RYNGKOH (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A northwest-facing cave entrance, which was measured to be 5.9 m wide and 6.3 m high (Anonymous 2014.11.10 survey data file: Krem Rynkoh.text) but was understood to be an 5 x 7 m big entrance with a 1 x 1 m hole with a sump to the [southwest] left of it (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: 10-02-2014 Krem Rynkoh.doc), lies at the head of a stream with the same name and represents the end of a cave and seasonal spring of water styled resurgence cave (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). The about 60 m of cave passage, which was penetrable on 10th February 2014 up to a sump, contained not only fish trapped in pools of water but also mud-coated speleothems (secondary calcite formations) in the shape of stalactite curtains (also: bacon, drapery, flag, shawl) and stalactites which, however, were identified as stalagmites [sic!] and draperies (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: 10-02-2014 Krem Rynkoh.doc). ETYMOLOGY: The cave and the stream seems to be named after a currently obolete but traditionally wealth-providing tutelary deity that is known in standard Khasi as U Ryngkew u Basa (note 1). Expedition cavers, however, understood Deimonmi -Mimi- Bareh (then a school teacher at Kharkhana) to have said on 10th February 2014 something which was interpreted as local name, named after the stream (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: 10-02-2014 Krem Rynkoh.doc). The apparently War Khasi cave name is Krem Ryngkoh (Kharpran Daly, B D 2014.01.11 Mss -Expedition 2014- e-mail) which expedition cavers preferred to corrupt into a meaningless -Krem Rynkoh- (note 2) and ignored that there exists not one single Khasi word that combines the letters -rynk- (note 3). SETTING: The GPS position near (apparently wishful precision error allegedly ±5 m) N25°09'40.0”: E92°10'48.0”: 056 m asl (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx), which have been recorded for the cave entrance to Krem Rynkoh indicates a spot a) in the lowlands of the interfluve between the oographical right (western) bank of the Myntdu (Hari Nala, Hari River) in the east and the orographically left (eastern) bank of the Um Ryngka in the west; b) in a terrain where thin fossiliferous limestones, sandstones, and shales, with occasional thin beds of carbonaceous shale, coal, and ironstone (MATHUR & EVANS 1964: 13) of the Kopili Alternations (note 4) are exposed on the surface (NAG & PAL 1996 geological map); c) at a linear distance of about 3 km approximately west (0.2 km north, -3.4 km east) from the village of Kharkhana (note 5). SITUATION: Near (village) Kharkhana (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). APPROACH 2014.04.05: The walk in from the village took 20 minutes to a turnoff [with an unidentified GPS position] from [an unidentified] the road, then about an hour [on foot in an inexplicable direction] to get to the [entrance of this] cave. The team was … taking waypoints. The return was one hour altogether. A part of the walk was paralll to a dry streambed [with an unidentified name, a tributary from the west to the orographically right bank of the Myntdu, Hari Nala, Hari River, etc.] and the guides were entertaining the cavers by showing them various bush foods. Most of the way was through beetle nut tree plantations. The streambed [with an unidentified name] was intersected by another one [with an unidentified name] running in from the right [in the sense of an unidentified orientation]. About 50 m upstream the cave opens up (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 10th February, Monday). GPS TRACK (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: 10-02-2014 Krem Rynkoh.doc). 1 N25°09’26.8”: E092°11'46.8¨: 95 m (±7 m) left bend on the road to Shillong. Turn right behind a two storeyd house. 2 N25°09'26.6”: E092°11'45.2” fork in track turn right and soon cross small stream bed3 N25°09'27.7”: E092°11'36.8” cross stream bed. The track forks, turn left4 path goes uphill through areca palm (betl nut) plantation5 path continues level through areca palm (betel nut) plantation6 N25°09'29.6”: E092°11'25.3” path makes U-turn and crosses a dry stream bed7 N25°09'30.3”: E092°11'27.1” T-junction. Turn left8 N25°09'33.6”: E092°11'16.0” Vague fork. Doline ahead, continue right9 N25°09'34.4”: E092°11'14.6” keep left (east)10 N25°09'35.9”: E092°11'06.4” a cliff on the right-hand side with a blowing hole. Descend down to dry stream bed and continue right11 N25°09'36.0”: E092°11'05.2” a stream coming from left. Take a track uphill on left12 N25°09'35.7”: E092°11'04.3” T-junction. Turn right, horizontal13 N25°09'35.4”: E092°10'48.5” go down slope to a stream bed and turn right upstream14 N25°09'40.0”: E092°10'48.0” cave entrence. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2014.12.26: Expeditious cavers, who found themselves coming up the dry stream bed proceeded rapidly into a 5 x 7 m big entrance with a 1 x 1 m hole with a sump to the [south-west] left of it. 8 m inside there ae some big boulders past which the roof slopes down to a ten metres long canal with [rather stalactites than] stalagmites [sic!] and draperies hanging from the roof. After that there is a mud bank climbing up steeply after which it continues in a low mud crawl. This brings you to a small chamber with a mud slope descending to a stagnant pool with no feasible way on (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: 10-02-2014 Krem Rynkoh.doc). