BHUBAN CAVE (Jones 1827)
25.175000,91.816700
Description
There seems to exist an apparently lost cave (note 1) that had been surveyed in 1827 by one Captain Jones and which survived on a virtual basis through a cave plan (published in: WALTERS, H 1832; reproduced in: EDNEY, M H 1997 edited 1999: 73). The cave plan shows an east-facing cave entrance above the west (orographically right) bank of a streambed (perhaps 10 m wide), which drains a watercourse flowing from north downstream towards south and widens in front of the cave entrance (a rift?) to a sort of court or landing (about 25 m wide and 40 m long) with a tributary, relatively narrow ravine or gully (perhaps a metre wide), apparently an inlet, continuing upstream / northwards. The apparently narrow (if not small) cave entrance gives access to a more or less horizontal cave with a few ascents and descents, which is trending east-west and contains not only a terminal loop in the far west, but also cave passages with flowing water and a »Shrimp Pool« (note 2). The cave plan of Captain John Jones (1801-1875), from the Department of the Quarter Master General, is one of the earliest known systematic surveys of a natural cave in India (note 3). It was published five years after the survey trip, side by side with the polygon (centre line) of survey legs of –>Bhuvan Cave in WALTERS (1832, facing page 512). It was compiled by pacing and compass bearings and shows cave walls and survey legs along with survey data and a few written commentaries, e.g. »large hole above.« Of the 28 survey legs the compass bearings were noted with an accuracy of 010° (except 3 bearings with an accuracy of 005°) and the distances with an accuracy of 5 paces (except 3 legs with an accuracy of 2 paces). If one pace equals 4 feet or 1.22 m (note 4) the accumulated 1317 paces represent a surveyed passage length of 1606.74 m. SITUATION: Unknown. According to the header of the 1832 cave plan, Bhuban Cave lies in »Sylhet« -- then a district in Bengal. This location can be safely assumed to mean the areas in the vicinities of Nongjri (N25°11': E091°48') or Nongshken (25°11': E091°53') respectively, both in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya. YULE (1844: 616), writing on the »Kasia Hills«, notes: »Caves are common … In that a little to the east of Pundua [note 5], at a trifling height above the plains, in company with two friends from Cherra, I penetrated 1300 paces, without fatigue or difficulty, and others, I believe, [have] gone much further. We were compelled to retreat only by a deficiency of oil. Here, says the tradition, a great army entered, bound for the invasion of China, and were heard of no more.« CAVE LIFE: 1827 Jones, Captain John (published in: WALTERS 1832; EDNEY 1997 edited 1999: 73) marked a »Shrimp Pool« on his cave plan.
NOTE 1: Bhuban Cave (JONES 1827) appears to have little in common with the Krem –>Lymput (Nongjri) described and / or mapped as –>Bhuvan Cave (WALTERS 1829), Cavern of –>Booban (FISHER 1827) and –>Boobooan (HAMILTON 1828) but shows similarities with the description of the likewise un-identified –>Brahmine Cave or "Caverne des –>Brahmines" (CAVERNE DES BRAHMINES 1895). EDNEY (1999: 72, 73) confirms »Walters' map was accompanied in print by a map of different portions of the cave surveyed by John Jones … Fig. 2.5 Sketch plans of the interior of caves in the Khasi Hills« and avoids arriving at a conclusion by diplomatically stating that »Jones's map might actually be a different cave, or it has been inverted at some point.« Anthony 'Tony' R Jarratt (2001.10.29 personal correspondence) interpreted the cave plan of Bhuban Cave (Jones 1827) as »… a poorly surveyed first section of Bhuvan Cave (Walters 1832) = Krem Lymput.« NOTE 2: »Shrimp Pool« is possibly the earliest biospeleological observation of "pool shrimps" (Crustacea: conf. Palaemonidae) in the caves of Meghalaya.NOTE 3: The earliest Indian plan of a natural cave, which I am aware of, dates to the 15th January 1813, is among the papers of Francis Buchanan (later: Hamilton) and shows »Gupti Benares« (i.e. Guptadham, Shahbad district, Bihar state) on a scale of One Inch to 100 feet (circa 1: 200). It is held by the British Library, London (Oriental and India Office Collections: India Office Library and Records: Mss Eur D95 (A): 4°33, 706). NOTE 4: One "pace" of 4 feet (1.22 m) was the norm of Imperial surveyors, e.g. Harka Dev Pandit (1812 in: MOORCROFT 1815). Almost 200 years later Anthony 'Tony' R Jarratt (2001.10.29 personal correspondence) recalls: »When working for the Ordnance Survey I used 21 paces to reliably get 20 m, i.e. 0.952 m per pace. 1.22 m per pace would be bloody difficult to sustain underground! So would 0.952 m but if he did it would give a length of 1'253.78 m.« NOTE 5: »Pundua« (YULE 1844) or »Pondua« (FISHER 1840; OLDHAM, T 1854 / 1984: 55), »Punduah« (HAMILTON 1828, 2: 427) and »Poondua N25°07'30”: E091°45'« (PEMBERTON 1835) is indicated a »Pandua« near (±250 m) N25°07'20”: E091°44'40” (WGS84 modified from N25°07'20”: E091°44'50” Everest 1830) on the Survey of India sheet 78-O/12 (edition 1912) at a location which lies at a linear distance of 18 km south from Sohra (Cherrapunjee), 11 km north-east from Chhatak (N25°02'20”: E091°40'29”: 15 m asl WGS84), 9 km SSE from Nongjri N25°11'28”: E091°47'38”: 300 m asl (WGS84), 9 km south-west from Nongjri Bazar N25°10'45”: E091°48'18”: 80 m asl (WGS84) 15 km WSW from Hat Nongshken N25°10'50”: E091°53'10”: 40 m asl (WGS84) and 16 km WSW from Nongshken N25°12'00”: E091°52'20” : 566 m (WGS84).
Documents
Bibliography 23/03/2016History
EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1827: Captain John Jones (1801-1875), from the Department of the Quarter Master General, produced one of the earliest known systematic surveys of a natural cave in India when he and his assistants or colleagues surveyed a total passage length of 1317 paces (perhaps 1606.74 m or 1253.78 m), noticed an underground »Shrimp Pool« and thus recorded the first Indian biospeleological observation. 1832: The cave plan (lithographed by Jean-Baptiste Tassin in Calcutta) was published in Asiatic Researches (1832, vol. 17, opposite page 512; reproduced in EDNEY 1997, 1999: 73).
Caves nearby
| Distance (km) | Name | Length (m) | Depth (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | BRAHMINES à Sylhet, Inde (Caverne des) | ||
| 0.9 | DUKABOR (Krem) | ||
| 1.1 | KURDROT (Krem) | ||
| 1.2 | MAWKANONG, Wah Thyllong (Krem) | ||
| 1.2 | LUBON - LUM BNAI (Krem) | ||
| 1.2 | LUM BNAI (Krem) | ||
| 1.6 | WAH THYLLONG, Nongjri - Therria (Krem) | ||
| 2.0 | KHRIANG (Krem) | ||
| 2.2 | PRIANG, Nongjri - Therria (Krem) |