32 H. C. Luwlor on 



mcnts uic suppuiLed by the clear evidence of facts. My recent 

 investigations have been carried out in an endeavour to procure 

 evidence of this sort. 



In the days of my boyhood my holidays or half-holidays were 

 often spent in expeditions to souterrains. No pleasure could have 

 been greater than when my venerated friend the late Canon Grainger 

 asked me to accompany him on some of his expeditions, as he often 

 did, in pursuit of research on this or kindred subjects. My friend 

 Mr. Knowles and I are now the only two left of a little party 

 organized by Dr. Grainger to investigate the splendid souterrain 

 lying seven feet below the old churchyard of Kirkconriola, Bally- 

 mena, about the year 1882. Dr. Grainger, Dr. Buick, Mr. 

 Knowles, Mr. George Raphael — all keen students of archaeology 

 — and I, then a young schoolboy invited by that kind and lovable 

 man, Dr. Grainger, made up the party. The cave had been opened 

 by mere chance on the digging of a specially deep grave, and as 

 the funeral was to be next morning we had only time to examine 

 it hurriedly, as the covering stone had to be replaced before the 

 funeral. It consisted of three long and wide horizontal chambers 

 6-| feet high. At the end of the third another passage proceeding 

 further was stopped up. It seemed to lead under the old church, 

 which is of uncertain foundation, probably the 7th century. 



As mentioned in the beginning of my remarks I intended to 

 confine investigations merely to souterrains. This I found to be 

 impracticable, as many souterrains are situated in raths : I 

 therefore found it necessary to join souterrains and raths together 

 as one subject of investigation. The reason for this I think will 

 become apparent as the account of my investigations proceeds. 



The first souterrain which I was able to get satisfactorily to 

 work upon was that at the base of Knock Dhu Mountain, the 

 terminating ridge of the well-known Sallagh Braes, which form 

 a semi-circular wall on the west side of the district of Cairn- 

 castle, near Larne. Willing consent and assistance were given me 

 by the owner, Mr. Stewart, and his son. 



In the great majority of souterrains, the original flo'jrs have, 

 through the progress of centuries, got silted up by the soil oozing 



