-52-

the center of the arch were 3 deep grooves caused we hazarded, by rope passing over the arch.

   We spent several hours in investigating the surrounding terrain to see if there might be any other entrances to the cave, but found none. It sloped sharply from the opening down to about 200 feet, and then the bore disappeared, curving upward.

   We succeeded in getting down to the first level, by tying all our ropes together, and subsequently investigated a lot of it.

   Threading through the soil were long stringers of quartz, but oddly enough at the same there were chunks of rock as big as a piano that were solid masses of seashells. Quite a lot of pottery both broken and whole, was found. The most interesting thing was, however, that the further we went the colder it got.

   Also there was a sound of either rushing wind or water, which grew louder the lower we went. We came upon two human skeletons not over 500 feet from the entrance, but they must have been very old, as the bones crumbled at the touch. Everything was covered with a deep dust after passing the bend and no indication of any living thing having passed there was ever noted. It was very dark and depressing, and the chill was very penetrating. When you consider that the outside temperatures was near 100 degrees, you can imagine how we were dressed. We had three flashlights, one a five cell, and after awhile it was all that was left that would give a decent light. Down at what was estimated as 1200 feet from the opening we came smack up against a smooth stone wall. That was it. The end. None of us would admit it was natural, it was too smooth and perfect, and look as we would we could not find a single flaw or crack in it. It was of a marble-like texture and some eight or nine feet high in the center and around eleven wide. By placing our ears to the rock surface the roaring on the other side became much louder, and the rock was quite cold to the touch.

There is natural marble near there, in Marble