82 



On the Stone Avenues of Carnac. 



extend for 925 feet; a very short distance as compared with the 

 other two groups, but they are supposed to have extended to a greater 

 distance in ancient times. In tracing* these three groups, you have 

 walked about two miles and a quarter. 



There are other groups of menhirs, forming lines and avenues, in 

 the parish of Carnac, as well as in some of the adjoining parishes, 

 as, e.g., at Crucuny, Plouharnel, Erdeven, Plouhinec, and Quiberon, 

 all of which differ in the number of their lines, and in other particu- 

 lars ; and of these by far the most extensive may be seen at Erdeven, 

 where the lines, ten in number, extend (not now continuously) for 

 about 7,000 feet. They are generally less known and frequented 

 than those I have described. 



From the description given above, the following may be taken as 

 the general features of these great monuments : — 



The lines do not lie strictly east and west, but vary a little to the 

 north and south of these points. 



The narrow end is invariably eastward; and the head, or wide 

 part, is towards the west and on elevated ground. 



The stones are always largest at the western termination,and of small 

 size in the other direction. In the Menec and Erdeven groups, how- 

 ever, the stones slightly increase in size towards the commencement. 



Where there are circles connected with the lines, they are always 

 at the large end. 



The circles are composed of stones differing in form from those of 

 the lines. They are thin and wide, and not so tall as the tallest of 

 the lines, averaging about five feet above ground. 



The stones of the circles nearly touch each other, whereas those 

 of the lines have spaces of from seven to twenty feet between them. 



The average distance between the lines at the west end is thirty 

 feet ; at the east end, eighteen feet. 



It appears probable that the number of the lines in each series was 

 determined at first and the whole number begun at once. The size 

 of the stones indicates this. 



We may presume that they were begun at the west end, and 

 probably in all cases the circles were added last, at least after the 

 wider or west portion of the series had been erected, because at St. 



