Produced by sp1nd and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) THE JENOLAN CAVES. [Illustration: THE CORAL GROTTO. [_Frontispiece_] THE JENOLAN CAVES: AN EXCURSION IN AUSTRALIAN WONDERLAND. BY SAMUEL COOK. _ILLUSTRATED WITH TWENTY-FOUR PLATES AND MAP._ EYRE & SPOTTISWOODE, Her Majesty's Printers: LONDON--GREAT NEW STREET, FLEET STREET, E.C. 1889. [Illustration: Coat of Arms] PREFACE. THE following historical and descriptive account of the Jenolan (formerly called the Fish River) Caves was written for the _Sydney Morning Herald_. By the kind permission of the proprietors of that journal (Messrs. John Fairfax and Sons) and, at the request of numerous correspondents, it is now republished. The author is conscious, however, that neither tongue, nor pen, nor pictorial art can convey an adequate idea of the magnificence and exquisite beauty of these caves. Words are too poor to express the feelings of admiration and awe which are experienced by those who wander through the marvellous subterranean galleries embellished with myriads of graceful and fantastic forms of purest white alternating with rich colour and delicate tints and shades. Of all the caves in New South Wales those at Jenolan are the most beautiful, and well-travelled men admit that they are unrivalled in any other part of the world. As they are so little known this book may be interesting, and serve to give some impression concerning geological transformations and the slow processes of Nature in the production of works at once grand, ornate, and unique. The illustrations are from photographs by Messrs. Kerry and Jones of Sydney, who have generously permitted the author to make selections from their beautiful and extensive series of cave pictures. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE HOW THE CAVES WERE DISCOVERED 13 CHAPTER II. THE APPROACH TO THE CAVES 17 CHAPTER III. THE EXTERNAL FEATURES OF THE CAVES--THE GRAND ARCH 20 CHAPTER IV. THE DEVIL'S COACH HOUSE 33 CHAPTER V. THE NIGHT CAVES 39 CHAPTER VI. THE NETTLE CAVE 43 CHAPTER VII. THE ARCH CAVE 48 CHAPTER VIII. THE CARLOTTA ARCH 55 CHAPTER IX. THE ELDER CAVE 58 CHAPTER X. THE LUCAS CAVE--THE MUSIC HALL--THE SHAWL CAVE 65 CHAPTER XI.