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FROM AN ACCOUNT GIVEN IN THE MISSION " TAPAL BOOK" BY 

 THE REV. r>. C. SCUDDER. 



I have just returned this morning from a A'isit of exploration to 

 remains near this bungalow (Periakulam) ; and it has occurred to me, 

 that it would be worth while to jot down in these pages the facts which 

 have already been brought to light upon the antiquities of this Madura 

 district by members of the mission. By means of a little Yankee in- 

 quisltiveness, and a trifling expense of time and money, we may be 

 able to throw some light upon the vexed question of the ancient inhab- 

 itants of India. 



I propose to arrange the remains already discovered under three 

 heads, adopting terms already in common use, employed by writers on 

 Celtic remains in Great Britain, and, I think, not inapposite to these. 



I. — Barroios. A mound of earth surrounded by rough, bowlder-like 

 stones, forming a rude circle of about twelve to twenty feet in diameter. 

 These have been found in DIndigal and Periakulam. In Dindigal, we 

 found large numbers of them spread over a large area. In Periakulam, 

 I have found half a dozen in a row, at a little remove from each other, 

 on the Tope Road, half a mile or more from the house, and again 

 about three miles toward the tope ; others upon the west side of the 

 road. Within these circles are found the two other kinds of remains. 



II. — Cromlechs. These are buildings formed of enormous stone slabs, 

 usually six inches thick : in a perfect one, there are always two such 

 upright slabs, about six feet long and of varying height, planted per- 

 pendicularly in the ground, at a distance of three feet from each other, 

 and one end closed by another slab of the same dimensions. These 

 slabs are always present if the building is in a tolerable state of pres- 

 ervation. The cromlechs are found upon the Pulneys and also upon 

 the plains. They have been discovered at DIndigal, at Pulney ; and 

 to-day I have found some in this place. Those examined upon the 

 hills had a large slab over the structure, and a corresponding one be- 

 low. Nothing was found within and nothing below the lower slab. 

 No stone has, I believe, been found at the bottom of the cromlech 

 on the plains ; but the top stone is occasionally present. The cromlechs 

 found upon the plains, however, are not empty. Both at Dindigal and 

 Periakulam were found within the cromlechs, as within the barrows, 

 the third class of remains ; viz., — 



III. — Cairns."^' These are large earthen pots, varying in shape and 

 size : some only two or three feet in depth ; others large enough to ad- 

 mit a man, as I proved this morning. These have been found at Din- 

 digal, Mana Madura, Pulney, Periakulam, and Battalagundu sta- 

 tions. Within them are found vai'ious styles of small earthen vessels, 



* The Application of this term to the urns is evidentlj' a mistake. 



