Abstract
Now that the formation of a central body devoted to speleological research in Great Britain holds out the prospect of a more systematic promotion of this branch of scientific studies, it is interesting to note the progress made in other countries towards the attainment of a like object. An article by M. R. de Joly, president of the Spele-o-Club de France, in La Nature of August 1 rapidly surveys recent activities in cave exploration, but touches in greater detail on the explorations in France of his own organisation. The Speleo-Club de France was founded so recently as 1930, largely through the enthusiasm of M. E. A. de Martel; but already its members have explored or visited no less than six hundred caves, mostly in the Basses-Alpes, and some presenting considerable difficulties of penetration and no little risk to the explorers. One of the most remarkable feats of cave exploration to which M. de Joly refers was that of the great cave at the foot of the Guadalupe Hills, New Mexico—an area of which the cave exploration is now attracting no little attention in archaeological circles in the United States in connexion with the association there of early man with a fauna now extinct. The cave of which M. de Joly writes, although discovered in 1901, was not systematically attacked until 1930, when a subvention from the New York Times made possible the organisation of an expedition of fifteen members to spend a fortnight underground. Notwithstanding difficulties of passage, no less than 51 km. were covered, including many chambers of enormous size. Another country which displays great activity in cave exploration is Italy, thanks to official financial support and the enthusiasm and friendly rivalry of a large number of local societies. Three thousand caves have been recorded as explored; and the Italians also hold the record for depth of descent. The Italian caves, indeed, are the deepest known, twelve being more than 250 m. deep, and four more than 300 m., while the deepest of all, the Bus della Preta, near Verona, has a depth of 620 m.
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Cave Exploration. Nature 136, 430 (1935). https://doi.org/10.1038/136430b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/136430b0