426 



that this island was surrounded by a regular set of piles ; for, unless 

 they are much shorter than those observed, the tops of the piles would 

 appear above the surface. 



An excavation Avas made across the east side of this island, in which 

 was the following section : — 



Section No. 7. 



Feet. Inches. 



8. Stones, peat, and clay, 1. 0 



7. Peat and bones, 3 0 



6. Stones and peat, 1 0 



6. Round ash logs, 6 inches in diameter, 2 feet apart, ranging 



K and S., 0 6 



4. Peat, 0 6 



3. Round ash logs, 6 inches in diameter, 1 foot apart, ranging 



E. and W., 0 6 



2. Peat, not sunk into, 3 0 



1. Marl, over 6 0 



15 6 



On the surface of the island, immediately above and below the line 

 of winter inundation, numerous bones and teeth lie scattered about. 

 These may have been washed out of bed 'No. 7. In bed JN'o. 8 no bones 

 were met with. In bed No. 7 are numerous bones, more especially 

 towards the outside of the crannoge ; wood ashes ; a round sea stone 

 (No. 7) ; broken and whole hazel nuts ; and two hones, one of which is 

 in the collection (No. 9). Bed No. 2 could not be sunk into on account 

 of the water ; but it seemed to be 3 feet deep^ and to lie on marl that 

 was over 6 feet deep. An east and west wicker wall was found in this 

 excavation, which went down to the east-and west logs. The stakes in 

 it were of round fir timber, 2 inches in diameter, and about a foot apart. 

 According to the Ordnance Survey, this island is 0'5 feet higher than 

 the surface of the water; but their B. M., which is at the north-east 

 corner of the island, is a foot lower than where the section was measured, 

 which will leave the lovv^er beams 5 feet lower than the present surface 

 of the lake. 



Crannoge JSfo. IV., or Islcmd M'Coo, is 180 yards from the nearest 

 shore. All we know about it is, that it seems to be surrounded by a 

 circle of piles, 33 feet in diameter ; and that in the summer months gun- 

 harrels and bronze spearheads, or, as they are called hereabouts, Danes' 

 hatchets, are said to have been brought up in the prongs of eelspears. 



Mr. Hemsworth informs me that there are four canoes sunk at the 

 east side of this island, with their prows in towards the shore. He tried 

 to raise one of them ; but it was so rotten, that it broke across in the 

 middle. It was a log of oak, hollov/ed out to form the canoe. He ac- 

 counts for the gunbarrels found in the following way : — About the year 

 1798, all the guns, &c., seized about the country were brought into 

 Loughrea ; and his grandfather, who was the magistrate in charge, being 

 ordered to destroy them, had them all brought out and sunk in the 

 lake. 



From the above facts we may draw the following conclusions: — 

 First, that iron was in use in the early ages of the crannoges. This is 



