152 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [June, 



Cromlechs or Cairns on some bane or grass lands about a mile to the 

 west of the town of Veerajpett in South Coorg. The discovery was 

 made by my Assistant, Lieutenant J. S. F. Mackenzie, in January last, 

 in the following manner : — A quantity of stones was required for certain 

 bridges and other works in Veerajenderpett, and one of the native 

 merchants offered to get the stones if Mr. Mackenzie would allow him 

 to remove them from the bane in question. Mr. Mackenzie inspected 

 the locality and found the remains of a great number of Cromlechs, 

 the stones of which had evidently been split up and removed at 

 different periods by the Wuddars, a tribe of stone-hewers. The bane in 

 question is much grown over with low brush wood ; and on pushing 

 further on, Mr. Mackenzie hit upon a fine large double Cromlech. 

 On communicating this most interesting archaeological discovery to 

 me, I at once forbad the removal of any more stones from the 

 locality, and directed the shrubwood and earth around the Cromlech 

 to be removed, so as to lay bare the whole structure to its base. 



Lieutenant W. Freeth, the Assistant Superintendent of the Re- 

 venue Survey, then kindly undertook to make drawings and plans 

 of this double Cromlech and of two others, and I have now the 

 pleasure of forwarding, for submission to His Excellency the Viceroy 

 and Governor- G-eneral of India, three colored drawings* of these Crom- 

 lechs, as also 20 copies of plans of the same lithographed at the 

 Merkara Sudder Jail Press from drawings by Mr. Freeth. 



The double Cromlech, (Plate 2.) is formed by six large (unhewn) 

 stones, surmounted by one large flat stone, 13 feet long, by 9 feet 9 

 inches broad, and about 7 or 8 inches thick. This top stone had been 

 apparently not long ago chiselled and split open right across the 

 centre from each side, so as to form four blocks, but most fortunately 

 had not been removed, except a small piece at the back and to the 

 left, looking at the Cromlechs. The back is also formed by one large 

 slab, as also each side. The front slabs are smaller and divided by 

 the large centre slab, which forms the enclosure into two compartments. 

 These front stones have each a peculiar aperture of an irregular 

 segmental form, about 1 foot 11 inches by 1 foot 8 inches, at the top 

 and immediately below the superincumbent stone. The stones at these 

 apertures are sharp on the inside, and present a bevilled appearance 



# We have given a reduced copy of the most important of these. Ed. 



