CHAP. II. IRISH LAKE-DWELLINGS, OR CRANNOGES. 29 



ville, on the Lake of Bienne. It relates to the age of a pile- 

 dwelling, the mammalian bones of which are considered by 

 M. Kiitimeyer to indicate the earliest portion of the stone 

 period of Switzerland, and to correspond in age with the 

 settlement of Moosseedorf. 



The piles in question occur at the Pont de Thiele, be 

 tween the Lakes of Bienne and Neufchatel. The old con 

 vent of St. Jean, founded 750 years ago, and built originally 

 on the margin of the Lake of Bienne, is now at a con 

 siderable distance from the shore, and affords a measure 

 of the rate of the gain of land in seven centuries and a half. 

 Assuming that a similar rate of the conversion of water 

 into marshy land prevailed antecedently, we should re 

 quire an addition of sixty centuries for the growth of the 

 morass intervening between the convent and the aquatic 

 dwelling of Pont de Thiele, in all 6750 years. M. Morlot, 

 after examining the ground, thinks it highly probable that 

 the shape of the bottom on which the morass rests is 

 uniform ; but this important point has not yet been tested by 

 boring. The result, if confirmed, would agree exceedingly 

 well with the chronological computation before mentioned of 

 the age of the stone period of Tiniere. As I have not myself 

 visited Switzerland since these chronological speculations 

 were first hazarded, I am unable to enter critically into a 

 discussion of the objections which have been raised to the 

 two first of them, or to decide on the merits of the explanations 

 offered in reply. 



Irish Lake-dwellings, or Crannoges. 



The lake-dwellings of the British Isles, although not ex 

 plored as yet with scientific zeal, as those of Switzerland have 

 been in the last ten years, are yet known to be very nu 

 merous, and when carefully examined will not fail to throw 

 great light on the history of the bronze and stone periods. 



