UMSONG CAVE, 2nd (aa -)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Two cave entrances without identified shape or dimensions appear to face south-west (Anonymous -Umsong River Cave 2- dated -21/02/01- cave plan) and give access to a stream cave draining west-south-west and towards the first –>AA Cave, Umsong (note 1). ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known name has been identified for what has been christened Umsong River Cave 2 (Harper 2001.02.21 Mss) because it neither drains the Umsong River nor is a river cave but lies above the west (orographically right) bank of the Balyang and drains a relatively small stream of water. SITUATION: The two cave entrances of the 2nd Umsong Cave are said to lie an estimated 300 m upstream (approximately west) of the first –>AA Cave, Umsong (note 2), and not only above a so-called right hand bank (sic! qua: west) but also in an area that is reached by walking from the first cave an estimated 40 m steeply uphill. CAVE DESCRIPTION: Both cave entrances gives access to a cave passages which unite afte a few metres and lead to a canyon passage that intersects after about 45 m a boulder floored, active stream cave passage (5 m by 5 m). From this T-junction, both the upstream branch (50 m on an unidentified left-hand side) and downstream branch (80 m on a so-called right-hand side) give access to sumps beyond which the cave continues unexplored. Approximately 30 m short of the downstream sump, a 1.5 m wide and high lateral cave passage leads into an unspecified direction, which once had been, for a very short time, on somebody's right-hand side (sic!). This lateral cave passage deteriorates to a steeply ascending flat-out crawl leading to another T-junction, where a cave passage, which once had been, for a very short time, on somebody's right (sic!), becomes too tight after an estimated 10 m of crawling across rimstone dams but there is, just before the streamway is reached, an acoustic connection back to the main cave passage. Either at the first or at the second T-junction, thee is a relatively obvious cave passage, which once had been, for a very short time, on somebody's left (sic!). This relatively obvious cave passage leads in an unidentified direction to a rift passage (0.8 by 1.5 m wide and high or high and wide) and a 5 m climb down to a seasonally static sump. Another relatively small cave passage leading off from somewhere in an unspecified direction, which also once had been, though for a very short time, on somebody's to the left (sic!), can had been followed to a relatively small pool without identified dimensions and yet another sump. All in all, the water in this cave seems to occur at one and the same level. This phenomenon has been interpreted to represent the water table near the end of the dry season on the 21st February 2001. PROSPECTS: Since there is little chance of further extension (Harper 2002.04.31 Mss: megahlay.doc) the prospects for finding overlooked cave passages may be good. Not far away, an unspecified flow of water emerge on 19th February 2001 from a spring rising from a boulder collapse without enterable cave passage. This spring was understood to have been noticed at a location above an unidentified right-hand side (sic!) of the Umsong River (or so) and at a walking distance of an estimated 150 m in an unidentified direction upstream (note 3) from –>AA Cave Umsong 2nd (Harper undated 2001 February Mss: Umsong Resurgence; Harper 2002.04.31 Mss -megahlay.doc- entry #31). CAVE LIFE: Bats (Chiroptera ), shrimps (Crustacea: conf. Palaemonida), spiders (Arachnidae: Aranea: Sparassidae: conf. Heteropoda sp.). on 19th February 2001 from a spring rising from a boulder collapse without enterable cave passage. This spring was understood to have been noticed at a location above an unidentified right-hand side (sic!) of the Umsong River (or so) and at a walking distance of an estimated 150 m in an unidentified direction upstream (note 3) from –>AA Cave Umsong 2nd (Harper undated 2001 February Mss: Umsong Resurgence; Harper 2002.04.31 Mss -megahlay.doc- entry #31). CAVE LIFE: Bats (Chiroptera ), shrimps (Crustacea: conf. Palaemonida), spiders (Arachnidae: Aranea: Sparassidae: conf. Heteropoda sp.).