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this the cromlech was probably intended, as no trace of burial was 

 found under it. The coincidence that all giant graves face to the 

 N.E., where the sun rises, and that all circles having out-lying 

 stones, have them in N.E., as Stonehenge, savours strongly of sun 

 worship — the most ancient and general of all religions. 



" It is only by the co-relation of these lithic structures with others 

 that the mystery which enshrouds their origin is likely to be 

 removed. It is now known that they extend in an almost unbroken 

 line from the Himalaya Mountains through Arabia, Syria, along 

 the shores of the Mediterranean, crossing the north of France to 

 the Channel Islands, and reaching our own shores — from thence 

 up to Scandinavia and the Baltic coast. 



"A very singular survival of the use of stone monuments has 

 lately been discovered in the north-east of the Himalaya range 

 among the Khasi Hill tribes — a semi-civilized people, who still to 

 this day erect standing-stones (menhirs) and cromlechs. The 

 former are memorial, commemorating some benefit which the 

 spirit of a long-departed ancestor has conferred, it is supposed, on 

 the living. Some of these monoliths are 18 feet high, and the 

 country is dotted over with them everywhere. Their religion is 

 demon-worship ; if a Khasias gets sick, it is owing to the enmity 

 of some demon, and if all exorcisms fail to recover him, the sick 

 man vows to erect a stone to some one of his forefathers, who, it 

 is presumed, on knowing of the intention, will try to save him. 

 Succeeding, the stone is erected, and called after this guardian 

 ancestor. 



" The cromlechs are only used for interment, and are a family 

 receptacle, cremation being the custom. The dead are burned in 

 a bed of logs, the bones and ashes carefully collected and placed 

 in an urn, which is buried for a year before being placed in the 

 family cromlech. The reason of this delay is to ascertain if the 

 spirit of the deceased is comfortable, for, if not, some of his family 

 get sick, or other calamity befalls. The ashes are then raised and 

 re-interred. Such removals are only done three times, and finally, 

 no matter how restless the ghost may be, are placed in the stone 

 receptacle. In the older cromlechs, ornaments, &c, are interred 



