Rev. Sir,

The sole object I had in view when I first sat down to write, was to give you an account of a very singular and curious monument of antiquity at New Grange, in the county of Meath, in Ireland; and I meant to have confined this account to a mere description of particulars. But when I came to consider these particulars under reference to the general customs of times more remote than the highest antiquity this monument can be supposed to boast; that consideration opened a field for disquisitions of a much more general and extensive scope.

Sepulchral tumuli, or monuments of earth raised over the dead bodies of great and famous persons, are not confined to the British Isles; but are found dispersed in different parts of Europe. We hear of them in Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Russia, and even the stepps or desarts of Tartary; but with this remarkable circumstance, as Monsieur de Stehlin, secretary of the Imperial academy at Petersbourg, informs me, that there is not an instance of one of these tumuli found in any place to the northward of the latitude 58. As these sepulchral monuments are in the language of these northeastern parts (whence perhaps the custom derived among us) called Bougors, it looks as if with the use we had derived also the name given to these monuments; for we call them here Burrows or Barrows.

Curiosity or avarice have excited many persons at different periods to examine into the interior parts of those repositories of the dead; the former in hopes of recovering from the oblivion of the grave something at least which might give an insight into the manners and customs of former times, which might become a leading mark to the reviviscence of the history of those times; the other, instigated only by the sordid hope of plunder. In ransacking the smaller Barrows in almost every country, bits of bridles, heads of spears, pole-axes, swords, glass-beads, and other trifling ornaments, have been found; as also cinerary urns. But the labour and expence attending the search into the contents of the great Barrows; such as that at Abury called Silbury [Map], that at Marlborough, and others of the like sort, has hitherto deterred individuals, or even small bodies of people, from the attempt; so that those great Barrows which, might seem to promise the highest: gratification both to avarice and curiosity, remained long secure against both. Even in Tartary, where the people formed themselves into little plundering parties, in order to derive a kind of traffic from the pillage of those sepulchral tumuli, the great ones escaped their rapine; so that for many ages the contents of these great Barrows continued sacred and secret. For several ages, in like manner, the Pyramids of Egypt (those mountains of architecture) remained as much a mystery, ino respect of their interior contents; as they were objects of wonder, from their exterior enormous bulk.

Accident, in a course of time, has, in some, and motives of curiosity, assisted by the authority of government, have, in others, led to a search and discovery of the contents of the largest of these sepulchral monuments. Some of the great Barrows in the stepps of Tartary have of late years been opened and examined by order of the Russian government; and very curious discoveries have been made, as I shall explain in the course of this letter. A cemetery, containing matters of considerable value, as well as of great curiosity, was found at the centre of the base of one of the largest of them.

In the largest of the Egyptian Pyramids accident discovered an opening, which led by two succeeding galleries to a square room in the centre of the Pyramid, containing a large tomb. What was found there (if any thing was found) was secreted, and must for ever remain as unknown, as if the centre of this monument had remained unprophaned.

Accident in like manner about the end of the last century discovered an opening in the side of the great Pyramid at New Grange in Ireland; and this aperture, by a like gallery, led in like manner to a cemetery composed of three tabernacles or niches in the centre of the base.

Accidents so similar, coinciding in so strangely similar discoveries, opened to me views of inquiry, which my curiosity could not refill. Being in Ireland last year, I determined to examine these matters on the spot with my own eyes.

By the civility of Mr. Boyd, merchant of Dublin, who went with me to Drogheda, I was introduced to the acquaintance of Dr. Norris, master of the great school there; who very politely offering to conduct me to New Grange: I profited of so agreeable an opportunity;.

