By the Rtv. W. C. Lukis. 



87 



this we have only to remark the following passages from that 

 j costly work : " the first of these is a long barrow, situated between 

 the angle of the cross roads, ivhich we did not open, being so well 

 satisfied with the history of this species of tumuli." (Ancient 

 "Wilts, p. 121.) Again, " I have often been asked if the largest 

 barrows were not found, on opening, to be the most productive in 

 their contents. The question is very natural, and I have rather 

 wished to second that supposition ; but as yet I have not a sufficient 

 basis for that hypothesis." (Ibid, p. 123.) 



Sir Richard was well satisfied with his own mode of investigation, 

 for on one occasion, coming to a barrow which had been unsuccess- 

 fully opened by Dr. Stukely, he remarks : " our experience having 

 given us repeated proofs that the system of opening barrows was 

 but imperfectly understood in former days, we determined to try 

 our luck." (Ibid, p. 200.) It was his own system, however, 

 which brought him to acknowledge : " I cannot help remarking 

 the singularity of having found so many empty cists : — a singu- 

 larity which has scarcely ever occurred during our researches in 

 other parts of the County." (Ibid, p. 186.) This admission of 

 want of success was induced by the failure he experienced in the 

 parishes of Collingbourne Ducis and Everleigh. He describes his 

 own mode of exploration thus : " on adopting our usual maxim of 

 in medio tutissimus, we attacked its centre, but did not succeed, for 

 the interment of buried bones was deposited at some distance from 

 the middle of the barrow." (Ibid, p. 195.) Again, "the next 

 barrow we attempted was one little inferior in size and beauty to 

 the former, — but though our section was very large from the sum- 

 mit to the floor, yet our researches were not crowned with the 

 wished for success." (Ibid, p. 194.) 



Having pointed out what I conceive to be the insufficient results 

 of the labours of this patriarch of barrow-diggers, I will now 

 proceed to give an account of the examination of this group. One 

 of them was opened in the year 1805 by Sir R. C. Hoare, ten in 

 the year 1855 by myself, and two by the Rev. James Turner, 

 Rector of North Tidworth and myself in 1861. 



The small barrow No. 7 in the annexed plan, opened in 1805, of 



