"The position of the characters at Lennan is such that they may or may not have been inscribed cotemporaneously with the erection of the monument. In the case of the Castlederg Cromlech, to which I now proceed, the position and circumstances of the inscription show it to be coeval with the structure. In this respect it claims a singular interest for European antiquaries: for, although the circle-inclosed crosses and figures of galleys inscribed on the upper surface of the cap-stone of the Grevinge or Herrestrup Cromlech were found there on removing the superincumbent carn, there is a possibility, however remote, that the monument had stood exposed sub dio for some indefinite period, before it received them and became, as it was when discovered, the nucleus of a barrow: but the Castlederg Cromlech bears a legend analogous to that of Lennan, and to others to which I shall presently refer, which must, in part at least, have occupied the upper ledge of one of the original supports before the cap-stone was imposed.

"It will be found marked as Druid's Altar' on the Ordnance Map of Tyrone, sheet 16, a short three-quarters of a mile to the north of the town of Castlederg, 140 yards to the east of the old Strabane road leading through Churchtown townland. It stands on the land of Mr. Walsh, by whom the principal cap-stone was dislodged, so far as I could gather, more than ten years ago. It appears that the structure had previously been rendered insecure by a stone-mason, who had abstracted one of the supports for building purposes; and it was suggested that the motive for casting down the cap-stone was an apprehension lest the owner's cattle, in rubbing or sheltering under it, might do themselves a mischief. That the inscription was there at the time of the first disclosure of the upper face of the support on which it is sculptured, is the common and consistent statement of the people of the country; but the case rests more satisfactorily on the fact, wholly independent of testimony, that a collateral covering-stone remains in situ, and that the line of scorings is prolonged underneath it into a position too contracted for the use of a graving tool. It is difficult for the purposes of a drawing to attain a point of view embracing the general arrangement; but I have endeavoured in the sketch (Plate II., No. 1) to indicate the leading features. The point of view is from the southwest, and it will be seen that the block which forms the northern boundary of the cell bears along its upper surface, which formerly supported the great cap stone-now cast down on the right-a continuous series of straight scorings, extending onward into the shadow of the minor covering-stone, which still roofs in the eastern end of the chamber. The nature and character of these scorings, with their accompanying indentations, appear at large in the lithographic copy of the photogram taken from the cast made by myself on the spot, 13th April, 1873 (Plate II., No. 2). I send you these also for purposes of comparison and inspection. It is much to be regretted that some over-zealous hand has recently scratched the surfaces both of the scorings and of their accompanying shallow cup-like indentations; but you are in possession of a rubbing taken in 1864 by a careful observer, on which every feature appears substantially as on the cast, showing that the sincerity of the legend has not been destroyed, although, in the absence of this voucher, it might have been compromised by the indiscretion of the restorer.

"A generic resemblance is traceable between these scorings and the remains of the Lennan inscription, which, if there were nothing more,

would raise a serious doubt of their being merely accidental or capricious indentations. But, in fact, there exist in a great number of localities in Ireland, and in one place in North Wales, inscribed scorings so evidently of the same nature, that it is very difficult to withhold our belief from their claim to be regarded as significant marks. One of these may be seen in the Lapidary Museum of the Royal Irish Academy, among the Academy's original collection, and one amongst the Ogham-inscribed stones lately acquired from the representatives of Mr. Windele. These are represented in Plate III., Nos. 1 and 2, from cast and photogram. Others, which I have myself seen, exist in juxtaposition with undoubted Oghams at Donard, in the county of Wicklow, and at Killeen Cormac, in the county of Kildare, as well as, unassociated with regular Oghams, at Rathmore, near Naas, in the latter county.' Others are enumerated in the following extract from one of the MS. Windele miscellanies in the same collection:

"There remains a class of irregular scorings, some of which I believe to be genuine Oghams, although barbarously executed, whilst others are of a character sufficient to exclude them from this description. They are found on various buildings and monuments, on Round Towers, churches, and forts. Although conjectures have been various as to the nature and objects of them, I am satisfied they were in general produced by the sharpening of arms. Of this class I would rank the long, deep lines on the doorways of the Round Tower of Cloyne, and the old Romanesque church of Carrigeen, near Croom, and Inniscarra, near Cork; the gallery or entrance of the Cahir Magliath, near Kenneh, &c.; the stone in the old church at Kenmare, &c.

"We have (also) found marks of this description on stones engraved with undoubted Oghams, as on Nos. 4 and 5, at Kilcoolaght, on the Aghadoe stone, on that formerly in the wall of Agabullog old church, &c. The markings on the Dallans of Gormlee, Longstone, and Barachawrin, also looking somewhat of the same type, bear evidences too distinct, and approaching too nearly to the real Ogham scoring, to leave any doubt on my mind that they belong to that character.'

