compare the various legends with those current at home. Here in Devon, we are all familiar with the harvest custom of Crying the Neck. Again it has been my good fortune to bring together evidence of the very same practices from Egypt, America, Jerusalem, Jericho, Scotland, Wales, and Sicily, besides the islands of Greece. Examples from all these places I have shown by lantern slides in my own native county, and not only are harvest customs the same in widely divided countries, but other practices equally familiar to us are found far afield. Our old acquaintance, the Split Ash, about which I am not now going to enlarge, is to-day in full force in the Canary Islands, where the ceremony performed is identical with that we know so well, save that there is slightly more religious ritual in the Spanish form. I have the whole of it from the hand of a lady resident in Teneriffe. The peculiarity of the Sicilian form of Crying the Neck is that the function is performed before a figure representing the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the man who makes the offering of the object, called Crocciatu in Sicilian, is or typifies a naked man; to perform this decently the custom is for him to wear a shirt only. Many other similar analogies might be produced.

Not very much is to be said about special customs or archæology as relating to this part of Devonshire. Its attractions are all natural beauties, and as if they were not amply sufficient, one rather resents the idea that they should be so much enhanced or advertised by being the scenes of popular romances. I distinctly despise the name Blackmore Country, as if Lynton and its surroundings would not have been just as lovely and attractive if "Lorna Doone" had never been written. Indeed, it seems to me no less than mischievous and harmful to the locality, because people get so excited with the glamour and atmosphere of the novel, that when they go to the actual spot like the Doone Valley, they are disappointed and disgusted at the want of romance and fancied beauty of the place. But for the novel, how many of the visitors would ever go near the Doone Valley? The same applies equally to what is called Kingsley Country. What a shock it is to admirers of his "Westward Ho!" to be taken to Northam Burrows! I find no inspiration in Snell's "Blackmore Country." The whole of the first part is taken up with Culmstock and Blundell's School, very interesting in themselves, but a long way from Lynton. The little guide put out by the local committee is by far the best thing I have seen.

In these parts, besides ever-changing nature, there is an interest in its primitiveness, for even yet in some parts it is not up to date. For example, it is but almost within living memory that the civilization of forks has penetrated. My father visited a farmhouse not far from this where not even the two-pronged fork had arrived. A warm ham was carved and eaten without a fork-and many of us have heard the saying, "Vingers and thumbs was a-made avore knives and vorks." The two-pronged fork we all remember is not a useful implement for eating pease, but readers of that quaint old book of travels, Coryatt's "Crudities," will see that even those were not used by our forefathers in Elizabeth's day.

Not much is to be said of a scientific nature about this district, but for those whose strength permits nothing could be better than to follow out to the letter the admirable little book of the local committee. One or two omissions are obvious to me. From or near where we now are is to be seen a real typical British camp-of course, like every other, known as the "Roman encampment." Why I never can make out; probably no Roman ever saw it nor most of the other so-called Roman works. No doubt the Romans left their mark very conspicuously here in England, but every ancient remains is by no means theirs; nor were our British forefathers anything like the painted savages depicted by many historians; on the contrary, they were in many ways quite as civilized as their conquerors. The Glastonbury Lake Village proves beyond dispute that 200 years before the Roman invasion the inhabitants of Britain were no mean handicraftsmen. The tools they had and their work, especially coopering, were quite equal to anything of contemporary Rome, and in several respects quite equal to the work and tools of some parts of modern Italy. I noticed a saw in a shop at Brescia, a few years ago, of a peculiar shape, and made as they were anciently to cut when drawn, instead of as now when pushed or thrust. That saw is matched, handle and all, identically by one at Glastonbury. There is also part of a ladder exactly what may be seen to-day in daily use in Italy. They had lathes, for there are the turned hub or nut and spoke of a wheel as well made as if by a modern English wheelwright. Who, then, shall declare the ancient Britons to have been woaded savages?

Besides the walks recommended by the local committee, I would point out one of wonderful charm. Go up to Countisbury, past the camp, noticing on the way the grass.

slope or track which seems to lead from it down towards the beach. I want to learn from the experts here what this was; it is too steep for a road or path, and never could have been so used, for it ends abruptly in a precipice, and never could have been a smugglers' road.

Take a turn to the right by the public-house and keep on over the brow of the hill; this will bring you to a spot where you look down into the wonderful gorge of Watersmeet. I shall never forget the thrill with which that view burst upon me more than sixty years ago. No words can express the loveliness of that spot: were I to attempt to find adjectives fit to describe it, I must, in choice journalese, at once "slop over." The Portuguese corral is the only term known to me that can convey any notion of what it is like. The extraordinary density and even surfaces of the steep woods are a very remarkable feature, and the same effect, perhaps of prevailing winds, is noticeable in other places around. The knoll from whence this view is gained is called Horner's Neck, and it is well worth a special walk to see it.

