1868.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 187 



districts. The principal point of difference consisted in the facts ay 

 stated, that this pottery was very thick and highly glazed, two facts 

 in which it most materially differed from pottery of similar forms 

 now generally in use. 



Then, along with this pottery, were found several remains of iron 

 weapons or tools, as represented in the drawings. These were pecu- 

 liarly interesting. Several years since he had noticed to the Society the 

 curious fact that wherever any weapons or tools, or any trace of 

 metallic material had been found in such structures, they had invariably 

 been of iron. He was not aware that anything so perfect as these 

 now described had been previously found, but wherever found, or in 

 whatever condition, they had always been of iron. Now, knowing 

 the rapidity with which iron decomposes in this climate, and looking 

 to the tolerably well preserved condition in which these remains were 

 found, it would lead him to attribute to the period of their entomb- 

 ment, a date much less ancient than would at first appear justified 

 by the rude and almost unhewn nature of the structures in which 

 they have been found. It was strange that among all these old 

 Cromlechs, and other structures of unhewn stone, not a trace of stone 

 weapons had been found, although within short distances they occur 

 abundantly. 



The character and shape of the iron remains found in these Coorg 

 1 Cromlechs,' would also indicate a more advanced knowledge of the 

 art of metallurgy than could be easily reconciled with any very early 

 date. Of course it is possible that the race who last used or occupied 

 these structures, was totally different from that which first constructed 

 them, but he thought this was an exceedingly improbable supposition. 

 He hoped the Commissioner of Coorg would continue these investi- 

 gations, and was confident that other and valuable discoveries still 

 awaited enquiry. 



Mr. Phear was inclined to think that the forms of the earthen 

 vessels, represented as having been found in the Cromlechs, did not 

 point to any distinction of race. All of them, excepting two, closely 

 resembled the forms of vessels, which are in use among the people at 

 this day, and the two excepted forms only indicated to his mind that 

 among the authors of the Cromlechs the potter's art was somewhat in 

 advance of that which flourishesjn the country bazarsjiow. In these 