Our road ran on the north and west side of the river Boyne. In our way we passed by the famous ford, where I had the pleasure to survey the very scene of the principal action of the battle of the Boyne. An elegant obelisk is erected there, in perpetual memorial of that glorious event, and a society instituted for the annual celebration of that day, as of an æra of civil liberty. Mr. Wright has prefixed to his Louthiana a neat and accurate drawing of this monument. From hence, crossing a little brook which runs into the Boyne, we passed on to the seat of Lord Neterville, in the county of Meath. The whole of the land on the north and west side of the Boyne, is high ground. The scite of Lord Neterville’s house, where the river and land make a flexure, is more eminent than the rest. On the left hand of the road, as you ascend the hill, is an ancient monument, composed of a circle of large unhewn stones, set on end; with the remains of a Kistvaen forming the north side thereof. This is undoubtedly an erection of Druid superstition. I paced the diameter of this circle, and, as well as I recollect, it is not above one and twenty feet. The stones are large and massive, and about five and six feet high. There remain¹ eight of these stones together in one part of the circle; two in another part; and one by itself. On the left hand from the entrance into the circle, lies a large flat stone, which seems to have been either the top of a Kistvaen, or a Crômlech.

Note 1. This Druid circle now stands on the brink of a stone-quarry ; and the labourers were at work close Under it so that in a year or two it may be undermined, and thrown down.

Besides the more general observations and measurements which I made on the spot; and the sketches which I took of the whole, and of its parts, I engaged Dr. Norris to employ a person to make a particular measurement of the base and altitude of the pyramid; and to measure the gallery and cave, and every stone of which the gallery and cave is formed. This was done by Mr. Samuel Bouie, a land surveyor in that part of the country. I have every reason to confide in his actual measurements, though I have some reason to doubt of his projection of the altitude. The form indeed of the ground on which this pyramid stands makes that projection a matter of some difficulty. Dr. Molineux, who agrees nearly with Mr. Bouie in the actual measurements, which I find to correspond with my own notes, says, that the altitude is 150 feet, while Mr. Bouie makes it but 42. Neither of these accounts can be right, but Mr. Bouie, in my opinion, approaches nearest to the truth; for from a projection made upon a medium of the measurements given by Dr. Molineux, and those at different times received from Mr. Bouie, I make the altitude to be about 56 feet from the horizontal line of the floor of the cave; to which adding the segments of the curve of the ground on which it stands, being about 14 feet more, I make the altitude in the whole about 70 feet. This projection forms a figure exactly of the same contour as the draught which I sketched on the spot gives; and as my eye, from a habit acquired by drawing from nature, will judge of outlines and angles with an accuracy nearly approaching to measurement, I find myself from this concurrence the rather more confirmed in my opinion. How Dr. Molineux could be led into the mistake that the altitude was 150 feet, I cannot conceive. For if this monument, which is at present but a ruin of what it was, could be supposed ever to have been a perfect pyramid, it could not be much above 100 feet, as any one, continuing the lines of the sides to their interfections, will see. But even that supposition cannot take place, as Dr. Molineux mentions the circumference of the top nearly in the same numbers as Mr. Bouie makes it; and that the top so described by him was the perfect finishing of this monument is plain, as he mentions that one of the large columnal unhewn stones was set upon it.

This gallery at the mouth is three feet wide, and two feet high. At thirteen feet from the mouth it is only two feet two inches wide at the bottom, and of an indeterminate width and height. Four of the side stones, beginning from the fifth on the right hand, or eastern fide, stand now leaning over to the opposite side; so that here the passage is scarce permeable. We made our way by creeping on our hands and knees till we came to this part. Here we were forced to turn upon our sides, and edge ourselves on with one elbow and one foot. After we had passed this strait, we were enabled to stand; and, by degrees, as we advanced farther, we could walk upright, as the height above us increased from fix to nine feet. At H in the section fig. 2. PI. XXI. I observed, that on one of the side stones, were the traces of a spiral line; but whether meant for any emblem, or, whether having any reference to this building, I leave to the curious to decide. Were I to indulge my own conjecture, I should rather suppose, that this stone, as well as some others in the compilation of this structure, had formerly belonged to some other monument of a much more ancient date, and that they were brought from the sea coast indiscriminately with the rest of the materials, and without knowledge of their contents, as well as without reference to the place they were here fixed in, being placed just as the shape of the stone suited the place assigned it. The distance from A to B in the ground plot PI. XXI. fig. 3. is 42 feet; from B to C is 19 feet 4 inches, from C to D 19 feet 2 inches; from E to F 21 feet. You will observe from the plan, that, although the cemetery is an irregular polygon, yet it is such an octagon as might be supposed to be formed with such rough materials into so rude a style of architecture. The dome of this cave or cemetery springs at various unequal heights, from eight to nine and ten feet, on different sides, forming at first a coving of eight sides. At the height of fifteen or sixteen feet the north and south sides of this coving run to a point like a gore, and the coving continues its spring with six sides; the east side coming to a point next, it is reduced to five sides, the west next ; and the dome ends and closes with four sides; not tied with a key stone, but capped with a flat flag stone of three feet ten inches by three feet five. The construction of this dome is not formed by key stones, whose sides are the radii of a circle, or of an ellipsis converging to a center. It is combined with great long flat stones, each of the upper stones projecting a little beyond the end of that immediately beneath it; the part projecting, and weight supported by it, bearing so small a proportion to the weight which presses down the part supported, the greater the general weight is which is laid upon such a cove, the firmer it is compacted in all its parts. This will appear without any further explanation from a bare inspection of fig. 1. and 2. in PI. XXI.

