along Ijhe fine avenue of trees kno^vn as Monnington Avenue, and thence by the 

 private bridge across the Wye through the beautiful park of Moccas to Moccas 

 House. Here they were received by Sir G. Cornewall and his party, and, after 

 a brief stay, proceeded under his guidance, through the deer park toBredwardine, 

 admiring on theii- way the magnificent trees which abound Lq the park. The 

 noble lime trees of both species (Tilia Europea and Tilia parvifolia), were 

 glorious masses of foliage and fragrance, while the splendid oaks and other trees 

 of unusual magnitude also challenged admiration for their great height, vast 

 girth, and rich foliage. The leafy shade, too, was intensely grateful as a shel- 

 ter from the great heat of the sun, the day being one of the hottest which we 

 have experienced since the great thunderstorm and whirlwind of Sunday, July 

 14th. 



At Bredwardine, parties from Hay, and the Rev. Mr. Houseman, the 

 rector of the former parish, joined the assemblage in the great work of the 

 day— which proved to be one of considerable diflBculty— viz. , the ascent of the 

 hill to Arthur's Stone. 



On the way, a few of the party^diverged, under the guidance of Mr. Hous- 

 man, to visit the mistletoe oak recently discovered by Sir G. Cornewall, which 

 was viewed with great interest. 



The party re-assembled at the cromlech, or so-called di-uidical monument 

 known as King Arthur's Stone, which is situated in the middle of an ancient 

 road, probably British, leading along the ridge to Herbage Point, and thence 

 to Clock -mill where it joins the road to Hay along the south bank of the AVye. 

 Ai-thur's Stone has been so often described as to need little to be said about it, 

 save that it is a true cromlech evidently of great antiqmty. It consists of a 

 superincimibent slab of old red sandstone, probably brought from a neighbour- 

 ing quarry on the west or Dorstone slope of the ridge, which is now broken in 

 two ways. The lower stratum has become detached from the upper, and has 

 fallen partly to the ground, while the upper portion, which is about two 

 feet thick, and is estimated to be about 40 tons in weight, is split across the 

 middle. The stone, however, is stUl supported by the six smaller stones upon 

 which it was originally placed. It is surroimded at about eight feet distance 

 ))y a circle of stones of considerable size, which are now mostly covered with 

 greensward. There seems to have been an inner circle of upright stones about 

 four feet high, of which only foiu- are now to be traced, the remainder having 

 probably been broken up and carried off to mend the road, or for some other 

 puri)ose. One of these stones, which is singularly marked as though with 

 a gigantic thumb and two fingers, lies on the roadside, where it is shown by 

 some relaters of local tradition as bearing the marks of King Arthur's knees, 

 a.s he knelt down, while others decLixe that the marks are those of his thumb 

 and fingers, when he was playing at quoits. The marks themselves seem to 

 have been produced by water, and are analogous to those produced upon the 

 edge of a bed of rock where the stream breaks into tiny cascades, such as are 

 common in the bed of the Wye near Builth and elsewhere. How the stone 



