152 Danish Cromlechs and Burial Customs, 8fc. 



that the aborigines were acquainted with the simple method of 

 splitting large blocks of granite, which is still practised in several 

 countries," (p. 92.) 



His present Majesty the King of Denmark has written an 

 exceedingly interesting article upon the construction of Giants' 

 Chambers, i.e. the larger kind of cromlech, — in which he says : 

 " si Ton considere I'interieur de la chambre s^pulcrale on apercevra 

 aussitot que les murailles et le plafond en offrent toujours des 

 cotes plats, et que ceux-ci forment une muraille tout unie que la 

 pierre brute des champs ou des terrains pres des cotes ne pourrait 

 produire a moins que ce ne fut par une exception tres rare. II ne 

 pourra done pas y avoir de doute que ces grosses pierres n'aient 

 et^ taillees ou faconnees expres pour I'ouvrage a construire. On 

 ne pourra revoquer en doute non plus que la taille ou la fente des 

 pierres n'ait ete faite a I'endroit meme ou on les a trouv^es, car 

 tout devrait inviter a diminuer les difficultes du transport en 

 faconnant d'avance les pierres ou en amoindrissant leurs masses." 

 [If the interior of the sepulchral chamber be examined it will 

 be at once seen that the sides and ceiling always present even 

 surfaces, and that the sides form a uniform wall, such as the rude 

 stone of the fields or lands on the coast could not produce, except 

 very rarely. It cannot therefore be doubted that these stone 

 masses have been shaped or expressly fashioned for the work to be 

 constructed. There can be no doubt also that the shaping or 

 splitting of the stones has taken place on the very spot where they 

 were found , for everything prompted them to lessen the difficulties 

 of transport by reducing their masses.] His Majesty then goes 

 on to describe the mode by which they are supposed to have accom- 

 plished it, in an age of wood and stone implements, — viz., by 

 means of fire and water, the wedge and the mallet. A furrow is 

 made in the block which is filled with water ; fire is kindled 

 beneath the block and when it is sufficiently heated, wedges are 

 driven into the furrow, and the fracture is effected. If then the 

 stone chambers of Denmark present the uniform and squared 

 appearance here described, there is again another difference 

 between them and ours. Although the internal surfaces of the 



