Porcupine Cave
25.166900,92.386900
Description
One (or both) of the south-facing cave entrances in the south-eastern corner of Krem –>Umkhang. ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known cave name has been identified for what a foreigner had intended to christen Porcupine Cave because he had noticed in February 1997 a decomposing a porcupine carcass on the floor inside the cave. Upon intending to disguise the British »Porcupine Cave« with a Pseudokhasi cave name, which would have been Krem Dyngkhiet (note 1), expedition cavers achieved to end up with a communication error and arrived inadvertently at one Krem Kharasniang (Krem Khara Sniang) or »Pig-sized Cave« from "khara" + "sniang" (note 2). CULTURAL HISTORY 2002: Anjali Tirkey, a writer in the pay ot The Telegraph (Calcutta), composed a professional wording which provides a touching cave conservation message supported by a readable narrative of a recreational caving tour (guided by Brian D Kharpran Daly) into »Krem Kharasniang« illuminated with carbide lamps (TIRKEY, A 2002). CULTURAL HISTORY 2014 -- cave novel (fictitious prose narrative, typically representing character and action with some degree of realism): »Do you see the spilled-over debris from the quarry filling up that little valley? That's where the entrance of Krem Kharasniang was," Thrang said [note 3], pointing out. "They have choked a beautiful two kilometer cave; a cave that could one day be linked to Krem Umlawan, which if it does happen, would increase the total length of Krem Kotsati-Umlawan system to more than 23.5 kilometres« (KHARPRAN DALY, B D 2014: 175).
NOTE 1: u dyngkhiet (Khasi; noun) porcupine (SINGH, N 1906: 153; SINGH, N 1920: 389; BLAH, E 2007: 0); zoologically: Hystrix bengalensia Blyth, H. brachyura aut H. indica Kerr (Hystricidae), a large rodent (Rodentia) with defensive spines or quills on the body and tail. NOTE 2: khara (Khasi, adverb) of the same good size (SINGH, N 1906: 27). ka sniang (Khasi; noun, feminine), abbreviated: ka 'niang (SINGH, N 1906: 140, 206), ka niang kynthei (SINGH, N 1920: 486), a [female] pig (SINGH, N 1906: 140, 206; SINGH, N 1920: 380; BLAH, E 2007: 224); sow (SINGH, N 1920: 486; BLAH, E 2007: 281); zoologically: Sus sus, Sus domesticus, etc. (Suidae); an omnivorous domesticated hoofed mammal with sparse bristly hair and a flat snout for rooting in the soil, kept for its meat and fascinating shrieks screamed in terror at death's door. u sniang (Khasi; noun, masculine), abbreviated: u 'niang (SINGH, N 1906: 140, 206), u 'niang shynrang; u 'niang kwang (SINGH, N 1920: 49), a [male] pig (SINGH, N 1906: 140, 206; SINGH, N 1920: 380; BLAH, E 2007: 224); hog (OLDHAM, T 1854 / 1984 appendix C: lxi; SINGH, N 1920: 49; BLAH, E 2007: 134); boar (SINGH, N 1920: 49; BLAH, E 2007: 33). NOTE 3: thrang (Khasi; verb) to thirst, pant (SINGH, N 1906: 229); itch, pant (SINGH, N 1920: 274, 362).
Documents
Bibliography 30/03/2016History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1997.02.22: Georg Bäumler and Lieutenant-Colonel Fairweather W. Mylliemngap found a cave entrance on their own: »22-2-97 … Georg and the Colonel go prospecting down [an unspecified] the valley from Krem Um Lawan and locate some [i.e. two] large cave entrances, Krem Kharasniang [i.e. Porcupine Cave] and Krem Um Khang [Krem Umkhang]« (Brooks, S J in: BROOKS, S J et al 1998: 29).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.2 | UMKHANG (Krem) | ||
| 0.2 | UMLAWAN 1 Rift Pot (Krem) | ||
| 0.4 | UMKSEH (Krem) | ||
| 0.6 | UMLAWAN 3 (Krem) | ||
| 0.7 | UMLAWAN 1: Lake Inlet Cave (Krem) | ||
| 0.7 | UMLAWAN 5 (Krem) | ||
| 0.8 | UMLAWAN 4 (Krem) | ||
| 0.8 | UMLAWAN 6 a-b (Krem) | ||
| 0.8 | UMLAWAN 1: Cinema Cave (Krem) |