THE HELSTONE ON* RlDGE IlILL, PORTESHAM. 53 



to view as ia many other instances. Hutchins gives us a picture 

 of this dolmen, as I suppose it was in liis time ; there it appears 

 as perfect as a well-made mahogany table. The poor table came 

 to grief entirely, but was re-instated as we now see it by the late 

 Mr. Manfield, and I venture to think you will all agree that it is 

 well done. 



The next structure is a somewhat similar one, the Grey Mare 

 and Colt, near Gorwell. This externally is a long barrow, 54 feet 

 long, 25 feet broad, and about 5| feet elevation, covering the 

 dolmen or stone-chamber within. Dolmen means a stone table 

 from two Celtic words : " daul," a table, and " maen," a stone. It 

 has been opened at each end , at the south end are exposed the 

 three megalithic uprights, and the top or table-stone ; each is about 

 five to six feet high and two to three feet diameter. The total 

 number of stones composing this dolmen is ten, as at the Helstone ; 

 they consist of four conglomerates and six Sarsens. At the north 

 end was apparently another interment with much smaller stones. 

 Both of these chambered monuments date from the Stone Age. 

 In France there are upwards of 3,000 ; some of these I had the 

 pleasure of seeing in Brittany in 1883. 



The most interesting and perfect is that of Gavr Innis in the 

 Morbihan. The mound is 197 feet in diameter and 30 feet high; 

 it is entered by a passage 44 feet long, leading into a chamber nine 

 feet by eight feet. Both passage and chamber are lined by stones 

 curiously sculptured with wavy, circular, and spiral lines. 

 Probably the largest known of these dolmens is the one on the 

 banks of the Boyne at New Grange, near Droghcda. It has a 

 diameter of 316 feet, a height of 70 feet, with a passage 63 feet 

 long, and many of the stones are there also sculptured Avitli spirals 

 and zig-zags. The gigantic monument is further distinguished by 

 a circle of stones standing round it. These circles of stones were 

 generally used to indicate places of interment, and consisted of 

 large stones in the Stone Age, as we see at the Winterbournc circle 

 and also at that near Abbotsbury, not far from the (iorwell dolmen- 

 These circles were smaller at a later date, as I found iu opening a 



