PACHKILO GUFA

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Two unspecified cave entrances (unidentified shape, unidentified dimensions, unidentified orientation, unidentified characteristics), of which one was identified as a low entrance (H&K), are said to give access to an almost horizontal and rather vadose than allegedly phreatic stream cave as the known part consists of air-filled cave passages which contain not only much mud (keyword: backup zone) and an active streamway (Harper 2001.02.28 Mss) but also unexplored continuations and, last but not least, a certain stal blockage in the sense of unidentified varieties of secondary calcite formations (stalactitic speleothems). ETYMOLOGY: The meaning and origin of the recorded cave name Gufa Pachkilo (Harper 2001.02.28 Mss) neither was understood nor makes any sense but obviously formats words of an Indic language in a Mon-Khmer manner. The Hindi -gufa- (Assamese, Bengali, Nepali, etc.), from -gupha- (Sanskrit), is the same word as the Indo-european cave (English) -- hence -Pachkilo Gufa- insead Gufa Pachkilo (Harper 2001, McManus 2001) -- and -pachkilo- may be a corruption of the Hindi (Nepali, etc.) adjective -pachhilo- (least, furthest), the opposite of -pahilo- (first). SITUATION: Above the left (northern) bank of a tributary stream (with an unidentified name) to the right (west) bank of the Umrong (note 1). The GPS position recorded for the entrance to the Pachkilo Gufa indicates a spot on the Kopili - Umrong watershed, a short distance approximately north-east of the Inspection Bungalow (N25°30': E92°39'), one or two kilometres west of the village of Larphing (note 2), about 2 or 3 km south of the hill Khandong 2747 near N25°31': E92°40': 837.3 m asl on AMS sheet NG46-10 Shillong (U502 series, 1959 edition), and 1335.6 m in a direct line approximately east-north-east (1235.5 m east + 507.3 m north) of the nearby –>Kali Mandir Gufa but 60 m lower down. Harper (2001.02.28 Mss): Khandong [note 3]. North Cachar Hills District. Go through gate on bend [note 4]. Dwn track to farm. Diagonally across field following well worn track to gully. Cross gully. Two cave entrances in dense undergrowth below small cliff. CAVE DESCRIPTION: Low entrance (H&K) leads to small chamber (3 by 4 by 2 m), at T-junction. Right a wide low crawl (3 m by 0.8 to 1 m), in small gradually ascending passage with miniscule stream not pushed to a conclusion but very close to surface sink. Left 15 m of horizontal passage (3 m by 1.5 m) over gours to active streamway. Gradually enlarges to 3 by 3 m meanders for approx. 150 m to stal blockage. 3 m section of flat out crawl ,(0.4 by 0.35 m), in mud canal with 0.2 m airspace inspected but not pushed due to lack of time despite howling draught and inviting black space beyond (Harper 2001.02.28 Mss). PROSPECTS: Somewhere in this cave there is not only an apparently ascending (sic!) but orographically descending cave passage with miniscule stream not pushed but also an Inspector's Canal represented by a mud canal with 0.2 m airsace inspected but not pushed … despite howling draught [air current] and inviting black space beyond (Harper 2001.02.28 Mss). CAVE LIFE: Relatively small fish (pisces, some pale) of unspecified size, shrimps (Crustacea: Palaemonida), snot gobblers (larval stage of fungus gnats, Diptera: Mycetophilidae), and snail shells (bivalves and gastropods).wn track to farm. Diagonally across field following well worn track to gully. Cross gully. Two cave entrances in dense undergrowth below small cliff. CAVE DESCRIPTION: Low entrance (H&K) leads to small chamber (3 by 4 by 2 m), at T-junction. Right a wide low crawl (3 m by 0.8 to 1 m), in small gradually ascending passage with miniscule stream not pushed to a conclusion but very close to surface sink. Left 15 m of horizontal passage (3 m by 1.5 m) over gours to active streamway. Gradually enlarges to 3 by 3 m meanders for approx. 150 m to stal blockage. 3 m section of flat out crawl ,(0.4 by 0.35 m), in mud canal with 0.2 m airspace inspected but not pushed due to lack of time despite howling draught and inviting black space beyond (Harper 2001.02.28 Mss). PROSPECTS: Somewhere in this cave there is not only an apparently ascending (sic!) but orographically descending cave passage with miniscule stream not pushed but also an Inspector's Canal represented by a mud canal with 0.2 m airsace inspected but not pushed … despite howling draught [air current] and inviting black space beyond (Harper 2001.02.28 Mss). CAVE LIFE: Relatively small fish (pisces, some pale) of unspecified size, shrimps (Crustacea: Palaemonida), snot gobblers (larval stage of fungus gnats, Diptera: Mycetophilidae), and snail shells (bivalves and gastropods).