84 ON THE TUMULI OF ST. ADIIELM's HEAD DISTRICT. 



between two stones, set edgeways, * and covered with another, 

 like the British kist-vaens. A little south of St. Adhelm's 

 chapel, on digging stone, was found a hole ten feet deep, in which 

 were many human bones. And he thus describes the contents 

 of " a barrow, called King-barrow, which stood at the south end 

 of Stowborough, in the road to Grange; its diameter was a 

 hundred feet, and its height twelve feet. On digging it down, 

 (Jan. 21, 1767,) to make the turnpike road, the following discovery 

 was made. In the centre, even with the surface of the ground, 

 was foimd a very large hollow trunk of an oak, rudely excavated, 

 ten feet long, the outer diameter four feet, that of the cavity 

 three feet. It lay horizontally south-east and north-west. The 

 upper part and the ends were much rotted. In the cavity were 

 found as many human bones, unbumt, black, and soft, as might 

 be contained in a quarter of a peck ; viz., a bone of an arm, two 

 thigh bones, two blade bones, the head of the humerus, part of 

 the pelvis, and several ribs. There were no remains of the 

 scull. Many were scattered and lost ; others entirely consumed ; 

 and all had been wrapped up in a large covering, composed of 

 several skins, some as thin as parchment, others much thicker, 

 especially where the hair remained, which showed that they were 

 deer skins. They were in general black, but not rotten ; neatly 

 sown together; and there were many small slips, whose seams or 

 stitches were scarce two inches asunder. This wrapper seemed 

 to have been passed several times round the body, and in some 

 parts adhered to the trunk. In the middle of it, the bones were 

 compressed flat in a lump, and cemented together by a glutinous 

 matter, perhaps the moisture of the body. On unfolding the 

 wrapper, a piece of what was imagined to be gold lace, four 

 inches long, two and a half broad, very black, and much 

 decayed, was found stuck upon the inside. Bits of wire plainly 



1- This mode of burial appears to have been the one most commonly 

 practised by the inhabitants of tlie south coast of the Island. Mr. Miles, 

 in his "description of the Kimmeridge Coal Money," mentions that 

 upon the Cliff at Worbarrow Bay, a skeleton was found lying between 

 two ranges of flat stones, which supported other flat ones, as a cover. 

 In the burial ground of the Church at Worth, are remains of interments 

 which have been surrounded by thin tile stones. I have been informed 

 by labourers of the farms upon' the south hill, that, in many places, the 

 plough strikes against long thin stones, set, two together, edgeways. 

 And, in opening a Quarry near Newtown, some few years ago, similar 

 stones, placed edgeways, were discovered, which bad skeletons beneath 

 them. 



