21 



THE ANNUAL EXCURSION. 



The annual excursion of the members of the Eoyal Institution 

 of Cornwall took place on Friday, 1 6th August, and the Cambrian 

 Archaeological Association, holding its meeting at Launceston, 

 (having been invited to visit Cornwall by the former society), it 

 was decided to join the excursion of the Cambrian Archaeological 

 Society to the Cheesewring. The members of the Eoyal Institu- 

 tion came to Lisbeard and drove out first to Kilmar, the tor 

 beyond the Cheesewring, and then met the excursion of the 

 Cambrian Association at the Cheesewring Hotel for luncheon. 



The Cheesewring and the prehistoric remains near it were 

 explored, after a capital luncheon at the Cheesewring Hotel. 

 Mr. Harris, superintendent of the Caradon Railway, added much 

 to the interest of the visit by his explanations and local informa- 

 tion, A visit was first made to what is known as the Eillaton 

 Barrow — so named from the manor on which it is situated — in 

 which a remarkable gold drinking cup was found in 1837. Mr. 

 lago produced an enlarged drawing of it. It is .'^f- inches in 

 height, and the bullion value of it is £10 Mr. Harris stated 

 that before the cup was found there was a curious legend current 

 in the neighbourhood. Whenever hunters came round that way, 

 the Arch Druid would receive them sitting in his chair, and 

 would offer them drink out of a golden goblet ; and if there 

 were forty or fifty of them, they could all drink from the cup 

 without emptying it. One day a party were hunting the wild 

 boar in the Widdecombe Marsh, to the west of the Cheesewring, 

 and one of their number took an oath, or laid a wager, that if 

 the Druid was there then, he would drink the cup dry. They 

 thereupon saw the locks of the priest floating in the air, and 

 hastened up to him. The hunter drank of the cup until he 

 could drink no more, and was so enraged at his inability to 

 finish it that he dashed the wine in the face of the Druid, who 

 immediately disappeared. In connection with this legend, it 

 is curious that within a quarter, of a mile of the traditional seat 

 of the Druid this gold cup was found. 



