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FROM THE REV. D. C. SCUDDKR. 



PULNEY Hills, May 22, 1802. 



Yesterday I had what might fairly be termed a tramp, and with 

 rather an unusual object in view. You know I have always been 

 interested in the antiquities of India, and especially in matters per- 

 taining to the hill tribes. I had read often of the relics found on the 

 Nilagiris, but did not know until recently that similar remains were to 

 be found on these Pulney Hills. A few weeks ago, I heard from Mr. 

 Taylor that such remains were upon the hills, and accessible : so I at 

 once proposed an excursion in search. Yesterday we started off, — 

 Mr. Taylor, Mr. Burnell, Mr. Hunt, and I. A coolie went with us, 

 carrying provisions for the day ; and my gardener carried a crowbar 

 and hoe. We had a cup of tea early, and were off by half-past six. 

 After a toilsome ride, we arrived at half-past nine at the ruins of an 

 old house occujjied by a former collector of this district. It is called 

 Blackburn's bungalow. We left our horses here in charge of our 

 coolie, and then set out for the supposed site of the cromlechs. 



We had travelled so far, a little over an hour, when Mr. Taylor, 

 who always keeps his eyes open, shouted, " There they are ! — crom- 

 lechs ! " and away we rushed pell-mell at what he pointed out. 

 Sure enough, here was the veritable thing, not to be mistaken a 

 moment. It was upon the nose of a ridge running out from the 

 mountain, and overlooking a long and beautiful valley below it, — a 

 most picturesque spot. The first that we came upon were placed 

 within a raised place twenty-four feet square, facing east and west. 

 In or on this platform were a dozen or more of these structures. 

 They were much broken up, and falling to decay. As originally built, 

 they consisted of slabs of unhewn stone, three placed on end, and 

 another immense one laid across them, giving an ojiening at one end. 

 One large one measured eight feet in length, and four in breadth. We 

 crawled under this, though the slab was partly fallen down ; and, call- 

 ing for the hoe, I scratched away the soil that was below, in hopes of 

 finding flooring. I think I was not mistaken ; for I found a flat stone 

 wherever I dug, and it sounded hollow. I did not scratch away all 

 the mould, as it was not easy work ; and it was a sheer impossibility to 

 attempt to move the slab, in hope of finding any thing beneath. There 

 were six of these cromlechs in a row, and we made out three rows 

 pretty clearly. 



The platform itself was neatly walled up with square, unhewn 

 stones, and raised about three feet above the ground. A couple of 

 rods down the hill were several others of the same style, but not en- 

 closed with any wall, or, at least, with none well preserved. We pried 

 open one that seemed closed, but Ibund only a heajj of cobble-stones. 



