RECENT ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES IN CORNWALL. 199 



Mr. Tom Hellyar, of Harlyn House, told me how, one day 

 (when his father lived there) a labourer came in from work with 

 some strange ornaments, thought to be of thin brass or other base 

 metal, encircled or twisted about his legs. The man had found 

 them in digging, and put them on (in sport) not suspecting their 

 real value. His act will account for the crumpled appearance 

 of the gold. They were dug from a mound on a moderately low 

 cliff near Oatacluse point, the western bluff of the bay. I was 

 shewn the spot,* — near it is a path leading to and from the beach. 

 On the headland itself are several unopened barrows composed, to 

 a great extent, of " spar-stones. "f 



The rocks surrounding the bay are very friable and are 

 rapidly flaking away. Above them is a considerable deposit of 

 sand, with turf and spire grass growing on the upper surface. 



By the force of storms the coast is becoming more and more 

 exposed in section. The sea by its encroachments is cutting 

 down the cliffs perpendicularly and scattering the debris. One 

 result has been the curious discovery next to be described : — 



From time to time, Mr. Hellyar informed me, portions of 

 human skeletons have been brought into view ; and on one 

 occasion, in the Autumn of 1887, he (whilst walking on the 

 beach) observed an Urn embedded in the face of the cliff. It 

 had not previously been noticed. He removed it, together with 

 its very interesting contents, and shortly afterwards showed me 

 the impression it had left, also the horizontal stone (in situ) 

 which had covered it, and the relics in his possession. 



Having carefully examined the objects, and taken sketches 

 and measurements, on the spot, before rough weather had 

 obliterated the traces of the urn's position, I am able to supply 

 the following details : — 



The urn, a large one with loop handles, was disclosed by 

 the falling away of the ground between it and the sea. It 

 appeared at a depth of more than 30 feet below the summit of 



*A spring of water drips down over the rocks. To cut the spring and form 

 a pool above, was the work which led to the discovery of the lunettes, &c. Yellow 

 spar stones forming the barrow are still in the ground, and beneath the adjoining 

 field can be seen a layer of ashes and charcoal just above the pool. 



fOne of the barrows on the headland has been opened. Under the stones 

 bones were found but no urn. 



