LAKADONG [00] (Ringwood 1876) (Cave at)

Description

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 05/04/2016

The elusive and currently lost »cave at Lakadong« (RINGWOOD 1876) is -- or was -- a relatively »large cave« (LATOUCHE, T H D 1890a), of which the entrance area alone was at least 110 m long. Though described in detail and famous for important cave fauna, it is nowadays either forgotten or intentionally kept under the carpet whenever foreigners attempt a visit. ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known name has been identified for what has been referred to as »Cave at Lakadong« (RINGWOOD 1876 in: ALLEN, B C 1906: 9-10) and »Lakadong Cave« (CHOPARD, L 1924), a relatively »large cave« northwest of Lakadong village (LATOUCHE, T H D 1890: 15-16). CHATTERJEE, S P (1936: 47) counts, in French language, the »Grotte près du Lakadong« among the three best-known of the beautiful caves of the Jaintia Hills or, to be precise, the caves on the southern escarpment in eastern Meghalaya: »Le long de l'escarpement Sud, il y a de fort belles grottes. Les mieux connues sont celles qui s'ouvrent près de Nongtalang, Syndai, et Lakadong.« LINDBERG, K (1960d: 45), again in French, refers to it as »Grotte Lakadong … située dans le monts Djaintia« and it seems to be identical with Krang –>Mohubon (not identified) or, perhaps, even with Synrang –>Manick Sati (note 1). SITUATION: Probably about 200 m in a direct line approximately northwest from the village of Lakadong (LATOUCHE, T H D 1890: 15-16) on the Lakadong - Umlatdoh (Umlotodo, Umlotdoh, Umat) Plateau. CAVE DESCRIPTION 1876a: Not seen: »Vide Assam Gazette of January, 20th, 1876« (ALLEN, B C 1906: 10 footnote). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1876b: »A hole in the rock leads into a large cavern about 70 feet long [21.3 m], 30 feet broad [9.1 m] and 30 feet high. At the further end is another arched opening, which is the entrance to another magnificent hall of beautiful proportions, and almost as regularly formed as if cut out of the rock. The hall is exactly fifty-six feet [17 m] wide, about 80 feet [24.4 m] long and 60 feet [18 m] high. It is oval in shape, and the entrance and exit are arched, and much lower than the roof, as well being narrower than the width of the hall. The roof is perfectly flat and oval, the sides are perpendicular and even. Passing through this hall, you come to a long passage about 40 feet [12.2 m] wide and 30 feet [9.1 m] high, which after about 200 feet [61 m] suddenly slopes down into the ground at an angle of about 30 degrees. The natives would go no further. Steam issues from the passage here, and the heat of the air is very great. Like all the other rooms, this very beautiful cave has evidently been formed by the falling in of the rocks over the limestone« (RINGWOOD 1876b in: ALLEN, B C 1906: 9-10). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1876 / 1936: An archway links two cave chambers (both 18 m wide, 20 m high, 30 m long) and leads to a 13 m wide cave passage which descends steeply at an angle of 30° and is extremely warm and foggy throughout (note 2). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1876 / 1969: »Ringwood (1876) described the Lakadong Cave as having a large chamber (70 ft. high x 30 ft, wide x 30 ft. long), leading to an een larger chamber (80 ft. x 56 ft. x 60 ft.). There was then a passage (40 ft. x 30 ft.) descending at an angle 30°. He did not follow this passage beyond 200 feet because the locals refused to accompany him« (CRAVEN, S A 1969: 19). CAVE LIFE: R. Friel collected in July 1921 from »Lakadong Cave« specimens of the crickets (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae) Diestrammena caeca and Diestrammena brevifons frieli (CHOPARD, L 1924: 81, 83, 83-84). WOLF, B (1938) -- not seen -- probably reviews CHOPARD, L (1924) as does LINDBERG, K (1960d). HARRIES, D B et al. (2008: 165) draw the attention of cricket watchers to »two cavernicolous orthopterans were described from material collected by R. Friel from Lakadong Cave (Chopard 1921). These were Eutachycines brevifons frieli (originally Diestrammena brevifons frieli) which does not show marked troglomorphy, and Eutachycines caecus (originally Diestrammena caeca) which is strongly troglomorphic being both depigmented and anophtalmous.«

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 05/04/2016

NOTE 1: Dr. Daniel B Harries (2008.04.22 personal correspondence) »… was interested in the old descriptions of Lakadong cave. I went back through paperwork to see if Krem Umpyrjaw [Krem –>Umpyjaw], the horizontal cave that I visited in 2002, had any similarities to the old descriptions. I had a vague memory of a relatively small entrance that opened out into larger passages and chambers. But the description (presumably from Mark) in your Cave Registry makes no mention of chambers on the scale of those described. Also it is highly unlikely that the original descriptions would fail to note the wet nature of the entrance. Besides, according to my map the village of Umlingsha (same as Umlynsha?) is about 3 km NNE of Lakadong so it is in the wrong place anyway. You suggest Synrang Manick Sati or Krang Mohubon as possible suspects. The described location of Manick Sati is about 1 km NE of Lakadong rather than 250 m SW. The description that Laloo gave of Krang Mohubon makes it sound like the prime suspect.« NOTE 2: »… deux grandes ouvertures reliées par une arche, toutes deux mêmes dimensions (longueur : 30 m, hauteur : 20 m, largeur : 18 m). La grotte intérieure se prolonge par une longue galerie de 13 m de largeur qui s'enfonce brusquement avec une pente de 30°. Ce couloir est extrêmement chaud, et la vapeur y sort de toutes parts« (CHATTERJEE, S P 1936: 47).

