BILLA SURGAM 2: Purgatory Cave

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

The cave entrance to the second tributary cave passage entering the cañons (FOOTE 1884a: 28) of Billa Surgam from the west lies about 40 m or 50 m due south of the cave entrance to the Charnel House and was christened Purgatory Cave (FOOTE 1884b: 200). The west-facing cave entrance (separated by a column into two) leads to some 150 m of accessible horizontal passage which contained in winter 1981/82 during daytime (29.12.1981) several megabats of Chiroptera or clouds of bats (FOOTE 1884b: 200). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1884: A long and narrow cave (FOOTE 1884b: 200). Robert Bruce Foote narrates how his son Henry B. … commenced excavating the Purgatory Cave, and was thereby enabled to follow it fully 300 feet [91.44 m] further into the hill. When first explored, two pits were found in this long and narrow cave, one some 15-20 feet [4.6 m or 6.1 m] within its mouth, the other some 10 yards [9.14 m] or so further in [note 1]. On clearing the guano-soil out of the outer pit, Mr. Henry Foote foundits -Further wall composed of a stalagmitic mass,“ of which he says -I fancied it might form a floor, and so continued the pit down to a depth of about 13 feet [3.96 m], when I reached the bottom of the cave, and found that my surmise was correct, there being a space of about 3 to 4 feet [0.9 to 1.2 m] under the stalagmit filled with a red clay, with pieces of stalagmite and limestone forming a sort of breccia [note 2]. … I proceeded to clear out the earth under the stalagmite floor. The floor continued for 9 yards [8.23 m] and then gave way to the interstratified earth and bat's dung, and at this point I stopped [note 3]. As we advanced into the cave, the bat's dung stratum got thinner and disappeared altogether after 200 feet [61 m]. The cave earth is here a wet grey clay [note 4] (FOOTE, R B 1884b: 200-201). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1906: The Purgatory cave … was narrow, shallow and long, had a thick stalagmite edging … (LOGAN 1906: 38). CAVE POTENTIAL: Lieutenant Henry B. Foote … did ot reach the end of this gallery as it was too narrow, but if it were cleared out, it would no doubt be possible to go much further in and also up several branches which were too much filled up to be entered (FOOTE, R B 1884b: 200 after Henry B. Foote -a rough report of the work done by him- Mss). Mapping Billa Surgam on 29th February 1981, I left nine possible continuations unexplored with the help of Andre Abele and Werner Busch (GEBAUER 1982a, 1982b, 1982c, 1982d, 1983b, 1983c, 1986a; GEBAUER & ABELE 1983d: 35-39). Four of the unexplored obvious continuations were uninviting and the remaining five were blocked with bats and bat guano, both probably covering soil containing not only porcupine-gnawed bones (ranging in age from Pleistocene to Recent) but also bowls of rough earthen-ware at a depth of 11 feet [3.35 m] below the surface. They are not of modern shape, but have no very distinctive character (Henry B. Foote -a rough report of the work done by him- quoted in FOOTE, R B. 188b: 201). CAVE CLIMATE: At around noon on 29th December 1981 the temperature measured 22.2°C in the open air (in front of the entrance), 40 m into Purgatory Cave 26.2°C and 70 m further on 31.1°C.ot reach the end of this gallery as it was too narrow, but if it were cleared out, it would no doubt be possible to go much further in and also up several branches which were too much filled up to be entered (FOOTE, R B 1884b: 200 after Henry B. Foote -a rough report of the work done by him- Mss). Mapping Billa Surgam on 29th February 1981, I left nine possible continuations unexplored with the help of Andre Abele and Werner Busch (GEBAUER 1982a, 1982b, 1982c, 1982d, 1983b, 1983c, 1986a; GEBAUER & ABELE 1983d: 35-39). Four of the unexplored obvious continuations were uninviting and the remaining five were blocked with bats and bat guano, both probably covering soil containing not only porcupine-gnawed bones (ranging in age from Pleistocene to Recent) but also bowls of rough earthen-ware at a depth of 11 feet [3.35 m] below the surface. They are not of modern shape, but have no very distinctive character (Henry B. Foote -a rough report of the work done by him- quoted in FOOTE, R B. 188b: 201). CAVE CLIMATE: At around noon on 29th December 1981 the temperature measured 22.2°C in the open air (in front of the entrance), 40 m into Purgatory Cave 26.2°C and 70 m further on 31.1°C.