The Eleventh General Meeting. 



21 



over the gnomon (now called the Friar's Heel), and as that stone 

 was of a light colour, being emblematical of the light about to be 

 diffused over the earth ; in the same way he would stand before the 

 small trilithon, to observe the setting of the sun at the Winter 

 Solstice, and the small trilithon being dark, it was emblematical of 

 the darkness about to be spread over the earth. The highest trili- 

 thons might represent the length of the days in summer, and the 

 small trilithons, the length of the days in the winter season. If 

 they took the corona of the outer circle to represent the equator, 

 and drew a line from the top of the highest trilithon to the lowest, 

 it would cut at the same angle as the ecliptic does the equator. 

 Might not then these six trilithons, with their six spaces, represent 

 the sun's places during the twelve months of his revolution, and the 

 thirty upright stones, with their spaces of the outer circle, repre- 

 sent the thirty days and nights of the month. In the same way 

 the twelve upright stones, composing these six trilithons, might 

 represent the twelve months of the year." 



After dinner which was served in a tent, and to which the 

 appetites of the excursionists, sharpened by their mornings work 

 and the fine air of the downs, inclined them to do full justice ; 

 some of the more enthusiastic set off, at about half-past five o'clock, 

 to visit the Cursus or Race-course, which lies at about half a mile 

 to the North of Stonehenge, and is enclosed between two parallel 

 banks and ditches, running east and west. An oblong elevated 

 mound is thrown across the east end of the course, resembling a 

 long barrow, which Dr. Thurnam, who was at the head of the 

 party, explained was supposed to be the seat of honour, where the 

 judges, or umpires, and the principal spectators witnessed the com- 

 petitions of horse racing, chariot racing, and the solemnities which 

 attended the celebration of the ancient festivals. After a short 

 delay here, the party returned, and the whole of the excursionists 

 I set off towards Salisbury, at which place they arrived at about half- 

 past seven o'clock. 



CONVERSAZIONE AT THE COUNCIL CHAMBER. 

 By the liberality of the Mayor, a very large number of ladies 

 and gentlemen attended a Conversazione at the Council Chamber 



