CHUNA, Khaidong (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

An estimated 10 m wide and 5 m high cave entrance (Audsley & Brooks 2006.02.26 Mss) of unexplainable shape and character faces west (Arbenz, T 2007 cave plan Labit_Khaidong.pdf) and leads to the large shaft / pothole (note 1) and a muddy slope down into a low but wide passage, which is either heading towards south-west (230°) or arriving from this direction, and leads to a shaft with old calcite formations (speleothems). Some 50 m (JARRATT 2006: 15) or 67.45 m (JARRATT 2006: 20) down the entrance shaft intersects a roofed underground desert (JARRATT 2006: 16) where a calcite lined crawl (JARRATT 2006: 15) and a perverse (unnatural), artificially enlarged squeeze (JARRATT 2006: 15, 16) connects to Krem –>Labit (Khaidong), which itself is connected to the cave system of Krem –>Liat Prah. ETYMOLOGY: The Khasi verb -shún- means to hate, to be inimical to (SINGH, N 1906: 200) but the Synteng noun -ka chun- (chuna, chuni) seems to correspond to the Khasi loan word -ka shun- and means the lie (SINGH, N 1906: 200) as -shun kpu- is the slaked lime and -shun dewiong- is lime burned with coal or -shun dieng- is lime burned with wood (SINGH, N 1906: 200) while -u mawshun- is the limestone (SINGH, N 1906: 131). SINGH, N (1906: Khasi - English Dictionary) lists none of the imaginable alternate spellings jhuna, joona, juna (or so) with the possible exceptions of the noun -ka jhûm- (vapour), the verb -jhûm- (to evaporate) and, perhaps most intriguing, the name -U Jom- (king of the Hades). So far, I saw the name of Krem Chuna near the village of Khaidong called or spelled as Krem Chuna Arbenz, T (2006.05.21 Mss: Abstracts.xls); Bayley (2002.02.24 Mss: Krem Chuna, Khaidong) Krem Chuni Audsley & Brooks (2006.02.26 Mss: Krem Chuni); JARRATT (2006: 14, 15, 16); JARRATT & DAWSON (2007) Labbit Chuna JARRATT (2006: 20). The variant Krem Chuni reflects but a shift in tone but Audsley & Brooks (2006.02.26 Mss: Krem Chuni) mislead with the equation chuni = limestone in Hindi when actually -huna- is lime. SITUATION: At an unspecified location somewhere on the north-western side of the Shnongrim Ridge. APPROACH 2002: From Khaidong village head along road 040° for five minutes and take track down the hill heading 300° to 320° until limestone pinnacles on the left. Head towards pinnacles past Krem Shrieh on left, down past clump of banana trees (Bayley 2002.02.24 Mss). APPROACH 2006: Take a path to the east opposite the top / higher turning for Shnongrim village. Follow this path down to a large depression that is situated to the right (north) of the path. A small path leads into the depression and a large entrance (10 m wide by 5 m high) (Audsley & Brooks 2006.02.26 Mss). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2002: Low stooping passage leads in approx. 30 m to pitch (approx. 4 seconds drop) with old stal in mud floor. Traverse around to right leads to dead end (Bayley 2002.02.24 Mss). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2006.1: Large entrance (10 m by 5 m) leads to a similar sized passage with a sloping mud floo. This soon leads to a 50 m pitch that is heavily calcited. The pitch intersects a (6 m by 5 m) large fossil passage [note 2] at its base. To the south this passage narrows after 20 m to a calcite squeeze that links to Krem Labbit Khaidong (the Liat Prah / Um Im / Labbit System). To the north the fossil passage again narrows after a distance of 10 m where it becomes a crawl that is soon too tight (Audsley & Brooks 2006.02.26 Mss). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2006.2: Roofed underground desert [is] comprising much of the stupendous cave (JARRATT 2006: 16). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2006.3: 26.02.06 Shnongrim K Labbit (Chuna) AA, DP, PL 131.21 ¬ 26.02.2006 Shnongrim K Labbit (Chuna) AA, DP, RG 66.66 (JARRATT 2006: 20). PROSPECTS: JARRATT & DAWSON (2007) mention from near the Krem Chuni [sic!] entrance of the Krem Labbit (Khaidong) not only one vomiting out of two bolting Henries but also possible leads The only one of interest led to a dodgy vertical boulder choke with an open, stepped aven above which eithr needs bolting for safety or dropping into from the surface. TACKLE: 80 m rope, 2 long slings, 10 m rope for deviation (Audsley & Brooks 2006.02.26 Mss). CAVE LIFE: Bayley (2002.02.24 Mss) draws attention to sort of a fox hole while Audsley & Brooks (2006.02.26 Mss) recorded one small bat [Chiroptera], spiders (Arachnida: conf. Araneae) and JARRATT (2006: 16) narrated how unspecified samples of cave fauna were taken (as a refreshment?) by an unidentified person (no name mentioned).. This soon leads to a 50 m pitch that is heavily calcited. The pitch intersects a (6 m by 5 m) large fossil passage [note 2] at its base. To the south this passage narrows after 20 m to a calcite squeeze that links to Krem Labbit Khaidong (the Liat Prah / Um Im / Labbit System). To the north the fossil passage again narrows after a distance of 10 m where it becomes a crawl that is soon too tight (Audsley & Brooks 2006.02.26 Mss). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2006.2: Roofed underground desert [is] comprising much of the stupendous cave (JARRATT 2006: 16). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2006.3: 26.02.06 Shnongrim K Labbit (Chuna) AA, DP, PL 131.21 ¬ 26.02.2006 Shnongrim K Labbit (Chuna) AA, DP, RG 66.66 (JARRATT 2006: 20). PROSPECTS: JARRATT & DAWSON (2007) mention from near the Krem Chuni [sic!] entrance of the Krem Labbit (Khaidong) not only one vomiting out of two bolting Henries but also possible leads The only one of interest led to a dodgy vertical boulder choke with an open, stepped aven above which eithr needs bolting for safety or dropping into from the surface. TACKLE: 80 m rope, 2 long slings, 10 m rope for deviation (Audsley & Brooks 2006.02.26 Mss). CAVE LIFE: Bayley (2002.02.24 Mss) draws attention to sort of a fox hole while Audsley & Brooks (2006.02.26 Mss) recorded one small bat [Chiroptera], spiders (Arachnida: conf. Araneae) and JARRATT (2006: 16) narrated how unspecified samples of cave fauna were taken (as a refreshment?) by an unidentified person (no name mentioned).