350 THE NBtGHBOTTRHOOD OF BEOWN WILLY. 



the elevation was increased by having the floor much hollowed 

 out below the outside ground-level. Agreeing as to their circular 

 construction, they differ largely in area, as for example on Carne 

 Down, where some are about 14 feet in diameter, others 26, and 

 two 42 and 44 feet respectively. It seems unlikely the latter 

 could ever have been roofed in ; their use is not apparent, (for 

 there are numerous angular enclosures which would do for cattle), 

 unless they may have served as council chambers for the tribe. 

 With the cattle close by, safe within their thick walls, and the 

 people themselves within ear-shot of each other, and command- 

 ing a good view of an approaching enemy, these villages must 

 have been very fair fortresses, almost impregnable to men and 

 wolves. 



It is natural to connect with these villages those flints so 

 plentifully met with on the moors. There appear to have been 

 manufactories of flint tools here and there ; for pieces of the 

 stone varying in size from the unbroken nodule to the smallest 

 fragment, are found in larger quantities in some limited areas 

 than over the general surface ; though stray chips are turned up 

 almost anywhere, when cutting peat, etc. I have had some 

 hundreds of pieces brought me, among which are knives, 

 scrapers, arrowheads, and one celt ; these have undoubtedly 

 been manufactured, but the greater part of the specimens are 

 merely natural or accidental chippings, fractured without method 

 or design. Recently on lifting a block of granite on Trewint Tor 

 a " pint " of flakes were exposed, deposited in a heap under the 

 rock ; these may have been rough material for gun-flints or strike 

 lights, put there and forgotten ; they had not been worked in 

 any way after being chipped from the nodule. Those arrowheads 

 which I have seen are exceedingly small, but carefully chipped 

 all over. Some years since a bronze spear-head was found under 

 six feet of gravel in the stream work below Jamaica Inn ; it is 

 now at Tavistock. Occasionally Piskey grinding stones (whorls) 

 have been turned up by the plough ; but of these I have not yet 

 secured any examples. 



Charms are still in use by the simple-minded, for thrush, 

 warts, and various complaints ; also for the cure of cattle, when 

 some evil disposed person has "turned a figure upon" (i.e. 



