LYMPUT (Krem)

Description

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 17/04/2016

A three or 4 m climb down into an inconspicuous cave entrance, about 1.7 m wide on a south-sloping ground, gives access to a relatively large and beautiful, sacred and popular, mostly horizontal and seasonally active stream cave, which is formed the base level of erosion at the foot of the Khasi Hills, more often than not controlled by the local dip of the limestone strata and formed in Upper to Middle Eocene Prang Limestone. »Krem Lymput … with an inconspicuous hole of an entrance, the cave is characterised by its main trunk passage of inclined walls. It is quite an easy cave for any novice« (KHARPRAN DALY, B D 2005). ETYMOLOGY: The modern, War Khasi cave name "Krem Lymput" (Kharpran Daly 2002, 2004) translates as »Bat Cave« (note 1). The 18th century cave names Bhuvan, Booban, Boobon, Boobooan or Buban, etc., seem to derive from the Sanskrit "bhavan" (literally '[he, the] habitating [one]', which is an epithet of Shiva, the Hindu god who is represented by linga (upright standing, phallic objects, including stalactites). SCOTT (1828: 54) confirms that »the stalactites are superb, hanging in rich festoons from the top and sides, and forming in many places ribbed arches, resembling the interior of a Gothic church. There are also many of a pyramidal form, rising from the floor; and one of these is worshipped by the natives of the plains, as representing the lingum, annually in the month of Magh« (note 2). Anthony 'Tony'R. Jarratt (February 1999, personal communication) suggested that "boobon" (etc.) may derive from the Khasi noun "ka pubon" which either means »a cave« or »the limestone« (note 3). So far, I found this cave called Cave of Bhoobin (SCOTT 1828: 54) Bhuban cave in Nongjri (Times of India, The 2012.07.31: Cement plants ruining caves in Meghalaya) Cave of Bhuvan in the Kásia Hills (WALTERS 1832: 510-512, plate opposite p. 512) Cave of Booban near Punduah, in the Cossyah mountains (FISHER 1828 ed. by Brewster) Cave of Booban (WALTERS 1830 edited by David Brewster) Cavern of Booban near »Pundua« (Pandua), in the »Cossya mountains« (FISHER 1827b: 756; 1827c: 521; 1829: 521; CAREY, W H 1887, 3: 84-85) or »Cossyah mountains« (FISHER 1828 edited by David Brewster) caverne de Booban (FISHER 1829: 339) Cavern of Boobon in the Cossyah Mountains (DUVAUCEL 1828 edited by David Brewster) Cavern of Boobooan (HAMILTON 1828, 2: 426-427) Buban Cave (WALTERS 1829: 321-323) Sylhet Cave called Bhoobin (SCOTT 1828: 54) SITUATION: The inconspicuous entrance is hidden among jungle covered boulders but sometimes reveals itself by blowing lots of unexpectedly cool air in an unlikely place. The entrance lies at a distance of about 6 km along the road from the main village of Nongjri (lower village: N25°11'28”: E091°47'38” WGS84: circa 300 m asl) at the hill side or a kilomtere from Nongjri Bazar (the market in the plains near N25°10'45”: E091°48'18” WGS84: circa 80 m asl) and at a walking distance of five minutes from the road to Bholagunj (note 4). The cave is developed in a »horst« (fault-block) of limestone inclined by about 30° to 40° towards approximate south (photographs in ARBENZ & WEIDMANN 2003: 7, 8) and understood to be limited in the west by a geological (tectonical) disturbance, in the north by the edge of the limestone outcrop, and in the south and east by touching the base level of corrosion. An abundance of calcite formations (speleothems) occur in places, including a superb disc (shield) measuring more than 2 m in diameter. SITUATION 1827.1: Not seen unspecified issue of one »Cal. Gov. Gaz.