THALONG (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A seasonal stream of water issues from one of either three cave entrances (Arbenz, T 2010.05.24 personal correspondence), 5 entrances (Arbenz, T 2011.10.21 Mss), 3 entrances (Audsley, A U 2010.02.09 Mss) or five cave entrances (Arbenz, T 2011.10.21 Thalongplan.pdf) to a true tunnel cave passage which drains a surface stream sinking into a sinkhole (insurgence) along a subterranean streambed to a resurgence. The caving-wise first and hydrographically the last cave faces neither an unknown direction (Audsley, A U 2010.02.09 Mss) nor south (Arbenz, T 2011.10.21 Mss) but north-east (Arbenz, T 2011.10.21 Thalongplan.pdf) and leads to a winding cave passage which was interpreted -- as if it were spaceless and two-dimensional -- as flat out bouldery bedding plane (Audsley, A U 2010.02.09 Mss: Thalong [deleted: 1] Krem Spider-Ball) but seems to represent rather a three-dimensional bedding plane passage which contained on 9th February 2010 an active stream that drains an allegedly two-dimensioal flat flooded bedding plane (Audsley, A U 2010.02.09 Mss: Thalong [deleted: 1] Krem Spider-Ball) or ongoing in a flat flooded bedding plane [passage] with little airspace (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc). EVALUATION: What a -long exurgence- is has not yet been discovered but the spring of water rising from Krem Thalong has been identified as the short exsurgence of an active stream (cave) (Arbenz, T 2011.10.21 Mss -Annie Audsley 2010.02.12- Krem Thalong ¬ Spider Ball Cave 9.2.2010). IDENTITY: Among the -new caves- which contributed lengthwise measured distances to the total length amassed during February 2010, Brooks, S J et al (2010.03.29 Mss: Survey summary.xls) counts not only the 56.3 m long Krem Thalong (09.02.2010 by HD, IF, FS, RM, AA, AA) but also the 56.0 m long Krem Spiders Ball / Thalong (12.02.2010 RG, David, Wahlang, PL). Actually, however, these -two- are one and the same cave and the surveyed part of the stream cave passage yielded a survey ength of 56.23 m (note 1). ETYMOLOGY: The origin and meaning of the recorded cave name Krem Thalong (Audsley, A U 2010.02.09 Mss: Thalong [deleted: 1] Krem Spider-Ball) has not been discovered. It is, however, possible that Krem Thalong is a Synteng Khasi (Pnar) dialect ersion of the standard Khasi -Krem Tyllong- or Watersource Cave and, as such, rather a descriptive cave name than a set of words by which this cave is known or referred to (note 2). Outsiders preferred to fabricate the nickname Spider Ball Cave as they had seen on 9th February 2010 a relatively a large ball (note 3) of unspecified size comprised of relatively small black spiders and strings [filaments? threads?] of spiders crawling over each other (Arbenz, T 2011.10.21 Mss -Annie Audsley 2010.02.12- Krem Thalong ¬ Spider Ball Cave 9.2.2010). The Khasi word for a spider (English) is known as -ka thabbawa- (BLAH, E 2007: 283), ”ka thap-bawa” (SINGH, N 1906: 224; 1920: 489), or ”ka thap-ba-wa” (OLDHAM, T 1854 / 1984 appenix C: lxviii) and there are several Khasi words for different -lumps- and -balls- (note 4), including -ka jingshad- the festive and formal ball (BLAH, E 2007: 25) in the sense of -kaba ai-khana haba shad-Phareng- (SINGH, N 1920: 36), a kind of social gathering for foreign dancing. So far, the cave name has been recorded as Spider Ball Cave Arbenz, T (2011.10.21 Mss -Annie Audsley 2010.02.12- Krem Thalong ¬ Spider Ball Cave 9.2.2010) Krem Spider-Ball Audsley, A U (2010.02.09 Mss: Thalong [deleted: 1] Krem Spider-Ball) Krem Spider’s Ball Anonymous et al. (2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 12th February) Krem Spiders Ball / Thalong Brooks, S J et al (2010.03.29 Mss: Survey summary.xls) Krem Thalong Anonymous et al. (2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: 12th February); Arbenz, T (2010.03.31 cave distribution map: Pala_Ridge_4-10.pdf); Arbenz, T (2010.04.18 Mss: Pala positions.xlsx); Arbenz, T (2010.05.14 map: Pala relief.pdf); Arbenz, T (2011.10.21 Thalongplan.pdf) Thalong Audsley, A U (2010.02.09 Mss: Thalong [deleted: 1] Krem Spider-Ball) Thalong 2 Audsley, A U (2010.02.09 Mss: Thalong [deleted: 1] Krem Spider-Ball) Krem Thalong / Spider Ball Cave Arbenz, T (2011.10.21 Mss -Annie Audsley 2010.02.12- Krem Thalong ¬ Spider Ball Cave 9.2.2010). SITUATION: The cave entrances to Krem Thalong were understood to lie without identified spatial relations not only to each other but also to all the other known cave entrances in the same vicinity south of the village of Umkyrpong and west of the village of Kseh (St. Joseph church near 25°25’24.0”N: 92°35’32.9”E: circa 880 m). Audsley, A U (2010.02.09 Mss: Thalong [deleted: 1] Krem Spider-Ball) places 3 entrances at an unspecified walking distance south-east from the end (without identified GPS position) of an unspecified the river without identified name. Anonymous et al. (2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc: February 12th) places the first cave entrances Krem Spider’s Ball now known as Krem Thalong in a nwly fabricated but not yet defined ????area and explains that this area of the quadruple or fourfold question mark is the property of the partly identified guide Morning (Anonymous et al. 2010.03.29 Mss: Diary (current) 2010.doc) who is otherwise known as U Morning Star Lamurang. APPROACH 2010: Annie U. Audsley had the impression that walking for an unknown distance south-east from the end of [an unidentified] the river, you come to another small stream without identified name at an unidentified location. Walking without identified direction from stream sink at an unidentified location upstream for roughly 8 m and turn to a so-called left (true right) in an unknowable direction allows to proceed through gap in grykes. Cave is roughly 10 m along eroded, dry water course on right-hand side: 3 entrances (Audsley, A U 2010.02.09 Mss: Thalong [deleted: 1] Krem Spider-Ball). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2010.02.09: Flat out bouldery bedding plane [cave passage]. There is also an entrance in the streambd. Flat out crawl in water (Audsley, A U 2010.02.09 Mss: Thalong [deleted: 1] Krem Spider-Ball). The accessible part of Krem Thalong Connects with Thalong 2 crawling passage most of the way Has an active stream. Terminates at a flat flooded bedding plane (anonymous undated Mss amendment to Audsley, A U 2010.02.09 Mss: Thalong [deleted: 1] Krem Spider-Ball). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2010.05.24: Arbenz, T (2010.05.24 personal correspondence), who had seen a sketches of one Krem Thalong with a survey length of exactly 56.23 m, tells me there are three cave entrances into it. These three were individually numbered on occasion of a preliminary reconnaissance. Their subterranean interconnection was discovered only subsequently in the course of the cave survey (note 5). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2010.05.29: Krem Thalong und Spider ball Höhle sind ein und die selbe und sie hat drei Eingänge und eine Gesamtlänge [Gesamtmesszugslänge] von 56.23 m. Auf der Zeichnung werden aber die drei Eingänge ersichtlich seinund der Haupteingang (Entrance 1) mit Koordinaten definiert sein (Arbenz, T 2010.05.24 personal correspondence). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2010.05.29: An unspecified the main entrance is 2 m wide by 1 m high, facing south to a flat and bouldery bedding plane passage with active stream and four more entrances. The main part is of stooping dimensions, bouldery and partially wet. From stn 1/8 a flat crawl in water leads to entrance 5 and as an oxbow back to stn 1/11. This crawling part is unsurveyed (Arbenz, T 2011.10.21 Mss -Annie Audsley 2010.02.12- Krem Thalong ¬ Spider Ball Cave 9.2.2010). SPELEOMETRY: Brooks, S J et al (2010.03.29 Mss: Survey summary.xls) mastered not only to list this cave twice but also to count both of the following survey lengths 56.3 m Krem Thalong (09.02.2010 HD, IF, FS, RM, AA, AA) and 56 m Krem Spiders Ball / Thalong (12.02.2010 RG, David, Wahlang, PL) though the survey length resembles also 56.23 m Krem Thalong (Arbenz, T 2010.05.24, 2010.05.29 personal corresponence) 56.30 m Arbenz, T (2011.10.21 Thalongplan.pdf) 56.3 m Arbenz, T (2011.10.21 Mss -Annie Audsley 2010.02.12- Krem Thalong ¬ Spider Ball Cave 9.2.2010) c. 95 m estimated after Arbenz, T (2011.10.21 Thalongplan.pdf) including the unsurveyed flat crawl