SKEI, Thangskai, 1st (Synrang)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 31/05/2016

»A stooping height passage leads to a blind pot of 10.5 m depth where water sinks into the sandy choke in the floor. Water entering this cave is thought to drain to the nearby Krem Umso« (SANDFORD, E 1997b). ETYMOLOGY: The Khasi 'skei' is the word for a (barking?) deer. SITUATION: »North of Lumshnong and about 15 minutes walk to the west of Thangskai village. Just beyond the point where the coal lorry track crosses a small stream a huge vertically walled doline is met. The stream flows into the doline to form a waterfall and stone steps lead to its base. The cave entrances lie adjacent to each other in an undercut at the base of the cliff with the waterfall falling in front of the caves. Cave 1 lies at the left hand side of the undercut« (SANDFORD, E 1997b) CAVE POTENTIAL: It is possible to imaginate that these Synrang Skei caves near Thangskai may provide a diggable connection between Krem –>Malo and Krem –>Umso, even though these caves go in different directions (Jarratt 1998 Mss; Jarratt 2002.02.30 Mss).