« (FISHER 1827b) or »Government Gazette« (FISHER 1827c), »Calcutta Government Gazette« (FISHER 1828), and »Calcutta Govern. Gazette« (FISHER 1829). SITUATION 1827.2: »The cavern of Booban is situated in one of the lower ranges of the Cossya Mountains, at the distance of about three hours' walk, in a north east direction from the Bazaar of Pundua [Pandua N25°07'20”: E091°44'40” WGS84, now in Bangladesh], and at an elevation, probably of six hundred feet above the adjacent plains. The access to it, is by no means difficult, though the passage of three hills, which occur in the last hour's journey towards it, is fatiguing, as the ascents though short, are singularly steep, one of them actually subtending an angle of 46°. These hills are composed of sand stone, but their bases are strewed with fragments of various rocks, chiefly granite and lime stone, apparently the debris from the higher regions of the mountain chain. The mouth of the cavern, which is found in the face of a lime stone mountain, is not in itself remarkable, neither do any external circumstances indicate the existence of the vast hollows, to which it affords access« (FISHER 1827c: 521). SITUATION 1827.3: »The cavern of Booban is situated in one of the lower ranges of the Cossyah [sic!] Mountains, at the distance of about three hours' walk, in a north-east direction from the Bazaar of Punduah [sic!], and at an elevation, probably of six hundred feet [183 m] above the adjacent plains. The access to it is by no means difficult, though the passage of three hills, which occur in the last hour's journey towards it is fatiguing, as the ascents, though short, are singularly steep, one of them actually subtending an angle of 46°. These hills are composed of sandstone, but their bases are strewed with fragments of various rocks, chiefly granite and limestone, apparently the debris from the higher regions of the mountain chain« (FISHER 1828: 54-55). SITUATION 1827.4: »La caverne de Booban est située dans l'une des chaînes inférieures des montagnes de Cossya, à la distance d'environ trois heures demarche et dans une direction nord-est du bazar de Pundua, et à une élévation probablement de 600 pieds au-dessus des plaines adjacentes. L'accès n'en est nullement difficile, bien que le passage de 3 éminences qui se présentent dans l'étendue de la dernière lieue, soit fatigant, en ce que les montées, quoique fort courtes, sont singulièrement roides : l'une de ces montées forme avec l'horizon un angle de 46 degrés. Ces éminences se composent de grès; mais leurs bases sont parsemées de fragmens de diverses espèces deroche consistant principalement en granite et en pierre calcaire, débris, suivant toute apparence, des régions supérieures de la chaîne de montagnes. L'entrée de la caverne, qui se trouve pratiquée dans le flanc d'une montagne de pierre calcaire, n'offre rien en elle-même de remarquable, et rien, dans ses aspects extérieurs, n'anaonce l'existence des vastes cavités auxquelles elle donne accès« (FISHER 1829: 339). SITUATION 1827.5: »At the distance of about three hours' walk, in a northerly direction from the bazar of Pundua, and at an elevation probably six hundred feet above the adjacent plains, is the wonderful cavern of Booban, in one of the lower ranges of the Cossya mountains, near Sylhet. The mouth of the cavern, which is found in the face of a limestone mountain, is not in itself remarkable, neither do any external circumstances indicate the existence of the vast hollows to which it affords access« (CAREY, W H 1887, 3: 84). SITUATION 1828: »About 9 miles [14.5 km] distant north-east of Punduah, among the lower ranges of the Cosseah or Khasiya mountains [Khasi hills], and about 600 feet above the adjacent plain, is the remarkable cavern of Boobooan« (HAMILTON 1828, 2: 426-427). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1998: The Main Passage offers a kilometre of sizeable trunk passage, on average 6 m wide and 8 m high, which runs upstream, usually with inclined walls and ceilings, from the entrance in the east to the collapse chamber "Way To Heaven" in the west. Above and mostly to the north of the main passage, which partly sumps during the wet season, a series of spacious galleries was found to be rich in speleothems / calcite formations (Dukan Daloiksew, Moghul Room, Disco, Curtain Shop, Pearl Harbour, Victoria Chamber, Shah Jahan's Audience Chamber, Ballerina Gallery, Dance Hall and Nati School). Secreted away, the huge, magnificently decorated "Moghul Room" (more than 25 wide and high, 75 m long) is reached via an unpromising climb and gives access, almost blocked by very large calcite formations, to a previously unknown entrance in the jungle clad hillside. At the bottom of Way To Heaven, a labyrinthine