There are no hut circles or other prehistoric remains in this district so far as I am aware, but over the border in Somerset are to be found objects of that kind.

Mr. Snell alludes to a Menhir on Winsford Hill, near Spire Cross, where the road turns off to Tarr Steps. It was I who made the squeeze when I took Dr. Murray and Professor Rhys to see it (see "Som. Arch. and Nat. Hist. Society Proceedings "). The late Mr. Charles I. Elton was also of the party, and his vast knowledge confirmed the interpretation of the other savants. It is a very remarkable and most interesting monument of antiquity. Our thanks are due to Sir T. D. Acland for having erected a fence around it to protect it from cattle and bipeds. The subsequent finding of the initial letter N is a strange confirmation of the correctness of the reading, nepus for epus, on the stone.

There is but little to be said about the dialect of this district, and that little I will postpone until I can find a fitting opportunity later during the meeting.

TWENTY-FIFTH REPORT OF THE BARROW

COMMITTEE.

TWENTY-FIFTH REPORT of the Committee-consisting of Mr. P. F. S. Amery, Rev. S. Baring-Gould, Dr. Brushfield, Mr. R. Burnard, Mr. J. Brooking-Roure, Rev. J. F. Chanter, and Mr. R. Hansford Worth-appointed to collect and record facts relating to Barrows in Devonshire, and to take steps, where possible, for their investigation.

Edited by R. HANSFORD WORTH, Hon. Secretary.

(Read at Lynton, July, 1906.)

YOUR Committee's present Report includes:

(1) The record of the exploration of two small cairns in the Tavy Valley, on Dartmoor, by the Rev. I. Kempt Anderson.

(2) The record of the exploration of three barrows near Brockenburrow Lane, Challacombe, North Devon, by the Rev. J. F. Chanter. To which is added an abstract of Westcote's tale of the opening of Broaken Barrow.

(3) A description of certain North Devon barrows, Five Barrow group, and Setta Barrow. To which is annexed an abstract of Westcote's report of the opening of Woodbarrow.

TAVY VALLEY.

On the slopes of Hare Tor, near Tavy Cleave, is a small cairn, unmarked on the Ordnance Survey (Devon LXXXVIII. S.E. Long. 4° 2′ 52", lat. 50° 38'3"). Of this the Rev. I. Kempt Anderson reports:

The cairn is about 11 feet in diameter and stands. about 18 inches high in centre; it has a stone boundary circle. It was opened on 6 July, 1905, in the presence of myself, Mrs. Anderson, Mr. G. Warren Smallwood, Robert

Densham, William Tancock, William Cole, Joseph Newcomb, Miss Meade (Mary Tavy), Miss Dora Brown (ditto), and others.

We found the place of cremation, about 18 inches to 24 inches below the natural surface. There was a great quantity of large pieces of charcoal, some ash, and what, I think, might probably be human cinder dust. No pottery-no kistvaen.

IRVINE K. ANDERSON.

Near Homer Red Lake is another small cairn, also unmarked on the Ordnance Survey (Devon XCVIII. N.E. Long. 4° 1' 50", lat. 50° 37′ 40′′).

There

This is a small cairn, which I found on 5 June, 1905. It is but 4 feet in diameter and 2 feet high at centre. is no stone circle.

It was opened on 26 July, 1905, in the presence of myself, Robert Densham (of Hornden), Joseph Newcomb (ditto), William Cole (ditto), William Tancock (Mary Tavy), and James Stevens (Devonport).

Burnt earth was first found within 1 foot of surface, afterwards more burnt earth, a good quantity of charcoal (probably oak), some ash, and one good worked flint with remarkably sharp edge. (A small semicircular scraper.R. H. W.) We cleared the surface of the "deads."

IRVINE K. ANDERSON.

BARROWS NEAR BROCKENBURROW LANE.

The neighbourhood of Brockenburrow or Broaken Burrow has an especial interest. Westcote preserves for us the record of a barrow-opening here in or about the year 1623. This will be found given in extenso in our first report, Vol. XI of the "Transactions," p. 149. It appears that a certain labouring man, having saved a little money, invested this in some few acres of waste land and began to build a house thereon. Not far from the site was Broaken Burrow; and, following the method even now prevalent, this he utilized as his quarry, fetching "stones and earth to further his work." Presently, "having pierced into the bowels of the hillock, he found therein a little place, as it had been a large oven, fairly, strongly, and closely walled up." Evidently a kistvaen.

This and the prospect of treasure "comforted him much." He broke through into the cavity and espied an earthen pot, which he essayed to seize. Twice he tried, and twice a noise