Garden Bird Cave (aa -)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A cave entrance without identified shape or dimensions, where no characteristics or unmistakable peculiarities had been observed, was anyhow decided to represent a pothole (fully explored) (Brooks, undated 2009 June Mss), and is said to give access to an allegedly 16 m deep pit, pitch, shaft, and so on, followed by another one of 5 m, which is filled up with sediment (Bartholeyns 2009.02.17 Mss) or, at a second thought, is not filled but accessible and features a noticeable bottom completely filled up [read: in-filled] with sediment (Bartholeyns in: Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Tuesday 17th). ETYMOLOGY: No original and locally known or communicable cave name has been identified for this cave entrance, which Jean-Pierre Bartholeyns decided to christen -Garden Bird Cave“ (in Khasi: Krem Sim Kper) but, upon getting it alienated, inadvertedly conceived Krem Sem Khaw (unboiled / unkusked rice shed cave), which, step by step, got modified not only into a Krem Sem Khlaw (Jngle Shed Cave or Dug-Out / Excavated Pen Cave) but also into one Krem Sim Khlaw (Jungle Bird Cave), and a so-called Krem Sim Kper (Garden Bird Cave). The recorded hill's name Lum Phra Kilo looks like a corrupted version of one -Lum Phra ki Lyoh- (in short: Lum Phra ki L'oh) or Eight Clouds Hill (note 1) which seems to hint to -eight- (a bunch of?) distinct vapour emitting thingumabobs, thingjumajigs, or thingummies. APPROACH 1 (Bartholeyns 2009.02.17 Mss): Follow the road after the cross to Monkey Skull about 250 m. Follow the track on the right until the border of the bush. Enter in a garden (fens). The shaft is just on the left side of the path. APPROACH 2 (Brooks, S.J., undated 2009 June Mss amendments to Bartholeyns 2009.02.17 Mss): Leave jeep track at Monkey Skull drop off [note 2] and follow footpath / track west to point where stream bed to Monkey Skull crosses track. Continue on track / footpath for 250 m (±10 m) until scrub (2009) ends [note 3]. Enter cultivated area on eft [note 4] shaft entrance is on left (east) of path.CAVE DESCRIPTION 1: (Bartholeyns 2009.02.17 Mss), literally quoted: An overlooked pothole cave entrance gives access to a shaft of 16 m [which] goes down from the surface. At its bottom an other one of 5 m is filled up of [read: in-filled with] sediment.CAVE DESCRIPTION 2 (Brooks, S J et al. 2009.02 Mss -Diary 2009.doc- Tuesday 17th): A 16 m deep pit, pitch, shaft, and son on, is followed by another one of 5 m which eventually reaches a … bottom completely filled up with sediment. CAVE DESCRIPTION 3 (Brooks, undated 2009 June Mss amendments to Bartholeyns 2009.02.17 Mss): Pothole — 16 m deep entrance shaft leads to a second shaft of 5m depth whereupon cave is blocked by sediment. CAVE CONTENTS: Brooks (undated 2009 June Mss amendments to Bartholeyns 2009.02.17 Mss) mentions unspecified sediments without even distinguishing between physioclastic or chemoclastic sediments.PROSPECTS 1: Bartholeyns (2009.02.17 Mss) had observed No contnuation. The bottom of the second pitch is filled [read: in-filled] with sediment. PROSPECTS 2: Brooks (undated 2009 June Mss amendments to Bartholeyns 2009.02.17 Mss): Poor.nuation. The bottom of the second pitch is filled [read: in-filled] with sediment. PROSPECTS 2: Brooks (undated 2009 June Mss amendments to Bartholeyns 2009.02.17 Mss): Poor.