maze (First Day Maze) and braided passages (South West Loop) appear to take seasonally a lot of water that disappears at no obvious points. An area of joint controlled and due east-west orientated passages (e.g. Glittering Prices) which drain to the east or east-south-east lies in the south and at elevations below Main Passage. This area is reached either by 1) almost calcite-filled stoop ways via Bone Chamber, 2) by a partly soil-filled crawl (Fertile Valley) or 3) by the spacious National Dryway. CHANDLER (1998) understood that »… most of the passages were large walking size and [contained] virtually no water at this time of year. The lower passages did take water and it was obvious they flooded to the roof and seeped through a boulder floor.« CAVE DESCRIPTION 1887 Cavern of Booban (Carey 1887) CAVE DESCRIPTION 1832 –>Bhuvan Cave (Walters 1832) CAVE DESCRIPTION 1830 Cave of –>Booban (Walters 1830)CAVE DESCRIPTION 1829 –>Buban Cave (Walters 1829) CAVE DESCRIPTION 1828 Cavern of –>Boobon (Duvaucel 1828) CAVE DESCRIPTION 1828 –>Boobooan Cavern (Hamilton 1828) CAVE DESCRIPTION 1828 Cave called –>Bhoobin (Scott 1828) CAVE DESCRIPTION 1827 –>Booban Cavern (Fisher 1827) SPELEOMETRY: 2008: »9. Krem Lymput; India, Meghalaya; 6.641 m« (Brooks, S. J. undated 2008 Mss: Longest Table 2008.doc). 2005: »Krem Lymput is India's 8th longest cave with 6.7 kms of surveyed passage« (KHARPRAN DALY s.a. 2005). 2000: »Another cave known as Krem Lymput yeilded [sic!] 2.7 km including some very large and well decorated fossil [sic! for: relic] galleries not disimilar in style to those that have made China Caves famous [note 5]« (BROOKS, S J 2000b: 2). »Krem Lymput, partly explored in 1997, was extended [in 1998] to 6.5 km in length [note 6], establishing it as India's second longest cave« (BROOKS, S J 2000b: 3). 1828.12.09: Henry WALTERS (1830: 270), one Terraneau and certain Campbell »paced the distance, and took bearings, and found we had gone nearly a mile [1.6 km] before we turned. An abrupt and deep precipice obstructs the road a little beyond were we turned, and farther than this has not yet been explored.« 1828 March: »Upon the whole, I cannot estimate the distance from the mouth to the fork [and exploration terminus] at less than one and three-fourths or two miles [2.8 or 3.2 km]« (SCOTT, D 1828: 56). PROSPECTS: Chances to find extensions appear to be small in the thoroughly searched eastern rim of the cave, the high part of Way To Heaven, in the double-checked South West Loop (the question marks in the cave plan indicate explored but not surveyed dead ends). Likewise, the chance to extend the Glittering Prizes / Bone Chamber area is very small. A few possibilities remain: A: The uninviting ceiling collapse area above Dukan Daloiksew is not pushed to a conclusion but the surface is near. B: The calcite jungle on the western wall of Moghul Room has not been systematically searched. C & D: Two continuations in the Western Danceway head towards the interior of the outcrop. CAVE POTENTIAL 1828: »An abrupt and deep precipice obstructs the road a little beyond were we turned, and farther than this has not yet been explored. It would be curious to follow it up, and trace out all its ramifications. An opening might very probably be found on the opposite face of the mountain; also to ascertain the existence or otherwise of organic remains in the muddy soil« (WALTERS 1830: 270).CULTURAL HISTORY -- fabulous tunnel: »Tradition says it joins the subterranean passages of the seraglio of Pekin!« (WALTERS 1830: 270). CULTURAL HISTORY -- cult spot: DUVAUCEL (1821.10.19 Mss edited by Brewster 1828: 52) wanted »stalactitic deposits« to resemble the »… shapes of men or animals, which pass among the inhabitants of the Cossyah for being metamorphosed into stone. These superstituous people look upon this cavern as the work of Satan, and as the abode of several wicked gods. In passing before each diabolic work, the take care to cry out, and to strike their hands to frighten the demons. On reaching a certain depth they will not advance without great fear. In one word, the cavern of Boobon is to the Cossyahs what the grotto of Trophonius was to the Greeks.