their edges. Most of them are about three feet high, and from three to five broad. They are of a rough oolitic stone, full of shells, and must have been brought from about three miles distant. None of them present any traces of the chisel or other implement. The spaces between the large stones are filled up with dry walling. The roof is formed of large slabs of stone, which are laid across and rest on the uprights. There were two chambers on each side of this gallery; two of them have been destroyed. These side chambers are of an irregular quadrilateral form, with an average diameter of four and a half feet, and are constructed of upright stones and dry walling, roofed in with flat stones.

It seems to have been the custom to close up the entrances of these side chambers with dry walling, after interments had been made in them. This was the condition of that chamber which was opened in 1821. The roof also was constructed with overlapping stones, so as to form a dome, like the construction which appears at Wellow, and at New Grange, and Drowth, in Ireland; and Dr. Thurnam observes that very probably the whole structure had originally this character, as the tumulus appears to have been opened and ransacked previous to

1821.

It will be seen, on comparison of the plans of the two tumuli, that their internal structure is different in the arrangement of the cells. Those at Wellow are directly opposite, and at regular intervals, forming, so to speak, transepts, to a central passage; but at Uley they are grouped together in pairs, being likewise opposite, and this latter tumulus contains only two pairs of cells. In both these tumuli the central passage does not extend the entire length of the tumulus by many feet. The construction,

however, of both is the same, the sides of the gallery and chambers being formed of large slabs of unhewn stone, planted on their edges, and the interstices filled in with dry walling of small stones. The roof in each is formed by courses of stone overlapping each other, and closed by a single flat stone. The cairn of stones heaped over the chambers has in each tumulus been neatly finished round the outer border with dry walling, carried to the height of two or three feet, which communicated by an internal sweep with similar walling, extending from the entrance to the chambers. This construction has lately been beautifully shewn at Wellow. (See plate III.)

Having been in the habit of visiting this tumulus at different times with friends, on walking over to examine it about three years since, I found that two of the chambers had collapsed during a severe frost, and the centre of the tumulus was in a ruined condition, and unless something was speedily done the whole would become a ruin. Having mentioned this to my co-Secretary for the Somerset Archæological and Natural History Society, we agreed to write to the owner of the property for leave to repair it, and at the same time to ask the Society to supply the means of paying the cost. Both these requests were readily granted, and proper workmen sent from Bath, with needful instructions, who completed the restoration so as nearly to bring back the tumulus to its original condition. Since this was effected, the owner of the property has been very desirous to protect the tumulus from further injury, and having consulted on the spot as to the best means of preservation, determined that a sunk fence should be placed all round, so as effectually to protect the cairn without injuring the view. On commencing this ditch, however, at the proper interval, it was discovered

that a low wall, built of unmortared stones, on each side the doorway, was continued in front of the tumulus to the distance of twelve and fourteen paces on each side, and then turned suddenly, almost at a right angle, and continued round the tumulus to the northern end. This wall has been laid bare all round, and proves to be the finishing of the cairn, which was afterwards covered over with vegetable mould, and made to subside gradually into the natural ground. (See plate III.)

The walling was quite perfect, except in one place in front, where a hedge and ditch had formerly been carried, and in places on the sides, where the roots of the trees growing on the cairn had broken through, and disarranged the regularity of the stone-work.

When first opened, the stone-work presented the appearance of modern walling; and, in fact, all our modern dry walling seems to have originated with the primitive inhabitants of the land, and been continued to our times. At the northern extremity, where the ancient walling had been pulled down and carried away, the cairn has been repaired by modern walling, which is built up after the manner of the ancient, but somewhat higher for the sake of protection, but the juncture of the new with the old is marked by two upright stones introduced in the walling.

The portion of the tumulus which collapsed seems to have been that part which was first laid open when Mr. Skinner examined it, and from whence the stones, as he states, had been carried away. One of the workmen employed in repairing the cairn told me that he could remember, when a boy, stones being taken from the top and the side ; this has somewhat depressed the elevation, and taken off from that appearance which it probably formerly presented, of a large boat or vessel turned keel upward.