ANTIQUITIES OF ALDERNEY. 161 



the hilly ground in the centre of the island ; they bnilt their 

 houses against the hillside half buried in the banks. The 

 larger vessels now in use could not find a landing-place in 

 shallow waters, so Longy Bay was deserted, the Bourgage 

 became the site of the town, and the Braye of the harbour. 

 This change probably took place before the eleventh century. 

 There is no need of a great catastrophe to account for it ; 

 there is no proof that a violent tempest brought sand deep 

 enough to bury the old settlement at one fell swoop ; the 

 inhabitants may deserve the record that "this proceeded from 

 the just judgment of God upon the owners of those grounds 

 who had made booty and put unto the sword some Spaniards 

 there shipwrecked " ; the ordinary drift of the sand is quite 

 sufficient to account for the few feet which have accumulated 

 over the spot in 2,UUU years. But whatever its cause or date, 

 by this burial we have had preserved to us most valuable and 

 instructive relics of a past civilization. 



No doubt further excavations in the Longy district would 

 result in most interesting discoveries, but if these are ever 

 carried out it is to be hoped that the work will be done as 

 carefully as in 19u5, and if possible under the supervision of 

 someone having a knowledge of archaeology, and also that any 

 curiosities brought to light will again find a home in a local 

 museum. 



In this connection let me quote the words of a dis- 

 tinguished archaeologist : " Great advantages are to be derived 

 by the accumulation of specimens into masses ; two articles 

 may be totally unintelligible separately considered, which 

 when viewed together might palpably demonstrate their uses 

 and objects. Museums of antiquities should therefore be 

 cherished and made as perfect as possible, and all patriotic 

 persons should deposit articles of antiquity therein, as they 

 might be useful to the historian or student, and intelligible by 

 comparison and juxtaposition, whereas as solitary specimens 

 they are of little or no value." 



LIST OF BRONZE OBJECTS 



forming the Gaudion Collection now in the Guille-Alles 

 Museum. They were discovered by Mr. John Herivel on 

 his plot on Longy Common, Alderney, in 1832, and Avere 

 bequeathed to the Guernsey Mechanics' Institute by the 

 widow of the late Judge Gaudion. 



Ce\ts, Simp 7e. i'Solid). Four, all nearly similar in size and vshape. (Hollow). 

 Three, about same size, one larger, but broken, rather over two inches 



