1869.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 233 



favourite child had been met with, and in it had been placed the orna- 

 ments and toys, with which the child had amused himself while alive. 

 But I do not think there is any sufficient proof that this was so. 



The general character of these depositories was found by Mr. 

 Babington to vary according to the nature of the soil or rock on 

 which they were constructed. Where the soil is of considerable 

 depth, the large vessel of baked clay is generally found alone, and 

 is the depository of the bones, beads, arms, &c, which are found in 

 most of these sepulchres ; but where there is little soil or the rock 

 comes near the surface, then a chamber is found regularly excavated, 

 as I have described. 



And to this chamber, an entrance was secured by cutting regular 

 steps proceeding by an incline at the side to a doorway or squared 

 entrance, which was subsequently closed by placing against it an- 

 other squared slab of stone, covering the space. 



As proof of the fact that these Kull or Coolies of Malabar are of 

 very much the same age (although I believe later) as the so-called 

 Cromlechs of Coorg, I may mention that the beads found in the one 

 are in size, shape, material, style and mode of ornamentation, identical 

 with those obtained from the others. 



Now we have then the following facts as bearing on the question of 

 the age of these very remarkable works, (and here I will take all as 

 being of one great age, though I believe there is sufficient to shew a 

 very large degree of progress in the industrial arts, during the very 

 lengthened period over which the construction of many hundreds of 

 these remains must have extended) : we have carefully shaped stones 

 of large size, chipped down to rudely symmetrical form, shaped into 

 arched figures, and formed into regularly dressed openings ; we have 

 chambers excavated in hard material into symmetrical form, an en- 

 trance to these chambers provided by regularly cut stairs or steps ; we 

 have earthenware of two kinds, some of the larger pieces being of sizes 

 which required considerable skill to bake even partially ; and in some 

 of the apparently later forms, we have earthenware ornamented by the 

 use of a glaze, and the application of distinct rude ornamentation, as well 

 as the use of peculiar and difficult formed shapes. (See illustrations to 

 Mr. Babington's papers referred to.) With these we find numer- 

 ous remains of iron weapons and tools, swords of the ordinary so called 



