WAH BSEIÑ 1 (Krem)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

In addition to two informal cave entrances, which ARBENZ, T (2012: 231 cave plan) disguises as daylight (Krem Bsein 1d) and daylight in roof (Krem Bsein 1e), there are three official cave entrances (Krem Bsein 1, 1b, and 1c) which give access to a true tunnel cave, which represents the hydrographically subsequent but sportsmen's-wise disjunct downstream continuation of Krem –>Bsein 2. The known part of the cave consists of two seasonal sinks which drain a perennial stream cave (Arbenz, T 2011.03.27 Mss ”Nicola Bayley 2011.02.21” Krem Bsein 1…) to a seasonal spring and contained on 14th February 2011 not only a sandy, cobbled floor with occasional pools of water but also seasonally dry relic [secondary calcite] formations and [a relatively] large formation canopy sticking out from the cave wall. Parts of the stream has dry shelves and water in a trench (Arbenz, T 2011.03.27 Mss ”Nicola Bayley 2011.02.21” Krem Bsein 1…). ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known name ha been identified for this Cave [on the] Snake Stream (in Khasi: Krem Wah Bsein), which somebody reduced to a Snake Cave as if it the cave itself were associated, which it is not, with a snake or two when actually it is the stream after which the cave is called. Among the three or six known cave entrances (note 1) of the cave on the Wah Bsein is a south-east-facing, triangular-shaped and stooping-sized cave entrance (1.5 m high, unidentified width). This was understood to represent a case of another [cave] entrance which lies below a relatively large boulder of unidentified size and at an estimated distance of 30 m (anonymous Arbenz, T et al. 2011.03.27 undated Mss: 2011 Diary.doc: 14th February 2011, Monday) up to the left in an unidentified direction over [relatively] large boulders (i.e. Krem –>Bsein, Sah Ser 1b) and gives access to the orographical head of the upstream section (Arbenz, T 2011.03.27 Mss ”Nicola Bayley 2011.02.21” Krem Bsein 1…). SITUATION: All of the three (or four? recorded cave entrances of two known caves on the Wah Bsein (Snake Stream) lie on the eastern flank of a meander spur, which, embraced by the orographically right bank of the Kopili River, lies at a linear distance of about 3 km approximately east from the village of Kseh (St. Joseph church near 25°25’24.0”N: 92°35’32.9”E: circa 880 m) and in an area that had been reached after a forty minutes' walk through sunny meadows (anonymous Arbenz, T et al. 2011.03.27 undated Mss: 2011 Diary.doc: 14th February 2011, Monday) because, as Bailey, N. (2011.02.14 Mss: Krem Bsein 1.doc) clearly explains, the walk from the Kopili to the cave [again on the Kopili] takes about 40 mins (note 2). The first cave entrance to the first Krem Wah Bsein lies at an estimated distance of 30 m in an unidentified direction from an unidentified cave entrance, which can be deduced from the statement relating to two cave entrances close to each other, about 30 metres apart (anonymous Arbenz, T et al. 2011.03.27 unated Mss: 2011 Diary.doc: 14th February 2011, Monday) and is, perhaps, identical with the likewise unidentified another entrance up to the left over large boulders (Arbenz, T 2011.03.27 Mss ”Nicola Bayley 2011.02.21” Krem Bsein 1…), which may be the same as the cave entrance to Krem –>Wah Bsein 2 (note 3). Unidentified remains not only a) the unspecified spacial relation of the cave entrance to Krem Wah Bsein 1 to the streambed and watercourse of the Wah Bsein but alsob) the unspecified spatial relation to the unpositioned cave entrance and spring (i.e. Krem –>Wah Bsein 1b) or resurgence (note 4) which had been identified as an exit [sic!] at the Kopili River (Arbenz, T 2011.03.27 Mss ”Nicola Bayley 2011.02.21” Krem Bsein 1…). APPROACH: To reach the cave entrances on the Wah Bsein from the village of Kseh (St. Joseph church near 25°25’24.0”N: 92°35’32.9”E: circa 880 m), get yourself about 1.5 km in a direct line transported to a jetty (25°25'49.1”N: 92°36'15.1”E: 717 m), which lie on the orographically left (locally western) bank of the Kopili River (26°15'N: 92°10'E) and proceed being transported, now by boat (ask one of the u briew lieng, in short: u 'riewlieng; a boatman), across the river for the opposite, orographically right (locally eastern) bank. Here, however, you have to … proceed [for a walking distance of 40 minutes] on a footpath east to [an unspecified, so-called] the farm [at an unidentified GPS position]. Continue east over a rise and downhill into a depression (clearing work in 2011). The depression leads to a (dry) stream bed. Following the river for a short distance (upstream) roughly east a [cave] entrance of stooping size is found in [an unspecified] the gully. The walk from the Kopili to the cave takes about 40 mins (Arbenz, T 2011.03.27 Mss ”Nicola Bayley 2011.02.21” Krem Bsein 1…) and can be covered in the course of a forty minute’s walk through sunny meadows (anonymous Arbenz, T et al. 2011.03.27 undated Mss: 2011 Diary.doc: 14thFebruary 2011, Monday). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2011a: At a surveyed distance of 238 m from the cave entrance, a 6 m-drop down intersects a streamcave passage. A few metres downstream, there was a maze, and another passage to the left going to the surface (Nicola Bayley after Phrang Kupar -Teddy- Mawlong in: anonymous Arbenz, T et al. 2011.03.27 undated Mss: 2011 Diary.doc: 14th February 2011, Monday)CAVE DESCRIPTION 2011b: The cave starts off with a w3m x h3m passage with a [relatively] small stream [draining into an unidentified direction]. The passage is meandering and bears relic stalactite- and stalagmite formations. There are several holes to daylight in the roof. The cave closes down [sic! qua: leads to] to a 6 m drop into a [relatively] smaller wet passage. This was followed-on to an exit [sic! qua: the second known cave entrance, allegedly] at the Kopili River [sic!] (Arbenz, T 2011.03.27 Mss ”Nicola Bayley 2011.02.21” Krem Bsein 1…) but, more likely, above the Wah Bsein. CAVE POTENIAL: The known parts of the cave were interpreted as Terminated exits to the Kopili River (Arbenz, T 2011.03.27 Mss ”Nicola Bayley 2011.02.21” Krem Bsein 1…).CULTURAL HISTORY: None known (Arbenz, T 2011.03.27 Mss ”Nicola Bayley 2011.02.21” Krem Bsein 1…). CAVE LIFE: Nicola Bailey (2011.02.14 Mss: Krem Bsein 1.doc) noticed on 14th February 2010 the presence of bats (small hypposideros), heteropoda spiders, rats, snails, small fish which some would interpret as Arachnida: Aranea: conf. Heteropodina (Sparassida), unspecified snails, relatively small and unspecified fish (Pisces) of unidentified size that were perhaps less than 5 m long, unidentified rodents (conf. Rodentia), and unspecified, relatively small Chiroptera (conf. Hipposideros) of unidentified size but probably with a wing-span smaller than 1.25 m (mere guesswork).February 2011, Monday). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2011a: At a surveyed distance of 238 m from the cave entrance, a 6 m-drop down intersects a streamcave passage. A few metres downstream, there was a maze, and another passage to the left going to the surface (Nicola Bayley after Phrang Kupar -Teddy- Mawlong in: anonymous Arbenz, T et al. 2011.03.27 undated Mss: 2011 Diary.doc: 14th February 2011, Monday)CAVE DESCRIPTION 2011b: The cave starts off with a w3m x h3m passage with a [relatively] small stream [draining into an unidentified direction]. The passage is meandering and bears relic stalactite- and stalagmite formations. There are several holes to daylight in the roof. The cave closes down [sic! qua: leads to] to a 6 m drop into a [relatively] smaller wet passage. This was followed-on to an exit [sic! qua: the second known cave entrance, allegedly] at the Kopili River [sic!] (Arbenz, T 2011.03.27 Mss ”Nicola Bayley 2011.02.21” Krem Bsein 1…) but, more likely, above the Wah Bsein. CAVE POTENFebruary 2011, Monday). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2011a: At a surveyed distance of 238 m from the cave entrance, a 6 m-drop down intersects a streamcave passage. A few metres downstream, there was a maze, and another passage to the left going to the surface (Nicola Bayley after Phrang Kupar -Teddy- Mawlong in: anonymous Arbenz, T et al. 2011.03.27 undated Mss: 2011 Diary.doc: 14th February 2011, Monday)CAVE DESCRIPTION 2011b: The cave starts off with a w3m x h3m passage with a [relatively] small stream [draining into an unidentified direction]. The passage is meandering and bears relic stalactite- and stalagmite formations. There are several holes to daylight in the roof. The cave closes down [sic! qua: leads to] to a 6 m drop into a [relatively] smaller wet passage. This was followed-on to an exit [sic! qua: the second known cave entrance, allegedly] at the Kopili River [sic!] (Arbenz, T 2011.03.27 Mss ”Nicola Bayley 2011.02.21” Krem Bsein 1…) but, more likely, above the Wah Bsein. CAVE POTENIAL: The known parts of the cave were interpreted as Terminated exits to the Kopili River (Arbenz, T 2011.03.27 Mss ”Nicola Bayley 2011.02.21” Krem Bsein 1…).CULTURAL HISTORY: None known (Arbenz, T 2011.03.27 Mss ”Nicola Bayley 2011.02.21” Krem Bsein 1…). CAVE LIFE: Nicola Bailey (2011.02.14 Mss: Krem Bsein 1.doc) noticed on 14th February 2010 the presence of bats (small hypposideros), heteropoda spiders, rats, snails, small fish which some would interpret as Arachnida: Aranea: conf. Heteropodina (Sparassida), unspecified snails, relatively small and unspecified fish (Pisces) of unidentified size that were perhaps less than 5 m long, unidentified rodents (conf. Rodentia), and unspecified, relatively small Chiroptera (conf. Hipposideros) of unidentified size but probably with a wing-span smaller than 1.25 m (mere guesswork).