« CHANDLER (1998) draws the attention of penetration watchers to having noticed that »the cave had special significance and had been penetrated by locals as we found scraped marks everywhere we went. One evening on the way out one party met a group of well dressed people, one a woman and two priest types. They were intending to stay overnight and offer prayers.« CAVE CLIMATE: DUVAUCEL (1821.10.19 Mss edited by Brewster 1828: 52-53) was the first to draw attention to the prevailing air current as he narrates to have »observed that the flame of the torch, which lighted us, wavered always in the same [page 53] direction, as if impelled by a current of air. I imagined from this that the cavern had a second opening … but … after half an hour's search for the new opening, I retraced my steps, and had no proof of its existence.« SCOTT (1828: 54), some time in March 1828, confirmed the air current: »From the mouth of the cave there precedes (at the season we visited it, March) a cold blast of air. The temperature was 69° [Fahrenheit = 20.6°C], while the thermometer in the shade on the outside stood at 80° [26.7°C]. From this I conjecture that there must be a communication with the superior part of the mountain, through which this cold air air descends.« WALTERS (1832: 512) reported to have recorded on 09 Dec 1828 an air temperature of 23.2°C at 15h00. WALTERS (1830: 270) reported that some time between afternoon (9th December 1828) and three o'clock (10th December 1828) »The thermometer outside the cave stood at 68° [20°C], in the shade of the trees with which the entrance is surrounded; inside it rose to 74° [23.3°C]. The air, however, was not close or disagreeable; indeed a free circulation evidently takes place.« CAVE LIFE: A few spiders (Aranea: Arachnida: Sparrassidae: Heteropoda sp.) characterised by a size resembling that of a spread hand, up to about 20 cm or even 24 cm in diameter. A noteworthy day roost of bats (Chiroptera) with at least two thousand (?) individuals was observed in March 1997 to occupy the upstream section of "Glittering Prizes" but was absent in February 1998: Ia io (Thomas 1902): 22.III.1997, 4 skulls, 2 rostra, 4 lft & 4 rt mandibles, Gebauer leg. & D. Kock ded. 25.IV.2002: This is the second time this large Vespertilionid was found in India. The earlier sample was from near Cherrapunji, the closest in Nepal and north-east Thailand. For a long time this species was thought to be very rare but large groups were recently discovered in caves in Vietnam and China. These animals rest mostly in high cave chambers where they were not detected (poor torch lights) or, due to a lack of mist nets not huntable (note 7). Both times the odour of fresh bat guano was noticed even on the surface above the lower reaches of cave, in about the lower part of the bouldery area which is crossed when walking from the Areca plantation near the road to the cave entrance. PALAEONTOLOGY: The Bone Chamber was named in 1981 after visible parts of vertebrate fossil bones protruding from the massive Eocene limestone walls. 1827 »… have you seen, or have you any intention of again visiting, the one at Pandua? I have been requested by Mr. Swinton particularly, to examine it for fossil bones; which, indeed, I did, as far as we went in 1824 [sic! qua: 1827]; but, if there is any thing of the sort, I think it is most likely that they will be found at the bottom of the deep pit, from which they could not well be removed by the action of the water, that may be supposed to have swept the part we examined« (David Scott, »Nunkhlow« (Nongkhlaw), 14th April (no year mentioned) letter to Mr. Lamb in: WATSON, A & WHITE, A 1832: 96). 1828 »It would be curious … to ascertain the existence, or otherwise, of organic remains« (WALTERS, H 1832: 512). 1829 »… bones of animals have never yet, we believe, been discovered, either in diluvium or in stratified rocks; in this branch, however, … the yet unexplored caverns in the limestone strata of Sylhet, Cachar, and Assam, promise a fruitful field for future researches« (CALDER, J 1829: 374). 1840: Concerning the »cavern of Booban … no measures have been employed to ascertain if it contains any fossil remains« (FISHER, F H 1840: 815).