Documents

Bibliography 05/04/2016

Allen, B C 1906a; Chattterjee, Shiba Prasad 1936; Chopard, L 1924; Craven, Stephen A 1969; Harries, Daniel B et al. 2008; Juberthie, Christian, Decu, Vasile, Cazals, Monique & Lebreton, Bernard 2001; Latouche, Thomas Henry Digges 1890a; Lindberg, Knut 1960d; Ringwood 1876, 1906; Wolf, Benno 1938.

History

EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1876: RINGWOOD (1876 in ALLEN, B C 1906: 9-10) seems to have visited and entered the »cave at Lakadong« as he provides a sensible cave description. 1890: LATOUCHE, T H D (1890a: 15-16 location map) indicates »large cave« about 200 m north-east of Lakadong village.1906: ALLEN, B C (1906: 9-10) quotes from RINGWOOD (1876b). 1921 July: R. (Ralph?) Friel (CHOPARD, L 1924: 81, 83, 83-84) collected from »Lakadong Cave, Jaintia Hills« the crickets (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae) Diestrammena caeca Chopard 1924 (revised Eutachycines caecus) and Diestrammena brevifons frieli Chopard 1924 (revised Eutachycines brevifons frieli). 1936: CHATTERJEE, S P (1936: 47) seems to have visited »Grotte près du Lakadong« himself as he published a cave description noticing a hot and humid cave climate. 1969: CRAVEN, S A (1969: 18) quotes ALLEN, B C (1906: 9-10) quoting RINGWOOD (1876b). 1995.12.02: Brian D. Kharpran Daly, Lindsay B. Diengdoh and Kyrmen 'Hope' C Hiwot Passah took Simon J. Brooks, Jennifer 'Jenni' or 'Jenny' A. Brooks, Antony 'Tony' Boycott, Estelle Sandford, Christopher M. Smart and H. D. Gebauer on a rather "puncturesque" 4WD lorry track journey by hired bus from Khliehriat to Lakadong. Assisted by a woobly 4-channel GPS aiming for home-spun coordinates reconstructed from LaTouche 1890), they eventually had tea in front the Lakadong Sirdar's house and were told that a certain »Krem Mahubon is a very large cave« before they urgently hurried slowly, slowly back home to reach a main road and not too long after nightfall an urgently needed tire repair shop. 2001.02.23: Brian D. Kharpran Daly, Simon J. Brooks and H. Daniel Gebauer, along with Antony 'Tony' R. Jarratt, Lindsay B. Diengdoh, Shelley A. Diengdoh and Mark W. Brown, re-visited Lakadong in hopes of identifying the elusive Lakadong cave but none of the entrances, which were shown by Kondrick Dkhar (Krang Labit, Krang Lahubon, Krang Umtngier), did fit anything resembling the Lakadong cave. 2002.02.21 - 23: Mark W. Brown, Shelley A. Diengdoh, Martin "The Lump" Groves, Daniel B. Harries and Fiona J. Ware undertook the most extensive Lakadong research project that ever was undertaken when they spent three consecutive days in the vicinity of the Umlingsha (Umlynsha) Inspection Bungalow, and dropped a couple of pothole cave entrances in search of recreational sports adventures but did not come across Lakadong cave. 2008.04.22: Dr. Daniel B Harries (2008.04.22 personal correspondence: Re: Odds & ends) »thought it was a very interesting area, it would be good to return some day and have a closer look at the biology & hunt the elusive Lakadong Cave!« 2014.12.24: »All being well we will be able find the elusive Ringwood 1876 Cave in Feb of 2015 – As it was one of the first Meghalaya cave references (along with Suji, Mawsmai and Syndi) that you sent me back in 1991. In 2015 I think a team can usefully spend a while checking out the isolated Lst hills in the vicinity of Umlatdoh. One thing that we learnt in Umlatdoh was that the caves were very numerous and close together – I suspect they will have remembered more for us this coming year« (Brooks, S J 2014.12.24 Mss: re Krang Dharai, Lakadong). Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 05/04/2016

Caves nearby

Distance (km)	Name	Length (m)	Depth (m)
0.0	MAHABON, Lakadong (Krang)
0.0	MANIK SATI (Synrang)
0.0	KSOW LAMET (Krang)
0.0	SHRIAH (Krang)
0.0	AMTYRSEY (Krang)
0.0	AMSHWET (Krang)
0.0	PHLANG LABIAT (Krang)
0.0	KYRDENGSHEN (Krang)
0.6	UMAT SWALLOW HOLE 1 (aa -)