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imperfect an acquaintance with these monuments as we have 
in England, and not one, so far as I know, has made a 
serious study of them. The archaeological society of the 
Department appear to have devoted their attention pretty 
exclusively to the sepulchral chambers, and to have over- 
looked these wonderful structures. Had they taken them 
into their serious consideration, and, as in duty bound and in 
the interests of science, under their protection, they could 
hardly have failed to raise a loud and indignant protest 
against the work of destruction that is going on every year, 
thereby rendering the problem of their construction and 
destination more and more difficult of solution. I have 
passed four successive summers in examining and planning 
them, and it has deeply pained me to mark in each year the 
vacant spaces which familiar friends used to occupy. I have 
called the attention of that society to the fact, and have 
likewise brought the matter to the notice of archaeologists at 
the International Congress of Pre-historic Archaeology, held 
at Norwich, in 1868. The Morbihan Society has slumbered 
over my complaint ; but I am happy to say that at Norwich 
a committee composed of English and French members was 
at once nominated, to communicate with the Imperial 
Government, with a view to arrest the mischief if possible. 
I mention this here, as I do on all occasions, because I wish 
it to be widely known that structures which take the highest 
rank among the most curious and colossal monuments of the 
world are, even in these days when their study has become 
an European scientific movement, being demolished by man's 
hand and made more ruinous than the furious blasts of the 
mighty Atlantic and tens of centuries of winter rains had 
left them. 
It may now be said to me, You have told us what you 
suppose were not the uses of these remarkable monuments ; 
surely after so long an examination and study of them as 
