216 



Excavations at Avebury. 



to attract the attention of local antiquaries to the subject, as it is 

 mainly on them that the proof or disproof of these views must 

 rest. Above all, it is in the hope that some diggings may, before 

 long, be undertaken at Avebury. If I am not very much mis- 

 taken, two of Arthur's generals of division lie buried, one in each 

 of the stone circles inside the inclosure : and that the £ menu 

 peuple ' who fell in the fray are laid beneath the so-called ' val- 

 lum,' which however is nothing but a long barrow of circular 

 shape. There I feel convinced their remains, it may be only their 

 ashes, will be found, whenever they are looked for." 



Again in a subsequent letter, (Athenaeum, January 27th, 1866) 

 Mr. Fergusson writes, " I hope the Members of the Wilts Archaeo- 

 logical Society and other local antiquaries will perceive that a 

 distinct issue has been raised, which may either wholly, or at least 

 in part be settled by diggings at Avebury, by a survey of the 

 ground round Silbury Hill, &c. ; " and he adds, " In conclusion 

 allow me to express a hope that these several explorations may be 

 undertaken before next winter comes on, and thus this much 

 mooted question be finally set at rest : what the result must be I 

 have the most perfect confidence." 



In reply to this challenge, I need only add that what Mr. 

 Fergusson here calls upon our Society to do, in digging at Avebury, 

 it had, even when he wrote, though of course unknown to him, just 

 accomplished, as detailed above: and the result was the exact 

 opposite to that which he anticipated; while with regard to the theory 

 that Silbury is post Roman, as situated on the Eoman road, I will 

 occupy no further space than by referring to my arguments on 

 that subject, stated somewhat fully in my paper on Silbury in the 

 7th Yolume of the Magazine pp. 145 — 191 : as well as to the 

 corroborative testimony and additional reasons adduced by Sir 

 John Lubbock (Athenaeum Jan. 6th, 1866, et seq.) and Professor 

 Tyndall. (Athenaeum, Feb. 17th. 1866.) 



Alfred Charles Smith. 



Yatesbury Rectory, Calne, 

 June, 1866. 



