498 LONG BARROWS. 



barrows of the south-west of England, but I have not seen them in 

 any other of the true long barrows which I have myself examined. 

 One hole, however, was very much larger than ordinary, and ap- 

 peared to correspond to what was observed in the long barrows at 

 Westow, near Wass, and on Crosby Garrett Fell. The first hole was 

 21 ft. south-west of the centre-point above mentioned, and was of 

 an oval form, 3 ft. by 2 ft., and 2 ft. deep ; it was filled up with 

 chalk, earth, and charcoal. A second, 1 ft. east of the first, was 

 2 ft. 8 in. in diameter and 2 ft. deep ; it was filled with the same 

 materials as the first. A third was 21 ft. west-south-west of the 

 centre-point, 2 ft. 9 in. in diameter, and of the same depth and 

 having the same contents as the first two. A fourth was 9 ft. 

 south-east of the centre-point, and of an oval form, north-north-east 

 by south-south-west, 4 ft. by 2f ft., and 14 in. deep. It was filled 

 with burnt soil and charcoal, and on the surface of the filling-in 

 were found two flint flakes and some burnt bones. A fifth was 

 15 ft. north-west of the centre-point, 4ft. by 3ft., and 1| ft. deep, 

 and was filled in with earth and chalk. 



At a distance of 18 ft. east-south-east of the centre-point was the 

 western side of what proved to be a large hole. It was not very far 

 from the eastern end of the mound, and presented some very 

 curious features. It was 12 ft. long and 6 ft. wide (running north- 

 east-by-north and south- west-by-south), and had a depth of 4 ft. 9 in. 

 Hound the sides it was filled in with loose chalk-rubble and mixed 

 chalk and earth, all of which was slightly altered by the action of 

 fire. The middle part, however, for a space of 8 ft. by 4J ft., was a 

 mass of fine earth (very much like the remains of burnt turfs) and 

 calcined chalk, together with charcoal in very large pieces ; the char- 

 coal being most abundant, and in some places continuous, between 

 the completely burnt matter at the centre and the partially burnt 

 chalk and earth round the sides. With the exception of a very few 

 calcined bones, it contained nothing besides the charcoal, burnt 

 earth, and chalk. It is not very easy to understand the way in 

 which the burning had been managed ; but, so far as could be made 

 out, the process seems to have been as follows. A hollow had been 

 excavated in the chalk rock, and then filled in, at the centre, with 

 turfs and chalk-rubble ; round this wood had been placed, a space 

 being left between the wood and the sides of the hollow, which was 

 then filled in with chalk- rubble and earth. The wood being then 

 ignited, the matter within it became completely burnt, whilst that 

 without, being of less combustible materials, was not so much 



