260
THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
each member of the Club. It was suggested that the Council might well bring
some such proposal before the Delegates at a future meeting of the Correspond-
ing Societies' Committee.
A very cordial vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Rudler, both for repre-
senting the Club at the Conference and for his report.
Paper Read.—Mr. John French read a paper entitled "On Plant Distribu-
tion in the neighbourhood of Felstead, Essex" (ante, pp. 152-163).
Some remarks were made by Mr. Christy, Mr. R. Paulson, F.R.M.S., Mr.
Shenstone, and others, and a vote of thanks was passed to Mr. French for his
communication.
VISIT TO THE CAVES IN THE CHALK AT
CHISLEHURST, KENT.
Saturday, February 15TH, 1908,
In the circular calling the meeting it was stated that "these very extensive
workings in the chalk have recently attracted considerable attention from
antiquaries and in the press, and as some writers have sought to connate them
with the Essex Dene-holes, it is thought that our members will welcome an
opportunity of exploring the passages under favourable circumstances."
Accordingly the Club assembled about 2.30 at the entrance to the Caves, the
conductors being Mr. E. A. Baker, M.A., Mr. Miller Christy, Mr. W. J.
Nichols, Vice-President of the British Archaeological Association, Mr. Victor
Taylor, and the Hon. Secretaries. About fifty members and friends attended,
and amongst those present were Prof. Meldola, F.R.S., Mr. T. W. Reader,
F.G.S., Rev. F. W. Hayes, and Mr. J. Clift, Hon. Sec., B.A.A,
The circular went on to say that "more than one hypothesis has been put
forward to account for these workings, and the several opinions are represented
in our Conductors, but at the present stage the Club, as a body, does not express
any opinion,"
Some notices of the Caves appeared in the Essex Naturalist from the pen
of Mr. T. V. Holmes (E.N. vol. xiii., p. 263 ; xiv., p. 75); also in Proceedings
Geologists' Association, vol. xvii., p. 369. Our conductor to-day, Mr. W. J.
Nichols, has written two papers in the Journal of the British Archaeological
Association (vol. ix., p. 147 ; vol. x., p. 64), in which he contends that they are
Dene-holes, whilst Messrs. T. E. and R. H. Forster in the same Journal (vol.
X., p. 87) uphold the Chalk-pit hypothesis. This latter view is also strongly
supported by Mr. Baker in the London Standard of January 14th and 21st, and
by Mr. T. V. Holmes. Some very striking illustrations of the Caves appeared
in the Illustrated London News of September 28th, 1907.
Nearly three hours were spent in viewing certain supposed dene-holes
outside and exploring the whole of the three series of galleries, Mr. Nichols
pointing out the supposed treasure chamber, ancient British well, altar-tables,
and other features of his theory that the workings were originally an "under-
ground Stonehenge," used by the Druids for sacrificial and processional
purposes, a theory which he explained at considerable length.
Our conductor, Mr. Baker, thus gave in the Standard his first impressions of
the inner series of caves:—We stood in a vault about 13 feet high and 15 feet
wide, running on like a highway to Erebus into the darkness. At intervals