60 Stonehenge and its Barrows. 



the pyramidal form. One of them, No 26 in Sir R. Hearers plan, 

 has a groove cut down its side, but for what reason is not apparent. 



The so-called " altar-stone,'''' ' is, or rather, was, when entire, 15 feet 

 long by 3 wide. 



Of this innermost group of stones a few only remain. 



On the left hand as one enters the circle of stones from the avenue, 

 is a recumbent syenite stone of 7 feet 6 inches in length with two 

 mortises on its lower side. It appears to have been an impost, but 

 its original situation does not clearly appear. 



The writer gladly supplements his own account of Stonehenge 

 with that of Sir Henry James, the Director-General of the Ordnance 

 Survey, as the measurements made under his direction would be taken, 

 probably, with greater accuracy than his own: " The structure, when 

 complete, consisted of an outer circle of thirty large stones, upon 

 which other large stones were laid horizontally so as to form a perfect 

 continuous circle. This circle is 100 feet in diameter within the 

 stones. 



" The stones in the uprights have each two tenons on their upper 

 surface, which fit into mortises cut into the under surface of the 

 horizontal stones ; by this mode of construction, the whole circle 

 was braced together. The average dimensions of the uprights in 

 this circle are 12 feet 7 inches out of the ground, 6 feet broad, and 

 3 feet 6 inches in thickness. Those in the circle resting on the 

 uprights are about 10 feet long, 3 feet 6 inches wide, and 2 feet 

 8 inches deep. 



" Within this circle are five stupendously large trilithons, each con- 

 sisting of two uprights with tenons on them, supporting a large 

 horizontal lintel, in which two mortices are cut to receive the 

 tenons. 



" These trilithons, are arranged in the form of a horse-shoe, so 

 that one of them is central as regards the other four. The 

 horizontal stone called the altar stone, lies in front of the central 

 trilithon, and we see that the axial line of the structure is from N.E. 

 to S.W., or on the line of the two stones G.H. The five trilithons 



1 On altars in connexion with Druidical worship, see " Herbert's Cyclops 

 Ghristianus," p. 23. 



