SWIFTLET POT, Tongseng

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

One of the few abodes of rare and highly endangered swiftlets (Collocalia var.) or swifts (note 1) consists of two adjacent cave entrances without identified shape or dimensions, which are separated by rock bridge and give access to the interior of the Swiftlet Pot (note 2) near Tongseng. Thomas Arbenz, T (2008.08.11 personal correspondence) suggests to consider the capital IMPORTANT REMARK: Swiflet Pot is never to be visited again by cavers exept by a careful and caring biologist! SITUATION: East side of Tongseng Ridge. Lone boulder Below Knowle [note 3] 17 m from tree line. From N-25-19-50.8 E-92-30-48.6 (accuracy 5 m) walk at 63° into tree line and continue at same bearing for approximately 20 m down to a distinct patch with small boulder on either side. Follow approximately 30 m to clearing. Swiftlet Cave on left -- check grid ref. (Hodgson undated 2002.02.14 Mss: Krem Swiftlet). Janossy (2008.02.26 Mss: Swiftlet Pot) advices to see previous description and suggests: From GPS poin [see below] head south [for an unidentified distance] through bushes, traverse [without orientation] to right of first [illegible: hde?, hcle? hole?] to two adjacent pots separated by rock bridge. POSITIONS (geodetic datum WGS84): According to the GPS positions recorded so far, one of the two entrances lies within an 80 m diameter circle covering an area of about 425 square metres in the vicinities of N25°19'53.4”: E92°30'52.4”: _____ m asl (Hodgson 2002.02.14, GPS Garmin ETrex) equalling N25.3315° : E92.51455556° (wishful precision error ±7m but actually 40 m off) N25°19'52.8”: E92°30'52.5”: 1030 m asl deleted (Janossy 2008.02.23 GPS Garmin Etrex in Janossy 2008.02.26 Mss: Swiftlet Pot) equalling N25.33133333° : E92.51458333° (claimed precision error ±12m probably wishful thinking) replaced by N25°19'54.3”: E92°30'52.0”: 1030 m asl (Janossy 2008.02.23 GPS Garmin Etrex) equalling N25.33175° : E92.51444445° (claimed precision error ±12 m probably wishful thinking) repeatedin Anonymous 2008 Mss: Survey Summary). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2002: Shaft bashing, East side of Tongseng ridge south of Krem Myriat [Krem –>Myrliat], Dave, Mark … Dropped some shafts after relocating Myriat 2! … Bannana Custard Tree Hole, wide rift approx. 15 m long, descended entrance pitch approx. 15 m deep, second pitch descended half way and ran out of time. Well worth comming back to (Hodgsen 2002.02.13 Mss: Sutdiary). Continued to Bannana Custard Tree Hole continued rigging for a total of five pitches (2 very short). Finishing at an eye hole with large echo and damp crawl beneath it to be investigated. To get to these you have to negotiate a large pile of guano infested with life eg. crickets, millipedes, wood lice, and other general bugs, also shrimps in small pools (all depigmented). Interestingly with many feathers, approx. 3- by 1- black wit white ends. Saw 4 heteropoda spiders spaning 3-6-, 6 bolts placed today (Hodgsen 2002.02.14 Mss: Sutdiary). Descended to (current) final pith disturbing swiftlets rousting enroute and an exploding bolt (flow stone broke away) which sent Dan to a rapid descent to the bottom of the 3rd pitch (all of 3m) a little surprised but otherwise not so bad! Wet crawl from final chamber did not go, and eye hole onto -large echo- appears to need hilties, possibly bang or a full day with a chizel!! Collected psudo scorpions, millopedes, wood lice, a bat and a monkey skull. Surveyed out (Hodgsen 2002.02.15 Mss: Sutdiary). