KHULONG (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Several immature sumped stream passage sections below pinnacle karst reported Jarratt (undated 2001 February Mss: Krem Khulong) to be unenterable (without diving gear!) and utterly uninspiring. Jarratt (2001.02.12 Mss: Cave Log) considered the same to represent a totally uninspiring flooded rift adjacent to Krem Dhoka (sic! for: Krem –>Dhaka, Eitkoh). ETYMOLOGY: The gross overall sound of the term -khulong- is reminiscent of -khunlung- (baby, infant) and -khulom- (pen, pen-holder, wooden sandal) while the Khasi adjective -kulong- is a synonym for -kudim-kudim- and means very ancient (SINGH, N 1906: 37, 51). SITUATION: According to Jarratt (2001.02.12 Mss: Cave Log) Krem Khulong is precisely located without identified spatial relation to one of the caves called Krem –>Dhaka at Eitkoh but somewhere below the impressive pinnacle karst in the Eitkoh area at the foot of (the hill) Lum Iakorsing on the western flank of the Nongkhlieh ridge. According to the recorded GPS position (Jarratt unated 2001 February Mss: Krem Khulong) Krem Khulong is positioned at exactly the same spot where as the third Krem –>Dhaka at Eitkoh. The two cave entrances, however, are believed to be different.