448 ATIQUJTIES OX THE MOORS. 



or enemies, visited this kingdom. It does not re- 

 quire much discernment to form an idea of the 

 manner on which these huts or houses were con- 

 structed. A hole, many of which remain in different 

 parts of this kingdom, was dug in the ground which 

 formed the site of it, and the materials dug out of 

 the excavation of it were laid round as a border 

 which would keep the water from entering into it. 

 In this mound were placed poles which met at the 

 top, like a cone resembling a sugar loaf. These 

 poles were intersected or crossed with twigs, form- 

 ing 1 a kind of basket work ; over this was placed 

 straw, grass, or hay, and upon all probably turf, to 

 prevent the Avet from entering ; and on one side 

 was an opening as a door, out of which the smoke 

 escaped, and the light was admitted. The fire 

 was placed in the middle of the floor, and some 

 straw, hay, or grass, strewed round it, would fur- 

 nish the inhabitants with seats by day and beds by 

 night. 



These settlements were not all of a size, but of 

 different dimensions, like our little towns and villa- 

 ges ; and some of the druids who lived a hermit's 

 life, would live in solitary ones ; and in some places 

 two or three would be together. 



In some places are discovered numbers of them, 

 in a cluster forming a vacant place in the centre, 

 which might be a place for their cattle ; those sta- 

 tions were probably encompassed with a fence of 

 wood. These settlemants have frequently houes 

 accompanying them, which were the depositories 

 of the dead; and at some stations are large pits; 

 one at each station probably may have been for the 

 residence of their chief. They had their places of 

 tvorship also, and their officiating priests ; who 

 were very numerous and powerful amongst them. 



These settlements bear all the marks of antiquity. 

 From their stations being connected with hones 

 and druidical stones, which in some places yet re- 

 main, they appear to have been prior to the intro- 

 duction of Christianity into this island ; they cannot 

 be traced to the Danes or Saxons, as such they inut 



