the Downs of North Wiltshire. 



335 



equally elegant disc-shaped barrow that most frequently arrest 

 attention; whilst in North Wiltshire these are of much more rare 

 occurrence and give place to the more primitive and simple bowl- 

 shaped barrow. 



A few words may be added on the mode of opening barrows. 

 Like Mr. Cunnington and Sir R. 0. Hoare, our plan has been to 

 dig a hole, ten or twelve feet square, in the centre of the mound ; 

 and to sink a shaft from the top to the bottom, until the undisturbed 

 chalk rock is reached, and the original interment disclosed. By 

 this method, when carefully filled up and the turf replaced, the 

 external form of the mound is hardly at all affected ; and, as Sir R. 

 C. Hoare observes, barrows so opened scarcely bear the appearance 

 of any examination. 1 It is the more desirable to allude to this 

 point, as in the adjoining county of Dorsetshire, the much more 

 costly and tedious method of cutting a trench through the entire 

 mound seems to be the plan still usually adopted. The external 

 form of the barrow is by this means much more defaced ; though 

 except in rare cases, such an extensive section cannot be requisite 

 for the full disclosure of the contents of the tumulus. It is, however, 

 hardly possible to write in measured terms of the injury inflicted on 

 these ancient monuments, through the recklessness of those modern 

 barrow-diggers, who after satisfying their curiosity, entirely neglect 

 to restore 



These grassy barrows of the mighty dead 

 to their original form. During a visit to the Dorsetshire coast, 

 in August last, the writer witnessed with regret the condition 

 in which the remarkable tumulus called "Culliford Tree Bar- 

 up, two or three tumuli of this rare form, situated about half a mile to the west 

 of the fifth mile-stone from Devizes, are unfortunately threatened with obliter- 

 ation. 



" They do zae that a travelling chap 



Have a put in the Newspeaper now, 

 That the bit of green ground on the knap, 



Should be all a-took in vor the plough. 

 He do fancy 'tis easy to show, 



That we can be but stunpolls at best, 

 Vor to leave a green spot where a flower can gi-ow, 



Or a voot weary walker med rest." 



Poems in the Dorset Dialect. 2nd Series. By Rev. W. Barnes. 



1 Tumuli Wiltun. p. 6. 



