194 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK CH . 



danger at one time threatened the better known 

 and better preserved, though originally far 

 smaller, Druidical temple at Stonehenge. 



Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History 



Society 



Yatesbury Rectory, Calne, 

 Jan. 3, 1883. 



Dear Sir John — I must apologize for troubling you 

 with this letter, when you have so many things to attend 

 to, but I know nobody else to whom I can so effectually 

 state my grievance. 



In a note just received from a leading solicitor in 

 Devizes is this ominous tale : " Have you heard of 

 the threatened invasion of Stonehenge by a Railway 

 Engineer ? The London & South Western, under the 

 name of the ' Bristol and London and South-Western 

 Junction Railway Company,' are now energetically 

 promoting a Bill in Parliament for taking a railway 

 from a point in the South-Western Railway near 

 Graveley (marked on the Ordnance Map as ' Hampshire 

 Gap ') by Amesbury, Stonehenge, Shrewton, Chitterne, 

 Westbury, and Radstock to Bristol. 



" The engineer proposes to take the line straight 

 through the Cursus ! ! " 



This is the substance of my correspondent's letter, 

 and I am afraid the thing is true, as he is a good authority, 

 and would not have written to me without being sure 

 of his facts. 



But what is to be done ? If anybody can put a spoke 

 in the wheel you can ; but I fear the Ancient Monuments 

 Bill will not include the Cursus ! ! — With every good 

 wish for the New Year to you and yours, Believe me, 

 my dear Sir John, yours very sincerely, 



A. C. Smith. 



In response to this letter Sir John put down a 

 notice of opposition to the Bill, in consequence 

 of which the promoters invited him to confer with 

 them. This he consented to, and Mr. S. Morley, 

 M.P. for Bristol, attended the conference. After 

 some discussion Mr. Morley said he was afraid 



