1-40 DRUID1CAL CIRCLES. 



Any resident who is sufficiently familiar with the 

 country people to get them to speak their minds 

 fully, will find that they still hold to the notion 

 that nobody can count the Druid stones correctly ; 

 and also that a treasure is buried under the large 

 stone. As to the first, — there are in most such 

 circles, some smaller stones cropping out of the 

 ground which some visitors will, and others will 

 not, include among those of the circle. We our- 

 selves counted Long Meg and her daughters, near 

 Penrith, many times before making out the pre- 

 scribed sixty-seven, with any certainty. As for the 

 treasure, can any one prove that it is not there ? 

 Nobody wants to undermine the stone, to get rid 

 of the tradition : so our neighbours are like the 

 Arabs at Petra, who have been shooting with sling, 

 bow, and matchlock, for a thousand years, at the 

 urn where they are sure Pharaoh's treasure is, — 

 in its niche in the rock temple. For a thousand 

 years they have failed to bring it down, and are 

 determined that no European shall. And no Eu- 

 ropean would dismantle the temple to disabuse the 

 Arabs; and so the tradition and the urn stand 

 untouched. So mav it be for asjes to come with 

 Long Meg, and the giant of eight tons weight 

 that presides over the Keswick circle ! 



The ascent of Saddleback may begin behind 

 Threlkeld, up a path which the villagers will point 

 out : but an easier way is to diverge 

 from the main road some wav farther 

 on, by the road to Ilesket, near the village of 

 Scales. The hill-side path is to be taken which 

 leads along Souter Fell, by the side of the stream 

 which descends from Scales Tarn. This part is 



