Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-03-27
The WAIroMo CAVES.
Description of a Visit to Wonderful New
Zealand Caverns.

Aealahu CaRerns.
In a report to the surveyor general of New
Zealand Mr.. Thomas Humphries gives an in
teresting description of a visit which he and
a small party made in June last to the Wal
tomo caves, King Country, in the North Island
of New Zealand The Waitolno river,
tributary of the Waipa, which passes through
these caves, lies about eighty-five miles south
of Auckland in a direct line, though it is
about twenty miles further by rail and road.
The caves are about ten milesfrom Otoro-
hanga railway station. The country around
is unduating A quarter of a mile before
the caves are reached the Waitomo, of about
twenty feet in width, is seen emerging from
the side Of a hill, under which it has mean
dered through limestone caverns of various
sizes for about twenty chains. A light canoe
can be taken along the river through the
caves to within a few chains Of its egress,
where further progress is barred by the roof
coming down to the water.
At the entrance to the cavern the stream is
feet deep. The natives have never had the
courage to enter. The entrance to the cave,
80 feet wide and 90 feet high, is in the face of
a cliff 1t is beautifully arched with numer-
Gus moss and lichen covered stalactites In a
canoe the visitor is taken in, 90 feet from the
entrance, and landed ON silt covered beach.
By the aid of candles-for all is now dark
he finds himself among ponderous stalactites,
to feet thick, reaching from the roof, 20
feet high to within | foot of the ground.
Everywhere, all over the extensive and intri-
cate caverns, are seen stalactites and stalag-
mites of immense size, in vast numbers, with
marvellous beauty Of form and color. At
one place the dark vault was studded with
thousands of glowworms, giving the vault
the appearance of a starlit sky.
Passing down the left bank of the stream
for 14O feet, over a large deposit left by the
foods the party crossed it by means of
foot bridge. From the entrance to the bridge
the cavern averages so feet broad and from
20 to 30 feet high. After crossing the bridge
a sharp turn to the right is made up steep
incline for distance of 20 feet to the foot of
a 10 foot ladder, which leads to a narrow
passage feet wide and 10 feet high, the en-
trance to the "grand cavern" Here is the
bottom of the "well, narrow shaft running
up to another series of caves over the lower
ones, where it is again met with in the gal
lery above The well is feet across, per-
feetly true, as If made by human hands, and
its sides beautifully marked with horizontal
streabs, formed of laminated limestone. In
the grand cavern is an immense mound of
material evidently fallen from the roof.
Beyond the grand cavern the roof rises
and forms two domes, one 50 feet high. High
up, 40 feet, is the entrance to another cavern.
Beyond the dome is sudden fall the roof
lowering somuch that the visitor has to stoop.
The length Of the grand cavern, at the end
of which the stream is again met with, is $50
feet. 1t varies in width from IS to 40 feet,
and from 20 to 50 feet in height. Up to this
point the color is a dull brown and light
yellow; but in tho upper galleries, 30 feet
above, there are alabaster and Parian-marble-
like scenes Of unsurpassed loveliness.
Twenty feet above the grand gallery is the
"organ gallery,n so called from TIE appear
ance of the great stalagmitic mass $50 feet
from its entrance, rising tier upon tier, like
the front of an organ with marble pipes. From
the grand gallery the main gallery above is
reached by Il 25 foot ladder, and 60 feet along
it the ''well" is reached. Here it is II feet in
diameter, with smooth sides of hard lime
stone, and the sound of moving water below.
This is 45 feet above where it was first seen.
Fifty feet along from the upper well is a
"fairy grotto," and through an archway so
feet in length the "banquet chamber is
reached, where the surveyor and his friends
found n hot dinner had been provided by
the natives who own the caves. At the end
of this chamber is the White terrace, a stalag
mitic mass rising in a series of terraces From
this the upper entrance to the caves is
reached, high in a wooded cliff, 60 feet above
and directly over the lower entrance. Mr.
Humphries describes in glowing terms other
galleries and caves, but this may suffice to
show that Notwithstanding the destruction
of the Rotomahana terraces, New Zealand
has still plenty of wonders Science.