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 17/04/2016

NOTE 1: The standard Khasi ”lymboit” (adjective) means »almost naked« (SINGH, N 1906: 124) and the noun "ka lyngbit" (SINGH, N 1920: 38) signifies »a bat« (zoologically: Chiroptera), which is not only synonymous with the standard Sohra Khasi "ka lymbit" (SINGH, N 1906: 124; BLAH, E 2007: 27) and the War Khasi "ka lymput" (Kharpran Daly, Brian D 1994 personal communication) but also the same as the Lakadong Khasi "ka labiat" (Kondrick Dkhar, Lakadong, 2001.02.23) and the Synteng Khasi "ka labit" (Mikir Siangshai, Chiehruphi 1997.02.16; Alfred Lanong, Lumshnong, 1999.02.10). NOTE 2: The lunar month of Magh begins on the first day of the first new moon in January / February. NOTE 3: SINGH, N (1906: Khasi - English dictionary) lists no Khasi term "pubon" (page 164) but the complementary SINGH, N (1920: English - Khasi dictionary) lists »Cave, noun: Ka krem; ka synrang; ka pubon« and »Cavern, noun: Ka pubon; ka krem kaba heh.« B. D. Kharpran Daly (personal communication) suggested to translate "pubon" as limestone and to use the expression "krem pubon" for a natural cave in distinction from the man-made 'krem mawiong', a coal mine. The Khasi word for "limestone", however, is "u mawshun" (maw = stone) as "shun" means [slaked] lime. The authorities distinguish between the Khasi nouns ka krem -- »a cave« binomial: ”ka krem ka kroh” (SINGH, N 1906: 46; SINGH, N 1920: 63), has been translated as »cave; a cavern; a grotto; a hole« (SINGH, N 1920: 63, 63, 208, 222); »cave; a cavern; a den; a grotto; a hole« (BLAH, E 2007: 74). ka pubon -- »a cave; a cavern« (SINGH, N 1920: 63; SINGH, N 1920: 208); »a grotto« (SINGH, N 1920: 208). ka synrang -- »cave« (SINGH, N 1920: 63) and »the coping of a rock or cave« (SINGH, N 1906: 216), but also »refuge« (SINGH, N 1920: 428) and »nest« (BLAH, E 2007: 198). The word seems to signify an inhabitable cave, rock shelter or den, especially the "hole" or lair of an animal and the hideout of a "runaway" (fairy, freedom fighter, hermit, king, madman, robber, terrorist, etc.). .ka thliew -- (SINGH, N 1906: 227; SINGH, N 1920: 60, 64, 66, 83, 106, 115, 134, 222, 227, 279, 353, 381, 467; BLAH, E 2007: 15, 45, 78, 134, 179, 225, 316) or “ka thliw“ (SINGH, N 1920: 21, 57, 83, 150, 154, 163) and “ka tliw“ (GURDON, P R T 1906: 169), abbreviated “ka liew“ (SINGH, N 1906: 65, 117, 382; BLAH, E 2007: 78) or “ka 'liw“ (GURDON, P R T 1906: 49), has been translated as a hole, pit, depression (SINGH, N 1906: 227); aperture, channel, cut, hole, hollow, kennel, pit (SINGH, N 1920: 21, 66, 106, 222, 279, 381); aperture, bore, cavern, cavity, cell, crevice, dike / dyke, gap, hole, hollow, pit (BLAH, E 2007: 15, 34, 45, 66, 78, 114, 134, 225). NOTE 4: Bholagunj (Bholaganj, also: Bholaghat, Bholagunge, Bholagunj, near (±500 m) N25°09'47”: E091°44'45” WGS84 modified from N25°09'55”: E091°44'55” Everest 1830, Survey of India sheet 78-O/12 editions 1912, 1937). NOTE 5: The invocation of »China Caves« (BROOKS, S J 2000b: 2) may have been inspired by »the formation of stalagmites and stalactites in these caves [which] resemble those of the Blue Grotto in the Isle of Capri« (MEGHALAYA TOURIST DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION 1993). NOTE 6: Gentlemen with a taste for long ones may wonder by which treatment »Krem Lymput … was extended in length« (BROOKS 2000: 3). In reality, however, it was not the cave, which had been made longer or was straightened, but the cave's survey, which had been expanded to cover a deeper meaning and wider area.NOTE 7: Dr. Dieter Kock, Bonn, Museum König (2002.05.16 Mss): »Das ist das zweite Mal, dass diese grosse Fledermaus Vespertilionide in Indien gefunden wurde. Der fruehere Fund war nahe bei Cherrapunji, also nicht weit von Ihrem Fundort weg. Die nahesten Funde wurden in Nepal und NE-Thailand gemacht! Die Art galt lange als etwas sehr seltenes, aber in Vietnam und China ist sie kuerzlich auch in groesseren Gruppen in Hoehlen entdeckt worden. Die Tiere ruhen meist in hohen Hoehlenkammern, wo sie nicht entdeckt wurden (schwache Taschenlampen) oder nicht zu fangen waren (keine mist-nets).