thrashing machine, called a " Iribulum,^' or might have been buried with the dead 

 as an emblem of some kind; he added that Epecimens of the tribulurn exist in 

 Bome of the museums of this country, and are formed of a flat board, on the under 

 surface of which sharp pieces of flint are inserted. It is worthy of mention that 

 the same kind of implement is still used for similar purposes by the inhabitants 

 ■who occupy the country of ancient Babylon and Nineveh. It is described by 

 Layard, who saw them in use, as "a sledge stuck full of sharp flints on the under 

 surface, and driven by oxen over the scattered sheaves; such also were the thresh- 

 ing-sledges, armed with teeth mentioned by the prophet Isaiah;" and from this 

 impltment, it has been suggested that the word tribulation is derived. 



The other saggestion of Mr. Symonds is also worthy of notice, as it is known 

 that pieces of agate and onyx and other silicious stones are often found in the 

 tombs of the early Egyptians and ancient inhabitants of Italy ; sometimes they are 

 met with mounted in gold, and are supposed to have been worn round the neck as 

 an amulet during the life-time of the deceased, and afterwards with a similar ob- 

 ject interred with his remains. 



The Rev. T. W. Webb, of Hardwick, who, at our request, had met us on the 

 ground, exhibited some masses of flint, flint flakes, and pieces of iron, which had 

 been picked up from time to time in the neighbourhood. It was the opinion of 

 that gentlemen that more than one battle had taken place on the adjoining plain ; 

 the later one had been fought in the time of Edward III., and that the mound 

 was the site of two separate interments. But whether such was the case or not, 

 I think it was evident to most of us who stood by, that the remains we had met 

 with at the bottom of the tumulus had been religiously respected, and that the 

 place of their burial had not been systematically explored as those of the more 

 civilised nations of the eame age have been and still are, whenever they are met 

 with, for the sake of the valuable objects they may be supposed to contain. 



It is well known that it was the custom of the early Egyptians, Greeks, 

 and Romans to bury with their departed relatives and friends some highly prized 

 work of art or personal ornament, to which circumstance we owe the existence 

 in the museums and private collections at home and abroad of many beautiful and 

 costly examples of early art, among which I may mention the Portland vase in the 

 British Museum and the celebrated Farnese tazzain the National Museum at Naples. 



After leaving Twyn-y-beddau, we started on our return to Hay by the 

 Ousop dingle. At Craigran waterfall, Mr. J, G. Thomas, of Hay, read a paper 

 " On some of the geological features of the counties of Hereford, Brecon, and 

 Radnor," in which he described how the beautiful hill and dale scenery of these 

 counties was ovrtng, on the one hand, to the disturbing forces on the earth's crust, 

 whereby a large extent of country was suddenly raised or depressed, and on the 

 other to the more gradual denuding effects of glaciers and running water. 



At Cusop churchyard, the Rev. A. Pope, the curate, gave us an interesting 

 account of the ancient and restored parish church while we rested under the 

 grateful shade of one of its venerable yew trees, a photograph of which appeared 

 in the Volume of our Transactions for 1866. 



