Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1884-12-16

of the river BOyne, but a short dis
taace off, or gathered up from the
surface of the region round about
and piled up some ten feet or more
high, on the top OF q gently sloping
hill that rises in the midst of a smooth
and rich pasture field. Thp ctrcum-
ference of the Cairn must be four
hundred yards, and there appears to
have been, at some remote time, q
small ditch around it. 1t is now COW
cred with trees, briars, shrubbery,
grass and weeds. Some forty feet
from its base and fronting the en-
trance to this Druidical mound, stand
six huge fo1r4sided dressed stones,
about eight feet high and four or fise.
feet thick. These monoliths stand
erect and are about forty feet apart,
and at same intervals there are frap-
mcnts of like stones, making in all
twelve. The trend of them is that of
circle around the Cairn, and, sup
pose, at one time made a complete
circle around it. The entrance to this
Pagan wonder is very narrow and
low, so much sog Mr.. Editor, that /
doubt whether one of your dimen-
stons could pass through it. 1t is
made of slabs, say five feet long,
standing on end and leaning against
each other at the top. AT the little
town of Slane, a place Of much his
torical note on Lord Conyngham's
estate and quite near his castle, where
werefreshed both ourselves and horse,
1procured some matches and couple
of wax candles, Gone of which 1 still
have,0 with which was to enter the
dark cavern. To enter you must get
fat down and crawl along over loose
stones with scarcely room for your
arms, for about forty feet. 1t is far
from being an agreeable operation,
and were it not that st. Patrick had
banished all snakes from ireland, no
one would venture its exploration
with all that tangled groth above, for
itwould indeed be but a don Of Yipers.
But what does not curiosity lead us
to? 1 entered, lit my candle and
found myself in a tomb, a place of
sacrifice or a vault for concealiDg
treasure, built by the Druids thou
sands Of years ago. There were sew
eral recesscs in it,, and in them lay
stone slabs without order. The cell
ing, dome like, was arched WIG stone
and in its centre a trap door, as
took it. I soon saw all that was to be
seen, put out tho candle and pros
trated myself again and made my
tedious and rough ias' y
could, drawn * q =lcn 0u6
] dom t feel lny qises for btSs seem
New Grange. There no Ms or, or
trad ition c5Tcerli Afitiq les
llltpc their con lar
nothing Ger fo hsi r Nat rstd
for 7toe lls' A. r... o...lr .rI
sierse ye oali alsleH uI|'l
the mis- tlgtse allei nfqn crown the
eroinl lor zone ite placed.
and tiie caFerh 3tfieatlf lne place
Whore ttfe poor tigt W6s kept and
prepared II tic f acrl1ce hc
was destined 30 ue 80. Outside
and not far from the catrn, stAnelA
what seems TO be a temple, built of
small size undressed stones, about
thirty feet long and ten wide, and of
On oval shape. It's walls are four feet
thick, and on the inside of them there
are eighteen inches. It has also quite
a anumber of embrasures or port holes.
1t is entered at one end through an
opening of the dimensions of an or
dinary door. 1t looked like it was
used at present by sheep and calves.
1 could find out nothing about II.