« NOTE 8: When concluding speleological exploration in February 1998 it was obvious that each and every part of Krem Lymput had been visited by earlier explorers -- with the only exception of the Moghul Room, which is hidden above an unsuspicious climb up from an uninviting far corner. In striking contrast to the cave experts, who dumped alkaline loads of used carbide wherever they went, the many generations of locals had left only bio-degradable stumps of burned reeds (torches) and very few inconspicuous scratch marks to secure orientation.

Documents

Bibliography 17/04/2016

Arbenz, Thomas & Weidmann, Yvo 2003; Bäumler, Georg 1998, 2000; Brooks, Simon J 1998b, 1998i, 2000b; Brooks, Simon J & Gebauer, H Daniel 1998; Carey, W H 1887; Cement plants ruining caves in Meghalaya 2012.07.31; Chandler, Ian E 1998; Duvaucel, Alfred 1828; Edney, Matthew H 1997, 1999; Fisher, "Captain" 1827a, 1827b, 1827c, 1828, 1829; Fisher, F H 1840; Frank, Richard & Bäumler, Georg 1998; Gebauer, H D 1997b; Hamilton, Walter 1828; Kharpran Daly, Brian D 2002, 2004, 2005 s.a., 2006 s.a.; Sandford, Estelle 1997b; Scott, David 1828; Walters, Henry 1829, 1830, 1832.

History

EXPLORATION HISTORY: Krem Lymput has been known to people familiar with the area since times immemorial (note 8). 1821.10.19, trip 1: The French naturalist »M.« (Monsieur) Alfred Duvaucel submitted the description (in French, dated »Mountains of Cossyah, 19th October 1821« in DUVAUCEL 1828 edited by David Brewster) of one »Great Cavern of Boobon« (Brewster in DUVAUCEL 1828), which appeared »some years ago« (Brewster in FISHER 1828: 54) in an unspecified issue of the »Calcutta Journal« (Brewster in DUVAUCEL 1828: 51 note 2; Brewster in FISHER 1828: 54). 1827 March, trip 2: »Captain Fisher, surveyor of Sylhet, accompanied by Major Watson, Captain Wildman, and Mr. Sullivan, went to explore the cave. They took with them two miles length of twine, and fastened one end at the mouth of the cave, in order to measure the distance to which they penetrated« (David Brewster, editor, in FISHER 1828: 54). FISHER (1828: 54) confirms to have sent »… a plan of the cave, for the perfect accuracy of which I cannot, however, vouch; for although I took bearings with a compass as I went along. some discrepancies occurred between them and those taken on the way back, which I had no time to reconcile, the want of oil compelling us to run for it.« 1827, trip 3: »A few days after Captain Fisher and his party returned, Mr. Ellis, accompanied by Mr. Wardlaw and Lieutenant White, visited this cave, and passed two days in it. They slept in it, and examined the different courses, but they could not advance so far in any of them as in the one which led to the chasm« (David Brewster in FISHER 1828: 54). HAMILTON (1828: 426-427) confirms that one branch of the »Cavern of Boobooan« nine miles [14.5 km] north-east of Pandua, had been explored as far as a mile from its mouth by Captain F.G. Fisher etc. 1828.12.09, trip 4: Henry Walters, Campbell & Terraneau, following an unidentified »Cosseah guide« (not identified) mapped a »Cave of Booban« (WALTERS 1830: 268-270) or »Cave of Bhuvan« (WALTERS 1832: 510-512, with plan showing the polygon of survey legs) by pacing and compass (read to an accuracy of one 32nd of the horizon) to a length of 1642 yards equalling 1501.4 metres. 