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2004: Robin F. Sheen forwarded a Swiftlet Pot Plan combined with a Swiftlet Pot Elevation horizontally projected to 115° (undated, based on the 15th February 2002 survey by D. B. Harries, A. Harp, D. Hodgson and F. Ware) with the erroneously upside down North arrow pointing south and showing a 12 m deep rift pot entrance (about 3 m or 4 m wide, 12 m long SSW-NNW) followed by a 20 m drop past a large jammed boulder & rock ledge into a series of descending cave passages (P3m, P6m, P8m) which are shown to rend generally north (more likely: south) and reach 62 m vertically below the entrance a Chamber with mudbank narrowing down not only to a Small low level passage (ending #) but also to a constriction where Passage closes down to a narrow calcited fissure with a large void visible beyond. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2008: Janossy (2008.02.26 Mss: Swiftlet Pot) observed Three short pitches to squeeze through calcite, +2 short pitches, canyon passage with flowstone + gars [probably rather gour dams than rimstone pools] to final small pitch + chamber. Small passage to squeeze into aven. CAVE CONTENTS: Decaying calcite [speleothems], flowstone, particularly on walls of some lower pitches. Botryoidal stal on flowstone. Irregular decayed stalactites –some not hanging vertical (anemolites?). Mud and silt on ledges and at base of pitches, rounded cobblestones at base of pitches (seasonal water flow}. Guano piles at end of cave and on ledges high in rift (Hodgsen 2002.02.15 Mss: Sutdiary). Janossy (2008.2.26 Mss: Swiftlet Pot) observed rocks, mud, calcite, flowstone, small gours. TACKLE: To rig the cave, Janossy (2008.02.26 Mss: Swiftlet Pot) suggests to bring Ropes: 30 m, 25m, 15m, 10m + circa 5m for deviation, about 6 hangers, 2 slings. SPELEOMETRY 2002.02.15: Survey length 137.38 m at a depth of 61.68 m (Daniel B. Harries, Fiona J. Ware, Andrew Harp, -Yorkshire- Dave Hodgson). SPELEOMETRY 2008.02.23: Janossy (2008.02.26 Mss: Swiftlet Pot) suggests to believe in an unbased length of 80 m and a depth of 80 m. Brooks, S J et al. (2008 Mss: Survey Summary) lists a survey length of 115.16 m. PROSPECTS: Where the continuation becomes inaccessible, the so-called End of cave has a small slot with slight air draught, partially blocked by flowstone -- large echoing chamber or pitch beyond slot: flowstone could easily be cleared by explosives or several hours of digging with hammer and chisel. Bolting traverses on muddy ledges high in rift might bypass this constriction (Anonymous in: Hodgse 2002.02.15 Mss: Sutdiary).Janossy (2008.02.26 Mss: Swiftlet Pot) judges Nae and Brooks, S J (undated anonymous amendment to Janossy 2008.02.26 Mss: Swiftlet Pot) NILCAVE LIFE: Anonymous (Dr. Daniel B. Harries? in: Hodgsen 2002.02.15 Mss: Sutdiary) recorded the presence of numerous Swiftlets [note 4], at least 30 to 40 seen, probably many more present. These are the source of guano piles (small, one or two cubic metres at end of cave) which included fragments of nests. Bird guano piles with abundant Pseudoscorpions, Millipedes (Myriapoda: Diplopoda) and Woodlice (Isopoda). Brown, pigmented crickets and Heteropoda spiders common throughout the cave. A few shrimps (Crustacea) in small pools at end of cave. Bat skull [Chiroptera, indet.] collected from base of last pitch. A 3 cm long scorpion was seen on wall at head of second pitch. Monkey skull [in March 2002 with B. D. Kharpran Daly, Shillong] collected from base of second pitch. At the same site the skull of deer ? [Cervus unicolor? n Hindi: sambar, in Urdu: jarau, in Khasi: sier] or antelope ? [Boselaphus tragocamelus? in Hindi: nilgai, in Khasi: kynja khiat] was seen, characterised by straight, goat-like horns originating near eyes half back along skull. Hodgsen (2002.02.15 Mss: Sutdiary, literally quoted) arrived at understanding