Hole. April, 1948. Messrs. Salmon and Boldock have found an interesting extension to this cave with a 40 ft. ladder pitch.
Somerset, Mendips. – Digging is going on with the most extraordinary vigour and continuity, possible I suppose because of the nearness of Bristol and Bath. It is only 20 miles over the Mendips to Wells, and the Mendippers seem determined to turn it into a pot-hole area. Any number of digs have been disappointing, e.g., Ramspit, Hillgrove. In Somerset the bedding planes are. not horizontal but dip steeply. Platten’s British Caver probably records all these efforts.
Charterhouse, Longwood Swallet (alt. 750 ft., S. of Lower Farm). – The Stride Brothers have carried this further into an area named August Hole at a depth of 500 ft. Much of it appears unpleasant and at some points dangerous.
Burrington Combe, E. Twin Swallet. – Aug into 1936. By 1940 a chamber 56 feet by 15 had been washed out. Appears to slope steeply for 120 feet.
Burrington Combe, Rod’s Pot. Discovered 1944 by Bristol University S.S. Plan in British Caver XVI. 190 feet deep in all.
Stoke Lane, Witheybrook Swallet. – 1947. Eight ft. shaft. 32 yds. bedding plane.
St. Cuthbert’s Out, Cuckoo Cleaves. – May, 1947. Weaver, Millward, and Harvey. Fifteen foot shaft, 11 tons removed. Cave goes to 250 feet deep in 130 yards. Passages now known 230 yards. Visitors report the entrance unpleasant.
Priddy, Eastwater Cave, new route. – 1947. Messrs. Stanbury, Coase, and six others. Follow the canyon nearly to the S bend, enter a “rabbit hole” on the left, then a fine climb of 30 ft., a squeeze, 35 ft. ladder, over a dangerous floor of boulders, sensational 20 ft. climb, narrow tunnel over wedged boulders, ends half-way down the Second Vertical with a 4 ft. gap to cross.
Stoke Lane Swallet II. – June, 1947. Coase, followed by Balcombe and Stanbury, ducked through the water at the end of Stoke Lane Swallet I, the point reached by Devenish and Roberts in 1933, and found a really high stream passage 150 yards long into a good chamber.
Devon, Burlescombe, Perry’s Pot (in Westleigh Quarry, 1½ miles). – January, 1944. Mr. and Mrs. J. Hooper, Messrs. Elliot, Johnstone, Pyatt, King, Erleboch. Total depth 120 ft. 75 ft. ladder reached a scree floor in which a hole formed. The climbs of the next 25 ft. were made under a hail of stones. (British Caver XVIII.)
Breconshire, Glyn Tawe, Pwll Dwfn (alt. 1,300 ft., 750 yds. W. of Dan yr Ogot, bearing 310°). A second astounding discovery by accident without anything to suggest it, Easter, 1947. Pitches 20, 45, 30, 70 and 50 ft., total depth 300 ft. The first really deep pot-hole in Wales.
5th July, 1947. Dolphin, Low and Paddock. With Lander they had previously done four pitches. Below is dreadfully rotten and dangerous. On 6th July, Rigg, Marsden, Hill, Densham and E. E. Roberts tried the fifth. Rigg got down and had a very narrow escape. Marsden almost down, much more clearing needed.
Llangadock, Bwlch Rhiw-Wen, Easter Cave (alt. 1,750 ft. high up in the quarry facing N.). – Interesting, short, locally well-known. A pool low down under the passage dried up in the dreadful winter of 1947 and a new series, 100 yards long and quite pretty, was reached. A. H. Hill and others. S. Wales Cave Club.
Cwm Pwll y Rhyd, Bridge Cave. – August, 1947. Messrs. Densham and Dixon found the choke, 50 yards in, had given way and got into the river passage under the dry bed for 150 yards, at its largest section 30 wide by 25 ft. high.
Fluorescein Results. – October, 1947. Mr. Harvey put 6 ozs. into Pwll Byfre which in 24 hours turned Ffynnon Ddu (by the Tawe) green, as expected. In March 1948, he put two lbs. into Sink y Giedd. In 48 hours the green colour appeared from Dan yr Ogof in the Tawe valley, having traversed a ridge at right angles to the upper Giedd. Digging had already proved that this water was too low down to feed the lower Giedd.
