330 DESCRIPTION. 



form is very irregular, a mere curve in fact, hollowed 

 out of the rock, and always facing to the south-west or 

 north-west, but never to the north-east. 



Such of the " Grytor " as have not been disturbed 

 are usually filled to the brim with boulder-stones, soil, 

 &c. Not unfrequently, indeed, one sees rank ^rass. 

 bushes, and even trees growing as in a llmver-pot, vegeta- 

 tion being facilitated by the moisture contained in them. 

 The diagram to the extreme left of figure 1 shows tlie 

 "Gryta" whilst in this state ; the several "Grytor" to 

 the right of it. after they have been cleared from refuse; 

 and the figure to the extreme right the relative propor- 

 tions between a man aud the " Gryta." 



"I have excavated very many 'Grytor,'' -ays my 

 talented friend Mr. Alexander Keiller, of Gothenburg, to 

 whom I am indebted for the accompanying drawings, 

 as also for many others in my former works, " and shall 

 endeavour to give a general description of their con- 

 tents: Take, for instance, a 'Gryta' G feet in diameter 

 at the mouth, and 8 feet deep. The sod and earth (com- 

 monly from 12 to 18 inches in depth) being removed, 

 the tops of large boulder-stones now present theinselvo. 

 compactly embedded in gravel and sand ; so hard, in 

 fact, is the mass that there is the greatest difficulty in 

 removing any part of it. When the uravel is so far got 

 rid of that the boulder-stones become exposed, I blast 

 the latter with gunpowder. Should the stones be egg- 

 shaped, then the thicker end is constantly downwards.* 

 The stones of the first tier are almost invariably tin- 

 largest (there are exceptions, however, to this rule. ina- 

 much as 1 have found near the bottom of a 'Gryta' 



* "If the lio|>j"T of si mill 1 l>-ei-\e,l when -rindini; Ix-an*. it will I* 



seen that tin- vibratory motion w ill arran;.'e all the Leans with their hea\ ie.-t 

 ilownwanls ; ami the like U the MM w illi tin' >t M in <|iie>tion." 



