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ON THE ISLAND IN LLANGORSE LAKE AND ITS 

 PROBABLE ARTIFICIAL ORIGIN. 



BY HENRY DUMBLETON, ESQ. 



Part of the object of this day's meeting being to examine the island upon 

 the Lake of Llangorse, the writer has been requested to give a short account of 

 whatever points of interest, bearing upon its artificial origin and use for human 

 habitation, have presented themselves in the course of some researches carried on 

 by himself and his brother. 



It may be almost superfluous to mention before this audience that, within 

 the last 20 years, many remains of habitations raised upon piles, as well as 

 upon artificial islands, have been found in several of the lakes of Switzerland 

 and Italy. In England and "Wales, so far as the writer is aware, no such remains 

 have been hitherto found, but in Ireland there are many such artificial islands, 

 bearing in construction and arrangement a striking similarity to the one under 

 discussion. They are there termed " Crannoges," or "Stockaded islands." 



Very general interest was awakened by these discoveries, since which per- 

 severing researches have disclosed a great variety of articles found among the 

 remains. There are not only weapons of war and the chase, but also domestic 

 utensils, portions of clothing, fruits and grain, throwing much light upon the 

 habits of these lake dwellers, and at the same time affording evidence of great 

 antiquity. 



A few remarks upon the apparent change of level of the lake of Llangorse 

 will not be out of place. The area has certainly at one time been far more 

 extensive than at present, as evident by adjacent flat meadows and raised 

 beaches. It has certainly also at one time been very much less than at present, 

 judging from the remains of trees now under water, on the eastern side and else- 

 where. Indeed it is highly probable that it may have undergone many changes 

 of level. It is easily conceivable that these may .have occurred from an unusual 

 rainfall, causing more accumulation of land and debris than could be carried off 

 by the little stream Llynvi. "When such a bank became raised, the waters of the 

 lake being pent up, would at length gain sufficient pressure to force their way 

 through, very possibly also deepening their former channel and thus lowering the 

 surface considerably below what it had been originally. These causes operating 

 alternately would thus produce the evidences of many varying levels at successive 

 periods. The old native name of the lake is Llyn Savathan, which, the writer is 

 informed, means "the Lake of the Sunken Land." This may be with reference 

 to some one of the above mentioned changes of level, or to the tradition that th« 



