Allington Estate (Cave in the)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A funnel-shaped entonnoire (SIFFRE 1975: 20) or doline-like closed depression in Khondalite Granulite gives access to a cave passage, which is several tens of metres long and not only the home of bats and spiders but also descends to water flowing in a gravelly stream bed arriving from a duck beyond which the passage appears to continue (SIFFRE 1975: 14-20, photographs on pages 12, 16). SITUATION: At an unspecified location somewhere in the Allington Estate (N06°27': E080°34'), a tea plantation about 8 km along the road west-south-west of the town of Rakwana (note 2). SIFFRE (1975: 14), however, prefers to locate this cavité située dans l'Allington Estate, une grand plantation de thé près de Ratnapura (note 2). CAVE DESCRIPTION: SIFFRE (1975: 12) gives a photograph titled: A l'entrée de ma premiere grotte tropicale … Allington Estate Cave (At the entrance of my first tropical cave … ) and showing a well dressed French Caver standing centrally positioned in a tea plantation. SIFRE (1975: 14-15) mentions lush vegetation surrounding a black orifice where mosses and ferns blanket the walls and floor. The cave is formed in a conglomerate, apparently of the Khondalite series, and consisting of large blocks and well-rounded pebbles of various nature, cemented in a sandy matrix with plenty of quartz pebbles (note 3). At one point into the cave, the gallery splits into two and a small climb down leads to running water in a non-muddy stream bed where the cave soil consists of gravels (without obvious precious stones) and accumulations of black sands. These heavy minerals, with a specific weight surpassing 2.7 (heavier than quartz or limestone) form ripple-marks. Several tenth of metres upstream a duck occupies the whole width of the gallery. A shore is visible beyond and the passage appears to continue (note 4). CAVE LIFE: SIFFRE (1975) mentions bats (Chiroptera) and spiders (Aranaea), and turns sensational (note 5).A funnel-shaped entonnoire (SIFFRE 1975: 20) or doline-like closed depression in Khondalite Granulite gives access to a cave passage, which is several tens of metres long and not only the home of bats and spiders but also descends to water flowing in a gravelly stream bed arriving from a duck beyond which the passage appears to continue (SIFFRE 1975: 14-20, photographs on pages 12, 16). SITUATION: At an unspecified location somewhere in the Allington Estate (N06°27': E080°34'), a tea plantation about 8 km along the road west-south-west of the town of Rakwana (note 2). SIFFRE (1975: 14), however, prefers to locate this cavité située dans l'Allington Estate, une grand plantation de thé près de Ratnapura (note 2). CAVE DESCRIPTION: SIFFRE (1975: 12) gives a photograph titled: A l'entrée de ma premiere grotte tropicale … Allington Estate Cave (At the entrance of my first tropical cave … ) and showing a well dressed French Caver standing centrally positioned in a tea plantation. SIA funnel-shaped entonnoire (SIFFRE 1975: 20) or doline-like closed depression in Khondalite Granulite gives access to a cave passage, which is several tens of metres long and not only the home of bats and spiders but also descends to water flowing in a gravelly stream bed arriving from a duck beyond which the passage appears to continue (SIFFRE 1975: 14-20, photographs on pages 12, 16). SITUATION: At an unspecified location somewhere in the Allington Estate (N06°27': E080°34'), a tea plantation about 8 km along the road west-south-west of the town of Rakwana (note 2). SIFFRE (1975: 14), however, prefers to locate this cavité située dans l'Allington Estate, une grand plantation de thé près de Ratnapura (note 2). CAVE DESCRIPTION: SIFFRE (1975: 12) gives a photograph titled: A l'entrée de ma premiere grotte tropicale … Allington Estate Cave (At the entrance of my first tropical cave … ) and showing a well dressed French Caver standing centrally positioned in a tea plantation. SIFRE (1975: 14-15) mentions lush vegetation surrounding a black orifice where mosses and ferns blanket the walls and floor. The cave is formed in a conglomerate, apparently of the Khondalite series, and consisting of large blocks and well-rounded pebbles of various nature, cemented in a sandy matrix with plenty of quartz pebbles (note 3). At one point into the cave, the gallery splits into two and a small climb down leads to running water in a non-muddy stream bed where the cave soil consists of gravels (without obvious precious stones) and accumulations of black sands. These heavy minerals, with a specific weight surpassing 2.7 (heavier than quartz or limestone) form ripple-marks. Several tenth of metres upstream a duck occupies the whole width of the gallery. A shore is visible beyond and the passage appears to continue (note 4). CAVE LIFE: SIFFRE (1975) mentions bats (Chiroptera) and spiders (Aranaea), and turns sensational (note 5).