that Daniel B. Harries collected psudo scorpions, millopedes, wood lice, a bat and a monkey skull. Janossy (2008.02.26 Mss: Swiftlet Pot) observed Many swiftlets + large pile of guano just before squeeze at bottom cave. 2002.02.15 Mss: Sutdiary).Janossy (2008.02.26 Mss: Swiftlet Pot) judges Nae and Brooks, S J (undated anonymous amendment to Janossy 2008.02.26 Mss: Swiftlet Pot) NILCAVE LIFE: Anonymous (Dr. Daniel B. Harries? in: Hodgsen 2002.02.15 Mss: Sutdiary) recorded the presence of numerous Swiftlets [note 4], at least 30 to 40 seen, probably many more present. These are the source of guano piles (small, one or two cubic metres at end of cave) which included fragments of nests. Bird guano piles with abundant Pseudoscorpions, Millipedes (Myriapoda: Diplopoda) and Woodlice (Isopoda). Brown, pigmented crickets and Heteropoda spiders common throughout the cave. A few shrimps (Crustacea) in small pools at end of cave. Bat skull [Chiroptera, indet.] collected from base of last pitch. A 3 cm long scorpion was seen on wall at head of second pitch. Monkey skull [in March 2002 with B. D. Kharpran Daly, Shillong] collected from base of second pitch. At the same site the skull of deer ? [Cervus unicolor? 2002.02.15 Mss: Sutdiary).Janossy (2008.02.26 Mss: Swiftlet Pot) judges Nae and Brooks, S J (undated anonymous amendment to Janossy 2008.02.26 Mss: Swiftlet Pot) NILCAVE LIFE: Anonymous (Dr. Daniel B. Harries? in: Hodgsen 2002.02.15 Mss: Sutdiary) recorded the presence of numerous Swiftlets [note 4], at least 30 to 40 seen, probably many more present. These are the source of guano piles (small, one or two cubic metres at end of cave) which included fragments of nests. Bird guano piles with abundant Pseudoscorpions, Millipedes (Myriapoda: Diplopoda) and Woodlice (Isopoda). Brown, pigmented crickets and Heteropoda spiders common throughout the cave. A few shrimps (Crustacea) in small pools at end of cave. Bat skull [Chiroptera, indet.] collected from base of last pitch. A 3 cm long scorpion was seen on wall at head of second pitch. Monkey skull [in March 2002 with B. D. Kharpran Daly, Shillong] collected from base of second pitch. At the same site the skull of deer ? [Cervus unicolor? 2002.02.15 Mss: Sutdiary).Janossy (2008.02.26 Mss: Swiftlet Pot) judges Nae and Brooks, S J (undated anonymous amendment to Janossy 2008.02.26 Mss: Swiftlet Pot) NILCAVE LIFE: Anonymous (Dr. Daniel B. Harries? in: Hodgsen 2002.02.15 Mss: Sutdiary) recorded the presence of numerous Swiftlets [note 4], at least 30 to 40 seen, probably many more present. These are the source of guano piles (small, one or two cubic metres at end of cave) which included fragments of nests. Bird guano piles with abundant Pseudoscorpions, Millipedes (Myriapoda: Diplopoda) and Woodlice (Isopoda). Brown, pigmented crickets and Heteropoda spiders common throughout the cave. A few shrimps (Crustacea) in small pools at end of cave. Bat skull [Chiroptera, indet.] collected from base of last pitch. A 3 cm long scorpion was seen on wall at head of second pitch. Monkey skull [in March 2002 with B. D. Kharpran Daly, Shillong] collected from base of second pitch. At the same site the skull of deer ? [Cervus unicolor? n Hindi: sambar, in Urdu: jarau, in Khasi: sier] or antelope ? [Boselaphus tragocamelus? in Hindi: nilgai, in Khasi: kynja khiat] was seen, characterised by straight, goat-like horns originating near eyes half back along skull. Hodgsen (2002.02.15 Mss: Sutdiary, literally quoted) arrived at understanding that Daniel B. Harries collected psudo scorpions, millopedes, wood lice, a bat and a monkey skull. Janossy (2008.02.26 Mss: Swiftlet Pot) observed Many swiftlets + large pile of guano just before squeeze at bottom cave.