142 Congress of British Archaeological Association at Devizes. 



Alton, and descends to Eastern Kennet, then mounting" to this spot, 

 continues its sinuous course along* the brow of the downs on Hack- 

 pen, and so on by Barbury Castle; whence, steering north -east, it 

 enters Berkshire in the parish of Ashbury. 



A short drive through Western Kennet brought the party to 

 Silbury which was soon covered with archaeologists, and on their 

 descent Rev. A. C. Smith gave a brief account of its dimensions, 

 declaring it to be the largest artificial tumulus in England, and, so 

 far as he knew, in Europe, with the exception of one or two in 

 Russia. He admitted its origin to be a moot point, but he held to 

 the opinion that it was a burial-place. He described the two pre- 

 vious openings made, the one by the Duke of Northumberland and 

 Colonel Drax, at the close of the last century, by means of a shaft 

 sunk from the top ; and the other by the Archseological Institute, 

 in 1849, by means of a tunnel from the base on the southern side, 

 at which he himself was present ; and he invited the opinion of the 

 Members of the Association as to the most advisable point in which 

 to tunnel it again, in case (as he hoped) some further investigation 

 should be made at no distant day. He had consulted the owner, 

 Sir John Lubbock, on the subject, and the proposition had been 

 entertained, of opening it on the present occasion, but from un- 

 avoidable circumstances, that scheme had been abandoned. Other 

 gentlemen gave their opinions on the probable origin of the mound, 

 and Mr. Brock agreed with Mr. Smith in thinking it sepulchral, 

 but no suggestion was elicited as to the most advisable point from 

 which to drive the next tunnel. 



Mr. Smith then conducted the party on foot to the large but 

 imperfect circle of very small stones, which he had opened two years 

 ago. He described how he had been led to suspect its existence 

 from the position of the few sarsens which were above ground ; and 

 how he had unearthed twenty-two stones which were buried, and 

 ' probed the ground in every direction for the discovery of others. 

 He knew of no similar circle in this country, so large in diameter, 

 but composed of such small stones ; though such circles, and even 

 squares and triangles, some of very diminutive size, and always of 

 very small stones, were not uncommon on the coasts of Jutland. 



