asscciation for mexican cave studies box 7672 ut station austin ...

11The next morning Francisco "Kissinger" (alias Frank Binney) met withthe Presidente of Huautla armed with a leisure suit, a briefcase, and 2copies of Inside Earth. Four letters were procured, addressed to the townssurrounding San Agustin. The letter to the "agente" of Plan Carlota wasdirect and explicit: These scientific technicians are not to be hassledand it is your responsibility to see that their work continues with nofurther obstruction. Frank and I hiked out to Plan Carlota where theedict was read aloud both in Spanish and Mazatec. The l1a50n apologizedfor the hassle and the rope rip-off and said we were free to visit thecave. No money was exchanged, although we did give the Presidente a bottleof brandy.In much higher spirits, we returned to San Agustin thinking that thematter had been settled. The Fissure was entered and pushed to -420m andstill going. Activity was then switched to Sotano de San Agustin, leavingRoy, Patty, and Jeff to return to the Fissure to finish the surveyand left no guard at the entrance save the bolt with chock backup ~e hadset 3m below the lip. The first person up the drop was very consternatedto find the rope cut just above the bolt, while in the cave, and the chockmissing too: The locals were plainly not to be trusted. (Between skirmisheswe did manage to push San Agustin to -2625 ft)EPILOGUEEight cavers and one rider left Austin for southern Mexico on ~ay 14thin 13i11 Stone's truck, "The Bozo Bus". They plan to spend three to fourweeks in 'fexico, first in the !Iuautla Area checking the Fissure, thenmoving north to near ~oquitlan to explore ~o poentially deep river caves.The cavers are: Bill Stone, Bill Steele, Cindy Coeburn, Cathy RoundtreeJeff Rorowitz, Steve Zeeman, Ernie Garza, and Terry Johnson, a10nB withCindy ~~ho is riding part way down.BRITISH rt4P ECUADOR'S LONGEST ~~ DEEPEST - A July, 1976, British Armyexpedition set off to investigate Cueva de los Tayos in southeasternEcuador. The cave was reputed by Eric von Danekin in his book "Gold ofthe Gods flto have been created by extraterrestrial beings, as evidencedby the rectangular passage cross sections. The group of" civilian caversand scientists that entered the cave found no evidence to support hisclaim -- the rectangular passage being formed in thin "bedded, well-jointedlimestone. Archeological materials were found near the entrance, identifiedas Pacific Coast materials about 3500 years old. The cave itself isquite extensive -- surveying showed it to be 4.9km long and 186m deep.Along on the expedition was .~erican ~e1l Arnstrong, the first man onthe moon, who got in his first taste of caving. Perhaps he would like togo to !iexico?from BCFA Bulletin 14