The eight sides of this polygon are thus formed. The aperture which forms the entrance, and the three niches, or tabernacles, make four sides, and the four imports the other four. Upon the whole, this cemetery is an octagon with a dome of about 20 feet in height, and of an area which may be circumscribed within a circle of seventeen feet, or seventeen and an half. Fig. 1 . PI. XXII. gives a view of the tabernacle opposite to the entrance, as fig. 1 and 2. pi. XXI. do of the two side ones. I will begin my description with that on the east, or right hand; each side of this consists of two stones standing erect, in the position, and of the dimensions, as marked in the plan fig. 3. PI. XXI.; the back is formed by a large flat stone laid edgeways at its length; its position and dimensions are also marked in the same plan. The whole is covered with one large flat ftone, sloping towards the back, and thus forms what, in the language of the old British inhabitants, is called a Kiftvaen. The northern tabernacle is constructed exactly as the eastern one. The other on the western, or left hand side differs, each side of it being composed but of one single stone, as may be seen in the plan. Where the back stone does not reach quite up to the top covering stone, there the space is compleated by a kind of masonry of three courses. The northern tabernacle hath for its floor a long flat stone, six feet eight inches long, by four feet eleven inches broad. The two side niches have no other floor but the natural ground. They have however each of them a rock bason placed within them. That in the left hand nich stands on the natural ground. That on the right is placed upon a kind of base. It appeared to me, when I made my sketch, rather convex than as it is described by others, and as given to me by Mr. Bouie. But herein I may have been missed by the earth which lay about it. As this bason seemed to have the sides of its concave fluted, I desired particularly that the surveyor might clean it, and wash it; that if there was any thing singular, it might be observed. Nothing particular was found there; so take the draught just as I first sketched it. The bason on the right hand, as the surveyor gives me the measure, is four feet nine inches, by three feet four; as I measured it, it is three feet eleven inches, by three feet five. The surveyor's measure of the base is six feet, by five feet four inches. The bason in the left hand tabernacle is exactly of the same form as the other; its dimensions four feet four inches, by three feet seven. In the narrow point of its oval it is two feet broad. Dr. Molineux, in his account of this cemetery, says, that there was a rock bason in each nich; and, as that stone which I have described as a base, is a concave, forming a bason like the rest, it may, at the first view, seem to give some foundation for this account. But Mr. Lhwyd says expressly, "that in each cell or apartment on the right and left hand was a broad shallow bason of stone; the bason on the right hand stood within another; that on the left hand was single; and in the apartment straight forward there "was none at all." As this account was prior to the Doctor’s, and as both the drawing and plan from which the Doctor wrote, describe this base stone (which one might suppose to be the third bason) as actually then standing as a base to the right hand bason, it is clear that the Doctor was mistaken; and indeed a bare view of the inaccurate plan from which he wrote his description shews how that mistake arose. He was informed of the basons in the side niches, and had a deformed draught of the right hand one. In pursuing his description from inspection of the plan, it is plain that he mistook the plan of the floor stone of the northern nich for that of a bason like those before described; and by looking on that plan, one sees how easily he might so do. I have employed a more particular precision in describing the peculiar differences in the three several niches or Kiftvaens, as they become to me a ground of a conjecture which I shall submit to you.