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2014.06: Na ruim een uur komen we bij de grot Krem Rynkoh. Ze begint met een mooie grote ingang, maar de grot al heel snel kleiner en uiteindelijk is de getopografeerde lengte maar 63 m. Wel stroomt er door de grot een beekje met de nodige vissen en ander klein spul (DIKSTRA & BURGERS 2014: 38). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2014.04.05: The cave started out big, but quickly got smaller and turned out to be 63 metres (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit: 10th February, Monday). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2014.04.29: Resurgence cave, sup (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). SPELEOMETRY 2014.04.05: 2/10/14 MB BB, JB, MD, BP Krem Rynkoh 63.00 63.00 Finished [cave survey relinquished] ([anonymous] Brooks, Simon James et al. 2014.04.05 Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit.docx). PROSPECTS 2014.04.29: Finished (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). PROSPECTS 2014.12.26: No leads [noticed], possibly different after the next rainy season (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: 10-02-2014 Krem Rynkoh.doc). CULTURAL HISTORY -- human use bat, bird, and fish hunting ground: Locals come to catch fish catcnonrh [sic!] birds and bats (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: 10-02-2014 Krem Rynkoh.doc). CAVE LIFE 2014.04.05: Michel -Boesch- Bösch, Barbara -Boesch- Bösch, Jos -Yoxz- Burgers, Marcel Dikstra and Bhushan Poshe noticed some cave life and had fun with the guides while they caught them samples of the small fish in the entrance pool (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghaaya 2014 Second Edit: 10th February, Monday). On this occasion, the guides drew the attention of the expedition cavers not only to bird’s nests without swifts but also to a Khasi -lymbit- or bat seen flying and -khroh- or frog whilst Deimonmi -Mimi- Bareh (then a school teacher at Kharkhana) taught the expedition cavers the Khasi names of the present aquatic fauna, which were recorded as dokha songap = fish; khroh = frog; chanakra = other fish; ehkhlieh [literally: hard head] = fish which can sting; klahog = eel like fish; shymphong [sic!] = prawn; dhokha shymphong = striped fish (sampled) (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: 10-02-2014 Krem Rynkoh.doc) and seem to be variants of chanakra (Bengali?); dhokha shymphong; dohkha songap; [dohkha] ehkhlieh; khroh (Anures: conf. Ranidae); klahog; and shymprong (Crustacea: prawn, shrimp).p (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). SPELEOMETRY 2014.04.05: 2/10/14 MB BB, JB, MD, BP Krem Rynkoh 63.00 63.00 Finished [cave survey relinquished] ([anonymous] Brooks, Simon James et al. 2014.04.05 Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit.docx). PROSPECTS 2014.04.29: Finished (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). PROSPECTS 2014.12.26: No leads [noticed], possibly different after the next rainy season (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: 10-02-2014 Krem Rynkoh.doc). CULTURAL HISTORY -- human use bat, bird, and fish hunting ground: Locals come to catch fish catcnonrh [sic!] birds and bats (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: 10-02-2014 Krem Rynkoh.doc). CAVE LIFE 2014.04.05: Michel -Boesch- Bösch, Barbara -Boesch- Bösch, Jos -Yoxz- Burgers, Marcel Dikstra and Bhushan Poshe noticed some cave life and had fun with the guides while they caught them samples of the small fish in the entrance pool (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghap (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). SPELEOMETRY 2014.04.05: 2/10/14 MB BB, JB, MD, BP Krem Rynkoh 63.00 63.00 Finished [cave survey relinquished] ([anonymous] Brooks, Simon James et al. 2014.04.05 Diary Meghalaya 2014 Second Edit.docx). PROSPECTS 2014.04.29: Finished (Arbenz, T 2014.04.29 undated Mss: Cave record overwiev 2_ 2014.xlsx). PROSPECTS 2014.12.26: No leads [noticed], possibly different after the next rainy season (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: 10-02-2014 Krem Rynkoh.doc). CULTURAL HISTORY -- human use bat, bird, and fish hunting ground: Locals come to catch fish catcnonrh [sic!] birds and bats (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: 10-02-2014 Krem Rynkoh.doc). CAVE LIFE 2014.04.05: Michel -Boesch- Bösch, Barbara -Boesch- Bösch, Jos -Yoxz- Burgers, Marcel Dikstra and Bhushan Poshe noticed some cave life and had fun with the guides while they caught them samples of the small fish in the entrance pool (anonymous Brooks, S J et al. 2014.04.05 Mss: Diary Meghaaya 2014 Second Edit: 10th February, Monday). On this occasion, the guides drew the attention of the expedition cavers not only to bird’s nests without swifts but also to a Khasi -lymbit- or bat seen flying and -khroh- or frog whilst Deimonmi -Mimi- Bareh (then a school teacher at Kharkhana) taught the expedition cavers the Khasi names of the present aquatic fauna, which were recorded as dokha songap = fish; khroh = frog; chanakra = other fish; ehkhlieh [literally: hard head] = fish which can sting; klahog = eel like fish; shymphong [sic!] = prawn; dhokha shymphong = striped fish (sampled) (Bösch, M 2014.12.26 Mss: 10-02-2014 Krem Rynkoh.doc) and seem to be variants of chanakra (Bengali?); dhokha shymphong; dohkha songap; [dohkha] ehkhlieh; khroh (Anures: conf. Ranidae); klahog; and shymprong (Crustacea: prawn, shrimp).