in water to entrance 5 and … back to stn 1/11 (Arbenz, T 2011.10.21 Mss -Annie Audsley 2010.02.12- Krem Thalong ¬ Spider Ball Cave 9.2.2010). CAVE POTENTIAL: The first attempt of surveying the easiest accessible parts of this cave was concluded at flat flooded bedding plane passage characterised by possible but little airspace (Arbenz, T 2011.10.21 Mss -Annie Audsley 2010.02.12- Krem Thalong ¬ Spider Ball Cave 9.2.2010). CAVE LIFE: Somebody (no name mentioned) observed on 9th February 2010 or on 12th February 2010 inside the Spider Ball Cave not only the presence of a relatively a large ball of unspecified size, which comprised relatively small black spiders and strings [threads? filaments?] of spiders crawling over each other but aso footprints of maml (suspect porcupine), catfish 5cms, bat (Arbenz, T 2011.10.21 Mss -Annie Audsley 2010.02.12- Krem Thalong ¬ Spider Ball Cave 9.2.2010). Keywords: Aranea indet. Pisces: conf. Siluriformes. Mammalia (mammal), including Chiroptera indet.ence) 56.30 m Arbenz, T (2011.10.21 Thalongplan.pdf) 56.3 m Arbenz, T (2011.10.21 Mss -Annie Audsley 2010.02.12- Krem Thalong ¬ Spider Ball Cave 9.2.2010) c. 95 m estimated after Arbenz, T (2011.10.21 Thalongplan.pdf) including the unsurveyed flat crawl in water to entrance 5 and … back to stn 1/11 (Arbenz, T 2011.10.21 Mss -Annie Audsley 2010.02.12- Krem Thalong ¬ Spider Ball Cave 9.2.2010). CAVE POTENTIAL: The first attempt of surveying the easiest accessible parts of this cave was concluded at flat flooded bedding plane passage characterised by possible but little airspace (Arbenz, T 2011.10.21 Mss -Annie Audsley 2010.02.12- Krem Thalong ¬ Spider Ball Cave 9.2.2010). CAVE LIFE: Somebody (no name mentioned) observed on 9th February 2010 or on 12th February 2010 inside the Spider Ball Cave not only the presence of a relatively a large ball of unspecified size, which comprised relatively small black spiders and strings [threads? filaments?] of spiders crawling over each other but aence) 56.30 m Arbenz, T (2011.10.21 Thalongplan.pdf) 56.3 m Arbenz, T (2011.10.21 Mss -Annie Audsley 2010.02.12- Krem Thalong ¬ Spider Ball Cave 9.2.2010) c. 95 m estimated after Arbenz, T (2011.10.21 Thalongplan.pdf) including the unsurveyed flat crawl in water to entrance 5 and … back to stn 1/11 (Arbenz, T 2011.10.21 Mss -Annie Audsley 2010.02.12- Krem Thalong ¬ Spider Ball Cave 9.2.2010). CAVE POTENTIAL: The first attempt of surveying the easiest accessible parts of this cave was concluded at flat flooded bedding plane passage characterised by possible but little airspace (Arbenz, T 2011.10.21 Mss -Annie Audsley 2010.02.12- Krem Thalong ¬ Spider Ball Cave 9.2.2010). CAVE LIFE: Somebody (no name mentioned) observed on 9th February 2010 or on 12th February 2010 inside the Spider Ball Cave not only the presence of a relatively a large ball of unspecified size, which comprised relatively small black spiders and strings [threads? filaments?] of spiders crawling over each other but aence) 56.30 m Arbenz, T (2011.10.21 Thalongplan.pdf) 56.3 m Arbenz, T (2011.10.21 Mss -Annie Audsley 2010.02.12- Krem Thalong ¬ Spider Ball Cave 9.2.2010) c. 95 m estimated after Arbenz, T (2011.10.21 Thalongplan.pdf) including the unsurveyed flat crawl in water to entrance 5 and … back to stn 1/11 (Arbenz, T 2011.10.21 Mss -Annie Audsley 2010.02.12- Krem Thalong ¬ Spider Ball Cave 9.2.2010). CAVE POTENTIAL: The first attempt of surveying the easiest accessible parts of this cave was concluded at flat flooded bedding plane passage characterised by possible but little airspace (Arbenz, T 2011.10.21 Mss -Annie Audsley 2010.02.12- Krem Thalong ¬ Spider Ball Cave 9.2.2010). CAVE LIFE: Somebody (no name mentioned) observed on 9th February 2010 or on 12th February 2010 inside the Spider Ball Cave not only the presence of a relatively a large ball of unspecified size, which comprised relatively small black spiders and strings [threads? filaments?] of spiders crawling over each other but aso footprints of maml (suspect porcupine), catfish 5cms, bat (Arbenz, T 2011.10.21 Mss -Annie Audsley 2010.02.12- Krem Thalong ¬ Spider Ball Cave 9.2.2010). Keywords: Aranea indet. Pisces: conf. Siluriformes. Mammalia (mammal), including Chiroptera indet.