1829.03.04: The description of »The great cave of Buban« by Henry Walters was read at a meeting of the Royal Asiatic Society, Calcutta (Asiatic Journal, London, September 1929, vol. 28, no. 165: 321). 1829 March ?: Description of »Buban Cave« by Henry Walters in the Calcutta Government Gazette (Asiatic Journal, London, Sept 1929, vol. 28, no. 165: 321; Edinburgh Journal of Science, New Series, no. 4, vol. 2: 268-270). 1829 March ?: Description of »Buban Cave« by Henry Walters in the Asiatic Journal (WALTERS 1929). 1832: Description and cave plan (lithographed by Jean-Baptiste Tassin) in Asiatic Researches (vol. 17, opposite page 512; reproduced in EDNEY 1997, 1999: 73). 1832: Captain Lister, following the Khasi insurrection, »drove the Cossyas from post to post, stormed their entrenchments, penetrated into their caves and fastnesses« (MACKENZIE, Alexander 1884: 223). 1840: Captain Fisher took it for granted that the »Cavern of Booban« is well known to the reader of the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. 1993, trip 5: Members of the Meghalaya Adventurers' Association explored about 1400 m of »Krem Lymput« (Brian D. Kharpran Daly 1994 personal communication). 1995.11.26: The first 20th century attempt to map Krem Lymput was thwarted when a crucial bridge on the road from Pynursla to Bholaghat had disappeared: »Sunday 26th November. Packed up kit and started on the road to Nongjri, where Brian and Lindsay had previously visited 2 caves, one of which was estimated to be over a km. Unfortunately the bridge at Rana was out, after this monsoons and hadn't been rebuilt yet. We went back to Pynursla for tonight as it was too late to get anywhere useful« (SANDFORD, E 1997a: 17).Brooks, S J confirms that Brian D. Kharpran Daly and Lindsay B. Diengdoh, guiding Antony 'Tony' Boycott, Jennifer 'Jenni' or 'Jenny' A. Brooks, Simon J. Brooks, Estelle Sandford, Herbert "Daniel" Gebauer and Christopher M. Smart, had a »long drive towards Nongjri village only find out that the road has been washed away and it is not possible to visit the cave« (Brooks, S J in: BROOKS, S J et al 1998: 18). 1997.03.22 - 24, trip 6: Brian D. Kharpran Daly, Lieut.-Col. Fairweather W. Mylliemngap and H. D. Gebauer, guided by Langspah Rynkhun and assisted by Clive W. Dunai, C. "Bahdang" Nongrang, Yohunlang Passah, Wanlambok Ryngkai, Donbokwell Syiemlieh and Raphael Warjri mapped the first 2.75 km of cave passages with a vertical range of ±90 m. 1998.02.17 - 21: H. D. Gebauer, Simon J. Brooks, Yvo Weidmann, B. D. Kharpran Daly, Georg Bäumler, Jennifer 'Jenni' or 'Jenny' A. Brooks, Ian E. Chandler, Gurjinder Singh and Sher Singh pushed the cave survey length to 6641 m. Apart from the unsuspected Moghul Room, which is hidden above an uninviting climb up at a high elevation in a remote corner, each and every passage of the cave was found by the speleological explorers to have been visited previously by sensible visitors, who refrained from destruction and left only a couple of inconspicuous scratch marks necessary for orientation. Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 17/04/2016

Caves nearby

Distance (km)	Name	Length (m)	Depth (m)
1.0	MAWKHYMLONG (Krem)
1.2	KHRIANG (Krem)
1.3	DIENGNGAI (Krem)
1.5	LONGKURDOM (Krem)
1.7	PRIANG, Nongjri - Therria (Krem)
1.8	WAH REN (Krem)
2.1	LUM BNAI (Krem)
2.1	LUBON - LUM BNAI (Krem)
2.2	WAH THYLLONG, Nongjri - Therria (Krem)