MAWLEIÑ (Krang)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A hole in the ground, with no solid rock walls was estimated to be about 10-15 m across and 16-20 m deep and said by unidentified the villagers (no names mentioned) to open during heavy rains. The mere sight of the hole, which probably is rather a dilapidated coal miners' shaft than a suffosion doline, allowed a strong team of expedition cavers to further check the passage which could be seen at the bottom of the hole (anonymous Elena Buduran, Oana Chachula, Cdr. Vijay Chhikara or Tudor Tamsa in: anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 19th February, Wednesday). ETYMOLOGY: The Lakadong Khasi -[ka] krang- is the same as the standard Khasi -[ka] krem- and signifies not only a cave (SINGH, N 1906: 46; SINGH, N 1920: 63; BLAH, E 2007: 45) or cavern (BLAH, E 2007: 45) but also a grotto (SINGH, N 1920: 208; BLAH, E 2007: 122) and a lodge (SINGH, N 1920: 296) in the sense of an animal's den.The Khasi -[u] mawleiñ- has been translated not only as quatz (GURDON, P R T 1906: 206; SINGH, N 1906: 130; SINGH, N 1920: 415) but also as jasper (SINGH, N 1920: 276), an opaque reddish-brown microcrystalline type of quartz, a variety of chalcedony (Oxford Dictionary 2005). Expedition cavers, however, recorded the cave name Krem Smawlein (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss) and gathered from an unidentified informant an explanation which was interpreted as Local name = quartz in Khasi (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: 23-12-2014 Krem Smawlein.doc). SETTING: The GPS position N25°11'56.5”: E92°16'44.1”: 772 m asl recorded for one point on the edge of the estimated 10 m or 15 m wide Krem Smawlein (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx) indicates a spot that lies about 230 m in a direct line approximately NNE from what had been in 1890 the village centre of Umlatdoh (N25°11'50”: E092°16'40” WGS84). SITUATION: About 8 m or 9 m in an unidentified direction from a certain the nearest tree (anonymous Brooks, SJ et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 19th February, Wednesday). APPROACH 2014.02.19: This hole in the ground had been reached on 19th February 2014 in the course of a more or less very short walk in an unidentified direction from an unidentified the tea house (at an unidentified GPS position) along a route around an unidentified the school (at an unidentified GPS position, no name notice) and, eventually, to this site (anonymous Elena Buduran, Oana Chachula, Cdr. Vijay Chhikara or Tudor Tamsa in: anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 19th February, Wednesday). APPROACH 2014.12.19: From the school in Umlatdoh turn left and after 20 m follow the road to the right for 50 m (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: 23-12-2014 Krem Smawlein.doc). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2014.04.29: A so-called breakdown pit [note 1] in field, unsurveyed / partly mined (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2014.12.23:A so-called breakdown pit in a field, possibly mined or open pit represents a hole in the ground, with no solid rock walls, about 16-20 m deep and 10-15 m across. Remarking the presence of a coal layer and some pipes covered by clay and soil fallen from the edges, the explorers thought Smawlein was a mineshaft. However, they got some information from the villagers that the entrance opened during heavy rains (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: 23-12-2014 Krem Smawlein.doc). PROSPECTS: According to expedition cavers None obvious, might be worth a dig (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: 23-12-2014 Krem Smawlein.doc) but the GPS position recorded for this subsidence doline indicates a spot on the surface which coincides with the breakdown encountered at the end of the survey series 25 in the far north-eastern corner of Krem –>Dharai. SPELEOMETRY 2014.04.05: Unknown but estimated to be about 10-15 m across and 16-20 m deep (anonymous Elena Buduran, Oana Chachula, Cdr. Vijay Chhikara or Tudor Tamsa in: anonyous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 19th February, Wednesday). SPELEOMETRY 2014.12.23: Vertical range ±20 m (+0 m, -20 m), length 20 m (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: 23-12-2014 Krem Smawlein.doc). CAVE CONTENTS: Rather traces of coal than a workable coal seam was observed, mud, clay (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: 23-12-2014 Krem Smawlein.doc). CULTURAL HISTORY - human use: Possibly old coal mine (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: 23-12-2014 Krem Smawlein.doc). CAVE LIFE: Concerning both dark and aphotic or stygian cave passage and aspects of cave fauna there was precisely none observed (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: 23-12-2014 Krem Smawlein.doc).ous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 19th February, Wednesday). SPELEOMETRY 2014.12.23: Vertical range ±20 m (+0 m, -20 m), length 20 m (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: 23-12-2014 Krem Smawlein.doc). CAVE CONTENTS: Rather traces of coal than a workable coal seam was observed, mud, clay (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: 23-12-2014 Krem Smawlein.doc). CULTURAL HISTORY - human use: Possibly old coal mine (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: 23-12-2014 Krem Smawlein.doc). CAVE LIFE: Concerning both dark and aphotic or stygian cave passage and aspects of cave fauna there was precisely none observed (Arbenz, T 2014.12.26 Mss: 23-12-2014 Krem Smawlein.doc).