Notes on the Caves of Gibraltar

Abstract

Abstract The principal caves in Gibraltar are St. Michael's, Martin's, Glen Rocky, Genista, Asylum Tank, Poca Roca, and three on the eastern face of the rock underneath the signal-station. The cave at Poca Roca is, in the authors opinion, a portion of the cleft in the rock which extends from the town to the village of Catalan Bay. The strata of rock on the eastern side are usually covered over by a very recent formation, which gives a deceptive appearance to casual observers; this Lieut. Warren found to be the case while scarping at Middle Hill. St. Michael's cave is a portion of a transverse cleft through the rock; and it is probable that at no very (historically) remote period it was open to view, as it is described by a Latin writer (Pomponius Mela) as opening up the side of the rock into an enormous cavern. There appears to have been an idea that this cave has not been thoroughly explored since Lieut. Rich, R.A., went down it in 1840-46. Capt. Weber Smith went halfway down in 1840, the lengthy report of his exploit being now recorded in the R.E. office, with a plan which was completed by Lieut. Goodall, R.E., in 1858, who explored the whole cave. Since then the author has been down to the bottom more than twenty times, and has broken into new caves with crow-bars and jumpers, and he is confident that without the use of crow-bars no further passage can be discovered. There