MAWKHAP 1, upstream (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A labyrinthine maze of nearly horizontal rift cave passages, which connect collapse entrances with sumps and terminal breakdowns, is developed in a comparatively thin, about 15 m thick band of Eocene Siju (Upper Sylhet) Limestone that occurs either close to the surface or just below a caprock (note 1). Formerly, the cave must have been the downstream section of Krem –>Umbleka 3 but now is disconnected due to a gap in the cave bearing host rock. ETYMOLOGY: The Khasi verb -khap- means to fasten, to close; to border, to grip but the noun -ka khap- is a big drain in a hali land [an irrigated rice field] or a ditch round a fence (SINGH, N 1906: 27). APPROACH: From the Inspection Bungalow (N25°13'31”: E091°03'46” WGS84: 325 m asl) at the village of Khunjoy A, take the road north towards Nongjri (N25°14'50”: E091°07'45” WGS84) and Nongkulang (N25°14'55”: E091°04'10” WGS84). After some 1.4 to 1.5 km, the road ceases to gain height and reaches level ground. Shortly after this pass,the road begins to descent and rounds a couple of bends. Just before the road swings to the east at a band of limestone exposed in the west (above the left-hand side), take the slightly ascending rough fair weather road branching off to the approximate west (left). About 150 m from the fork, a small flat area (30 by 15 m) on the right-hand side of the road marks the start of a jungle path that descends some 15 vertical metres to a terrace embraced by limestone pillars and the cave entrance is obvious. PROSPECTS: Almost none to minimal: There is no possible lead known. CAVE LIFE: Big heavy hairy spiders, frogs & tadpoles, millipedes (Myriapoda, Diplopoda, conf. Trachyjulidae: Trachyiulus mimus Silvestri 1924), many crayfish (Crustacea: Palaemonidae), catfish (note 2), an about 15 cm long and alarmingly red coloured -centipede- (conf. Chilopoda: Scolopendra), and the unrolled bones of what looked like a rabbit (Mammalia: Rodentia), of which the right mandible was collected by Jayne Stea..