Sutherland, Inchnadamf. – 1947. Mr. A. L. Butcher and a Sheffield University party explored the swallet Uamh an Tartair near Knockau, and found it leads into Uamh Mhor. In the Cnoc nam Uamh caves, of Water and Roaring, they worked upstream and found the series ends in a huge pool in a chamber at least 200 ft. long.
They used their boats in the Cave ofSmoo but do not claim to have done more than Sir Walter Scott’s sailors. The third visit !
CAVE DIVING. – Mr. F. G. Balcombe’s enthusiasm is as great as ever. His equipment for this dangerous job is always improving, and through his Cave Diving Group he is training a number of skilled performers. Slowly Underwater Wookey Hole is being enlarged, with archaeological discoveries to cheer the divers on. There are no signs yet of an end to the drowned area. A great success was in the Buxton Water of Peak Cavern where Balcombe and Coase walked 100 yards straight ahead before being stopped.
We deeply sympathise with Balcombe and his comrades in this difficult and dangerous business over the disaster of April, 1949, to a far more expert guest. In Wookey they have penetrated 165 yards to the Eleventh Chamber.
II.-Other Expeditions
Fermanagh, Pollnagollum (of the Boats) (alt. 610 ft., near Legg Farm). – Whitsun, 1947. Third time. H. Armstrong, F. S. Booth, Godley, Marsden, F. W. Stembridge, Chadwick, Holmes. The R.A.F. boat was holed in the third pool and several men forced the climb over the arch to the R. bank chamber.
Leek Fell, Notts Pot. – 25th and 26th September, 1948. Marshall, Spenceley, Cullingworth, Driscoll rigged five pitches between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Spenceley went out at 3.30 and came in at 7.30 p.m. with McKelvie, W. Booth, Vevers (F. & R.), Aruison (F. & R.), and the Swiss, Casson. Sixth and seventh pitches rigged. Too much water to descend the 70 footer. Out 3.30 a.m. Parties in at 10 and noon. All cleared 5 p.m. 48, 16, 80, 100, 30, 40, 70 ft. estimates.
Fountains Fell, Winskill Pot. – This appears to be the same as the old New Year Pot.
Ribblesdale, Hull Pot. – The statement in the last Journal, p. 179, that the great slab had collapsed is a serious error, due to the extraordinary way in which things were masked for a long time by the snowfall of 1941. To climb out over the slab it was necessary then to go down into a great hole and climb up from the right behind it. Recent falls have made it possible to climb behind it direct from the left. Cullingworth has climbed out this way.
In early 1941 the hole in the floor must have been completely filled with snow with a rock fall on top of it, and the crack of ascent filled, leaving the appearance of a continuous rock wall at the far end when standing on the floor.
Large quantities of snow lay for months of 1947 in Pillar Pot and notably in Eldon Hole.
Glen Nevis, Samuel’s Cave. – Hard to find among the crags and trees opposite the end of the road below the Gorge. Fox was guided to it at Easter, 1948. Entrance the size of a door, 100 ft. above the torrent. Chamber about 40 ft. high, four passages, longest 50 yards. Great joints in Archaean rock.
Devonian Limestone Caves, Buckfastleigh. – Dr. J. H. D. Hooper has summarised the Devon Caves in Trans. Devonshire Ass., Vol. 79 (1947). The hill on which Buckfastleigh Church stands is honeycombed, and is scarred with quarries long disused, with one exception on the N. slope. The short Tucker’s Orchard Cave is in a small cliff near this.
Baker’s Pit is in a quarry on top of the hill, just S. of the church. Three openings in the floor lead down into a fan-like labyrinth extending under the church to extreme horizontal distances of 170 yards. The inner series now explored still contains some beautiful things.
