probably belonged to some chief of rank, as many curiosities were 

 found in the cave underneath, such as an ancient candlestick, and 

 a knife with a curious handle, in which was enclosed a scent box of 

 musk that still retained its perfume.* 



This arrangement has also been observed to take place in the 

 Barrows of England, so much so as to have excited considerable 

 doubts in Stackhouse, respecting the sepulchral object of all bar- 

 rows ; he was persuaded that many were raibcd merely for watch 

 stations. 



A great number of the raths contain caves, with narrow passages 

 leading to them ; in some of these communicating apparently with 

 the village above, it was customary to keep stores and corn. From 

 Tacitus we learn that the Germans had similar repositories for pro- 

 visions ; while Cassar says, that the Gauls placed their consecrated 

 spoils in such caves, raising a mound of earth over them. Both 

 practices may have obtained in Ireland. The custom of preserving 

 corn in such subterranean chambers may also have been brought 

 with the settlers from the east, as both in Persia and India this 

 mode is commonly practised. Dr. Buchanan's description of the 

 cave made for keeping Paddy or Rice in the husk,-f is precisely 

 that of a small artificial cavern, traditionally called the granary, on 

 the hill of Rath-Bran, in the county of Meath : a hill venerated by 

 all the country folk, for the great stone under whose shelter Fingal, 

 and his faithful wolf-dog Bran, rested, when in pursuit of a giant 

 he walked one morning from Kildare to the top of Slieb Gullen.;): 



' * Survey of King's County, p. 126. 



•j- Journey in Mysore, Malabar, &c. 



J About thirteen miles from the city of Sari, in Persia, a mount called the Takht-i-Rustam, 

 the throne or seat of Rustam, is pointed out. On it is a large stone, where tradition says that Rus- 

 tam once rested and took a hurried breakfast, in his chase of the Div.i-sepid, or white giant, to 

 the mountains. — Ouseley's Travels in the East, III. p. 269. 



