1847.] 



Neilgherry Hills, ^c. 



83 



recollections of the scenes in Anglesea and North Wales, districts 

 in which those priests generally chose to celebrate the mysteries of 

 their rehgion accompanied by no other sound than the murmuring of 

 the sacred brook or the wind rustling the foliage of the groves that 

 grew beside it. 



The temple consists of a double ring of stones, the diameter of the 

 inner being about 15 paces, while the space between the rings mea- 

 sures a yard, these stones are arranged within a few inches of each 

 other and vvith few exceptions do not touch; they average from three 

 feet to a foot and a half in height. Guarded by two large monolithes 

 and two old trees which cast a shade across it, the entrance is on the 

 south side. On the eastern side of the area I observed a smaller 

 circle of stones. At first I apprehended the place was a cemetery 

 from its resemblance to the cairns and rings before spoken of, further 

 examination and removals of the surface did not confirm this view, 

 but left me impressed with the conviction of its once having been a 

 place of worship, the inner circle having been the adytum^ A short 

 distance below this temple occurs a cemetery enclosed by a double 

 ring of stones in which I found some remains of vessels made of 

 pottery. The foregoing account in connection with what I have 

 already said regarding the sacred groves of the Thautawars I now 

 compare with what follows about the Druidical groves and temples 

 taken from Sinclair's statistical account of Scotland. 



" As far as can be gathered from the vestiges of such of these 

 " sacred enclosures as remain least defaced, they seem in their per- 

 " feet state to have generally consisted of the circular row or double 

 " roAV of stones in the central open space (the proper lucus or place 

 " of light) and beyond these, of a wood surrounded by a ditch and a 

 " mound. A holy fountain or rivulet appears also to have usually 



watered the grove. Near to the temple frequently rose a sacred 

 *' mount from which it is conjectured the priests were wont to ad- 



dress the people." 



Returning now to the subject of the cairns I have here to observe 

 that contrary to my views an opinion has been advanced to the effect 

 that these tumuli Avere not constructed by the ancestors of the 

 Thautawars, but, it would hardly be fair to persist in this opinion on 

 so slender a ground as the alleged word of a people who have not 

 only lost all recollection of the history of these cairns but have 

 actually suffered every tradition of their own origin to sink into 