On the E. side, Higher Kiln Quarry contains from N. to S., Reed’s Cave, Disappointment C, Rift C, Bone Cave (since 1939 of great antiquarian interest), and Spider’s Hole. Reed’s Cave was once short like the other four, and has a fine archway, 20 ft. high, 20 yards long. In 1939 a break through was made by Messrs’. Reed and Joint who with Mr. and Mrs. Hooper found a fine high chamber, 40 yds. by 25 yds. A beautiful inner system ran the total up to 735 yards. There is now a locked gate.
On the S. face of the hill in other quarries are Rock House Cave (150 yds.), the short Rooster’s Cave, and Smuggler’s Hole on a ledge below the edge, worth visiting. The well known Pridhamsleigh Cave is a mile or so on the road to Ashburton; more fine passages were found in 1947. Bunker’s Hole near Dean and Ware Cove are also close at hand.
Castleton, Nettle Pot. The hut over the shaft of entrance having fallen into bad repair, the Derbyshire Pennine Club were compelled to close it with concrete temporarily. Application should be made personally at the farm and to the D.P.C. if an expedition is proposed.
Westmorland, Dun Fell. – Gowing was one of a party of members of the Mineralogical Society who were able to visit the Silver Band Barytes Mine at the invitation of the owners, Messrs. B. Laport, Ltd.
The mine is situated at about 2,300 ft. O.D. on the western slopes of Dun Fell, next S. of Cross Fell, and access is by lorry road from Knock running up the side of the mountain. The workings date from the 17th century, but the present main levels were driven by the London Lead Company, who took over the property in 1820 and who carried out some 17,500 feet of development. At the time of the visit there were still large quantities of snow left from the great storms of early 1947 and the levels were entered through snow-tunnel “extensions.”
At about 400 yards from the entrance of the Low Level there is a series of natural passages following a N.N.W. joint system, used by the old miners as a cross-cut between the Deed Vein and the Swathbeck Vein. These were not explored, but another natural passage, to which access is obtained by the High Level, was traversed so far as its flooded condition (after the great snow-storm) would allow. This passage runs roughly E.N.E. for about 250 yards and then S.E, for a further 150 yards; this latter part is flooded. It is a rift passage, opening up in places to some 30 feet wide. It has been used by the old miners for working the Slope and Loppy Sike Veins. All the passages are in the Great Limestone (here 60-70 feet thick) and are due, at least in parts, to mineralised faults of small throw.
TWO CAVES IN ASSAM. – In 1934 Allsup published a little book of 80 pages, Walking Around Shillong. “It is almost a tragedy to note the number of people who visit Shillong and see nothing of these exceedingly beautiful hills.”
There are many fine waterfalls. Shillong is at 5,000 ft., Shillong Peak is 6,440 ft. Away to the south, near the abandoned hill station of Cherrapunji he has done two caves, pp. 64-5. Khasi Hills. Sheet 780.
Mawmluh Great Cave. Inlet and outlet, no through route. Allsup, Cooke, and Herbert, cold weather 1931-2. The stream from Mawmluh village is followed to the swallet in the N. face of the limestone outcrop, where it goes through the hill Rangsanobo (4,452). The cave is simple, but not recommended to the inexpert, being still in a stage of rapid formation by flood erosion and possibly earthquake falls. It can be entered for 700 yards to a shallow pot or well, measured May, 1940.
Several jungle-clad streams emerge on the S. side of the hill, so the outlet takes some finding. The pool chamber of exit is quite safe, but inside it is dangerously loose and is not recommended. An earthquake took place the evening of the visit to the outlet and the next day Allsup and Cooke had a narrow squeak here from a talus slope slide, so did not persist.
Mawsmai Cave. Like Mawmluh Cave in a fine cwm. 20 minutes by path from village. Height above sea, 4,000 ft. Dry, only a few pools up L. passage. R. passage leads in a few feet into a chamber 50 ft. high, 25 yds. long. L. goes on a good way, swimming necessary (June, 1933). In May, 1939, Allsup got through, about 250 yds., crawling past where stopped before, into a series of small pool chambers, waded. Stalagmitic beach, 4 ft. from floor, showed the normal water level. Slight ascent through constriction, more pools and then the water entrance, two branches, up into daylight and heavy jungle. Two pillars stalactite propping the shelf and curtain deposit.