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its hallowed precincts after night. It happened, notwith- 
standing, that an old woman was obliged to pass too close to 
it one evening after dusk, in the autumn of 1833. This old 
lady positively declared that she then saw, slowly moving 
across the barrow, a spectral figure clothed in a coat of gold, 
which shone like the sun. This strange story made such a 
commotion in the neighbourhood, that the owner of the land 
determined on removing the mound altogether. At one part 
of the mound he found rude urns of unbaked pottery, con- 
taining burnt bones. But on excavating to the bottom, what 
was his astonishment, when he came upon a human skeleton, 
wrapped round the chest with a corslet of the purest gold, 
embossed with an ornamentation of superior design and 
workmanship. I am sorry to say that this precious relic was 
valued only for its intrinsic worth, for it was at once broken 
up and sold. It has, however, been since recovered piece- 
meal, and gradually put together, so that you all can see it 
now, nearly complete, in the British Museum. 
Another obvious use to which the precious metals were 
early and naturally applied, was their conversion into money. 
Of such coinage the gold ring money of Ireland is probably 
the most ancient, as it is the most curious. It appears to be 
similar to what is supposed to have been the Phoenician coin- 
age, and identical with what is used by their descendents at the 
present day in the neighbouring parts of Africa. It was for 
a long time supposed that there was no metallic coinage in 
Great Britain, before its introduction by the Romans, and 
that the rude silver coins of Cunobeline were, made in 
imitation of Roman money, if not actually fabricated by 
Roman workmen. But Mr. Evans has satisfactorily shewn, 
and it is now generally admitted, that the concave coin 
formerly called " dish money/' and other types, were in use 
in this country and the Channel Islands long before the 
Roman occupation ; indeed, in times too remote for con- 
