AMLARENG CAVE 1

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A SSE-facing cave entrance between sandstone boulders allows access to a seasonal stream sink, which is represented by orthogonal, joint-controlled cave passages in a bed of calcareous sandstone. In several places there are areas of speleothems, both stalagmites and stalactites, including “straws” (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). ETYMOLOGY: No specific name has been identified for the first visited cave called after the stream Amlareng or Amlreng (note 1), the -am- (Amwi Khasi) or Stream Of [the] Horn(s) / Antler(s) (note 2) near the village of Jangushen (note 3). Smart, C M (2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1) had understood that Lreng [sic!] is the Khasi name of the seasonal stream that flows into the entrance of this cave and explains that the cave name Krem Amlreng 1 was used to distinguish it from Krem Amlreng 2, a short distance away. Smart, C M (2013.03.24 -Jangushen caves (near Syndhai) from Feb 2011- e-mail) relates to Three caves at Jangushen … just to the west of Syndai. Stuart McManus and I visited these on 28 Feb 2011 with local involvement as the jpg of the names where the digital image captioned GPS location Krem Lynron 1 & 2.JPG shows an unpaginated page of a notebook dated 28|2|12 and recording a solitary GPS position (note 4) collectively read for the two distinct cave entrances to Amlareng Cave 1 and Amlareng Cave 2. SITUATION: The GPS position, which has been recorded for the cave entrance to the first Krem Amlareng, indicates not only a spot that occupies one and the same space as the cave entrance to the second Krem Amlareng but also lies about 1.3 km in a direct line approximately north west from Jangushen (note 5) on the interfluve between the south east (orographically left) bank of the Um Tyrngai and the north west (orographically right) bank of the Um Sku (note 6) in an area where the sedimentary rocks of the Langpar Formation (note 7) are exposed on the surface and commence to cover the underlying Mahadek Formation (NAG & PAL 1996geological map). APPROACH: Leave Jangushen village on the path from the football field that leads in a northerly direction past John Buam’s house [towards the village of Tawshusdiah N25°11'50”: E092°05'32” WGS84]. Follow this on a gentle climb for about ten minutes before heading to the west through a bamboo brush plantation. The final approach was through jungle (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). CAVE DESCRIPTION: The entrance, in a dry stream bed (February 2012) faces south-southeast, is a 1 metre climb down between sandstone boulders. This leads to a small (4 m by 2 m) chamber approximately 1.4 m high. Crossing a shallow pool of water to the far left hand corner of the chamber leads to a series of rifts and cross rifts forming a joint controlled gridiron or trellis pattern of passages. The main rift passage leads to an enlarged rift chamber, approximately 15 m by 5 m with another shallow pool in the floor. There was an obvious draft in this chamber in February 2012 butthe way on could not be detected, or followed in the many small (0.5 m) rifts that lead out of this chamber. The bedrock appears to be a yellow calcareous sandstone that is extremely friable in places (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). EXPANSIBILITY (ka bór ba lah ba'n iar ne heh): : The cave can be extended by investigating the many narrow rifts in the cave (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). CULTURAL HISTORY - human use: The cave has been used previously to catch both fish and bats (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). CAVE CLIMATE: C. M. Smart recorded, close to midday on 28th February 2012, in the enlarged rift chamber, approximately 15 m by 5 m, the presence of an obvious draft [air flow] but the way on could not be detected, or followed in the many small (0.5 m) rifts that lead out of this chamber (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). CAVE LIFE: The pool at the furthest extent of the cave contained less than ten (10) fish and these appear to be blid, colourless = white and up to about 10 cm long; several crayfish and one crab approximately 12 cm across (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1).the way on could not be detected, or followed in the many small (0.5 m) rifts that lead out of this chamber. The bedrock appears to be a yellow calcareous sandstone that is extremely friable in places (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). EXPANSIBILITY (ka bór ba lah ba'n iar ne heh): : The cave can be extended by investigating the many narrow rifts in the cave (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). CULTURAL HISTORY - human use: The cave has been used previously to catch both fish and bats (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). CAVE CLIMATE: C. M. Smart recorded, close to midday on 28th February 2012, in the enlarged rift chamber, approximately 15 m by 5 m, the presence of an obvious draft [air flow] but the way on could not be detected, or followed in the many small (0.5 m) rifts that lead out of this chamber (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). CAVE LIFE: The pool at the furthest extent of the cave contained less than ten (10) fish and these appear to be blithe way on could not be detected, or followed in the many small (0.5 m) rifts that lead out of this chamber. The bedrock appears to be a yellow calcareous sandstone that is extremely friable in places (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). EXPANSIBILITY (ka bór ba lah ba'n iar ne heh): : The cave can be extended by investigating the many narrow rifts in the cave (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). CULTURAL HISTORY - human use: The cave has been used previously to catch both fish and bats (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). CAVE CLIMATE: C. M. Smart recorded, close to midday on 28th February 2012, in the enlarged rift chamber, approximately 15 m by 5 m, the presence of an obvious draft [air flow] but the way on could not be detected, or followed in the many small (0.5 m) rifts that lead out of this chamber (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). CAVE LIFE: The pool at the furthest extent of the cave contained less than ten (10) fish and these appear to be blithe way on could not be detected, or followed in the many small (0.5 m) rifts that lead out of this chamber. The bedrock appears to be a yellow calcareous sandstone that is extremely friable in places (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). EXPANSIBILITY (ka bór ba lah ba'n iar ne heh): : The cave can be extended by investigating the many narrow rifts in the cave (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). CULTURAL HISTORY - human use: The cave has been used previously to catch both fish and bats (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). CAVE CLIMATE: C. M. Smart recorded, close to midday on 28th February 2012, in the enlarged rift chamber, approximately 15 m by 5 m, the presence of an obvious draft [air flow] but the way on could not be detected, or followed in the many small (0.5 m) rifts that lead out of this chamber (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). CAVE LIFE: The pool at the furthest extent of the cave contained less than ten (10) fish and these appear to be blithe way on could not be detected, or followed in the many small (0.5 m) rifts that lead out of this chamber. The bedrock appears to be a yellow calcareous sandstone that is extremely friable in places (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). EXPANSIBILITY (ka bór ba lah ba'n iar ne heh): : The cave can be extended by investigating the many narrow rifts in the cave (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). CULTURAL HISTORY - human use: The cave has been used previously to catch both fish and bats (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). CAVE CLIMATE: C. M. Smart recorded, close to midday on 28th February 2012, in the enlarged rift chamber, approximately 15 m by 5 m, the presence of an obvious draft [air flow] but the way on could not be detected, or followed in the many small (0.5 m) rifts that lead out of this chamber (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1). CAVE LIFE: The pool at the furthest extent of the cave contained less than ten (10) fish and these appear to be blid, colourless = white and up to about 10 cm long; several crayfish and one crab approximately 12 cm across (Smart, C M 2012.02.28 Mss Krem Amlreng 1).