The entrance to the caves of Wellington Valley is in the side of a low hill and 65 feet above the adjacent alluvial flat. It consists of two crevices between large blocks of limestone in one side of a hollow about 12 feet deep; and which has evidently been widened by water. (Plate 41.)
PLATE 43: INTERIOR OF THE LARGEST CAVERN AT WELLINGTON VALLEY.
Major T.L. Mitchell. Day and Haghe Lithographers to the Queen.
London, Published by T. and W. Boone.
DESCRIPTION AND VIEW OF THE LARGEST.
We first descended the fissure at the mouth of the large cave, and then clambered over great rocks until, at 125 feet from the entrance, we found these inequalities to be covered by a deep bed of dry, reddish dust, forming an even floor. This red earth lay also in heaps under lateral crevices, through which it seemed to have been washed down from above. On digging to a considerable depth at this point, we found a few fragments of bone, apparently of the kangaroo. At 180 feet from the mouth is the largest part of the cavern, the breadth being 25 feet and the height about 50 feet. The floor consisted of the same reddish earth, but a thick stalagmitic crust extended for a short distance from a gigantic stalactite at the further end of the cavern. On again digging several feet deep into the red earth here we met with no lower layer of stalagmite nor any animal remains.
On a corner of the floor behind the stalactite and nearly under a vertical fissure we found a heap of dry white dust into which one of the party sunk to the waist.* (G. Plate 44.)
(*Footnote. The dust when chemically examined by Dr. Turner was found to consist principally of carbonate of lime with some phosphate of lime and animal matter. Proceedings of the Geological Society for 1831.)
Passing through an opening to the left of the stalactite we came upon an abrupt descent into a lower cavern. Having reached the latter with some difficulty, we found that its floor was about 20 feet below that of the cavern above. It was equally level and covered to a great but unascertained depth with the same dry red earth which had been worn down about five feet in a hollow or rut.
A considerable portion of the farthest part of the floor (at H) was occupied with white dust or ashes similar to that found in the corner of the upper floor (at G).