367 



yards in length, on each side of a point having a bearing of E. 20° S., 

 indicates the direction of the entrance or passage, which commences at 

 a distance of eighteen feet inward from the circumference." 



Finding a large flag on the top of the mutilated cairn, I removed it 

 and two others before I observed that I was actually taking to pieces 

 what remained of the original construction of the roof. The principal 

 portion of the overlapping flags which formed the roof over the cham- 

 bers had disappeared, leaving them filled up with the loose stones 

 which had fallen in. When the chambers" were carefully cleared of 

 these small stones, they exhibited in situ about forty of the large 

 plinths which formed' the matchless, dry, Cyclopean masonry of the 

 roof. This dome was constructed of large slabs, overlapping one 

 another, and bevelled slightly upwards, having most ingeniously in- 

 serted between them thinner slabs, which, on receiving the superin- 

 cumbent weight, became crushed, and formed a bond for the whole. 

 "Wherever this precaution of placing thinner slabs or smaller stones 

 between the larger ones was omitted, the larger slabs themselves are now 

 found cracked across. "What at present remains of this unique roofing 

 rises twelve feet above the level of the floor, which is even with the 

 ordinary surface of the ground. The breadth of the passage at the 

 commencement is 1 foot 10 inches, which increases to upwards of 3 

 feet about the middle, and contracts again to 1 foot 9 inches, where it 

 terminates. The passage itself is 12 feet long; and the entire length, 

 from the commencement of the passage to the extremity of the western 

 chamber, is 29 feet. The greatest breadth across the chambers is 13 

 feet 2 inches; measured from stones, 8 to 21, and from 6 to 24, the 

 distance is 1 0 feet 4 inches. 



Cist (a) is 4 feet 8 inches in breadth. 



}} W » 3 ,, 6 ,, ,, 



jj (p) tf 2 tJ 2 ,, ,, 



,, (d) ,, 4 ,, 3 ,, 



>> i e ) )> ^ }> ^ ,, 



•» (f) )) 2 }> 6 ,, ,, 



From among the loose stones which filled up the chamber, I col- 

 lected 1010 portions of bones; two pieces of bone apparently silicified, 

 a spear point in bone, and portion of a polished bone javelin; 154 

 fragments of very rude pottery, having the appearance of being only 

 sun-dried, but which is really owing to the imperfect method of firing, 

 and varying in size from 1 to 30 square inches. Some fragments 

 retain their original brown colour, but the generality of them are much 

 blackened by fire on the inside surface, and for a distance round the 

 exterior of the lip, or upper rim of the urns, of which they were parts. 

 One piece, a portion of the upper edge of an urn, about 3 inches long, 

 and 3 broad, is very rudely ornamented with three slight ridges ; and, 

 about an inch from the top, is perforated by a single hole. Another 

 larger piece, ornamented with four slightly raised ridges, is perforated 

 by two holes, one an inch and a half below the other. 