"He then proceeds to notice scorings of an intermediate class at Britway old church; Rossglass, near Drumtariff, five miles west of Kanturk; and Shrahanard, on the southern base of Mushry mountain, all in the county of Cork.

"The last,' he says, 'is a small Cromlech, consisting of an incumbent stone placed on four uprights, one at cach side; and the others at the upper and lower ends. On the inside face of the latter (east) are cut a number of scores placed with great irregularity, and a total absence of arrangement. Some cross each other, so as to present eight of an X form, and three or four are so placed in reference to each other, as to form V's. The scores are also of unequal length.' (Windele MSS., Suppl. vol. iii., p. 212 d.)

"To this long list remain to be added, from other references of this laborious observer and collector, similar scorings at Faha, Kerry; at Kilnasaggart, Armagh (rather Down); at Dysart Round Tower, Limerick; and at Clogheen Milcon, Gurrane, Cillchuillin, Coolanaghtig, and Killowen, the last bearing the significant designation of cloch na n'arm, or [sharpening] stone of the weapons, in Cork.

"I have also recently inspected the supposed inscription of this nature at Vicar's Cairn, near Armagh, which has

been engraved in the Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy,' but I make no doubt of those scorings being natural."

"In many of them a general arrangement of digits in reference to one guiding line, expressed or implied, is observable; and in some, what appear to be regular Ogham digits exist in the midst of the more irregular indentations. As the examples hitherto observed in Ireland generally exist on flat surfaces, in one plane, it has been commonly thought that they are traces of the plough-share. Other suggestions are, that they have been formed by workmen sharpening their tools, warriors sharpening their arms (as occurred to Mr. Windele), and soforth. Thus the current tradition at Castlederg is that a cobbler formerly occupied the cell, and that these are the tracks in which he sharpened his awls; and the same story may be heard of similar remains in Munster. Like indentations on one

of the interior walls of Limerick Cathedral are said to be the work of Cromwell's troopers sharpening their swords.

"The piece of evidence which I am now about to adduce will, I think, dispel these theories, as applied to some out-door examples of such inscriptions, showing as it does a case of scorings of the kind in question returned upon the angle of the stone. This example also has been cast, photographed, and reproduced by the lithographer, whose work I enable you to verify by sending the originals. It comes from North Wales, and is the first example, so far as I know, of these quasi Oghams, or, indeed, Oghams of any kind, being found in that region. It is to Mr. Burchett of the South Kensington School of Art I am indebted for this, as well as for many other applications of the process of paper-casting from inscribed surfaces, which I have not ceased to press on the attention of inscriptional investigators since I first became acquainted with its many advantages. Writing on 26th October, 1871, Mr. Burchett gives the following account of the inscribed stones at Arduddwy:

"On p. 192, of "Black's Guide to N. Wales," I read, "On a little hill three miles N. E. from Ffestiniog, there are between 30 and 40 oblong mounds, from 2 to 3 ft. long, and 15 inches broad, every one having a small stone at each end. . . The tradition respecting these memorials is as follows:-The men of Arduddwy made an incursion into the Vale of Clwyd, and brought away a number of women, whom they conducted to this part of the country. Being pursued, and here overtaken by the warriors from the vale, a battle ensued, and the men of Arduddwy were all slain. . The slaughtered men were buried at this spot, and the mounds mark the place of interment." The place is called (Beddau Gwyr Arduddwy) "Graves of the Men of Arduddwy," and there is a "Pass" in the immediate neighbourhood named "The Pass of the Graves of, &c."

"Now I knew from you that there were Ogham inscriptions in S. Wales, but not, I thought, Welsh Oghams. In any search amongst Meini Hirion or Cromlechs, I had been unable to trace anything of the kind-but, I thought, if anything of the sort is to be found, it is here.

"On arriving at the place, which local tradition asserted to be the "place of the graves," I could at first discover no trace of them on the hill-side-but seeing a solitary cottage in a near hollow, I went to it and found a woman about 50 or 55 who was born in the same house, and whose mother, then living, had been born in the same house and had lived there ever since. By the elder of the two I was informed that a few years ago a wall had been built on the land, and that nearly all the stones (the tradition was well known) had been removed and built into the aforesaid wall. The younger of the two women offered to show us the "place"- -we went, and under her guidance, found remains which very fairly corresponded with the description given, allowing for the violent and careless removal of the stones; the hollows from which they had been taken being very visible, and the battered grave mounds still to some extent remaining.

"In one case, the best marked so far as the mound was concerned, I found at one end a stone which I proceed to describe-I made the investigation with great care, and you may rely on the results being as I am about to state them. Whether they are worth