Several Observations Relating to the Antiquities and Natural History of Ireland, Made by Mr. Edw. Lhwyd, in His Travels thro' That Kingdom. In a Letter to Dr. Tancred Robinson, Fellow of the College of Physicians and Royal Society

Fig. 1. The Masons Marks on the Stones that supported the Arches at Kaerphily Castle, Glamorganshire. Fig. 2. A Sculpture on one of the Steps in a round Tower at Kaer Phily Castle. Fig. 3. Certain Plates which frequently occur amongst the Entrochi of this County. IV. Several Observations relating to the Antiquities and Natural History of Ireland, made by Mr. Edw. Lhwyd, in his Travels thro' that Kingdom. In a Letter to Dr. Tancred Robinson, Fellow of the College of Physicians and Royal Society. Bathgate near Linlithgow, Scotland, Dec. 15. 1699. SIR, Your last, dated some time in July, overtook me about a Month after in Ireland; whence I had returned my Thanks, but that I was desirous to see somewhat more of the Country, in order to some Materials for a Letter. But having no conveniency of dispatching Letters from the Highlands of this Kingdom, I find I have now so long deter'd it, that I have by me Materials for several Letters; which must serve hereafter, when we traverse Places affording fewer Curiosities. We continued not above three Days at Dublin, when we steer'd our Course towards the Giants Causeway. The most remarkable Curiosity we saw by the way, was a flatly Mount at a Place called New Grange near Drogheda; having a number of huge Stones pitch'd on end round about it, and a singe one on the Top. The Gentleman tleman of the Village (one Mr Charles Campbell) observing that under the green Turf this Mount was wholly composed of Stones, and having occasion for some, employ'd his Servants to carry off a considerable Parcel of them; till they came at last to a very broad flat Stone, rudely Carved, and placed edgewise at the Bottom of the Mount. This they discover'd to be the Door of a Cave, which had a long Entry leading into it. At the first entering we were forced to creep; but still as we went on, the Pillars on each side of us were higher and higher; and coming into the Cave, we found it about 20 Foot high. In this Cave, on each hand of us was a Cell or Apartment, and an other went on straight forward opposite to the Entry. In those on each hand was a very broad shallow Bason of Stone, situated at the Edge. The Bason in the Right Hand Apartment stood in another; That on the Left hand was single; and in the Apartment straight forward there was none at all. We observed that Water dropt into the right hand Bason, tho' it had rained but little in many Days; and suspected that the lower Bason was intended to preserve the superfluous Liquor of the upper, (whether this Water were Sacred, or whether it was for Blood in Sacrifice) that none might come to the Ground. The great Pillars round this Cave, supporting the Mount, were not at all hewn or wrought; but were such rude Stones as those of Abury in Wiltshire, and rather more rude than those of Stonehenge: But those about the Basons, and some elsewhere, had such Barbarous Sculpture (viz. Spiral like a Snake, but without distinction of Head and Tail) as the fore-mentioned Stone at the Entry of the Cave. There was no Flagging nor Floor to this Entry nor Cave; but any sort of loose Stones every where under Feet. They found several Bones in the Cave, and part of a Stags (or else Elks) Head, and some other things, which I omit, because the Labourers differ'd in their Account. Account of them. A Gold Coin of the Emperor Valentinian, being found near the Top of this Mount, might bespeak it Roman; but that the rude Carving at the Entry and in the Cave seems to denote it a Barbarous Monument. So, the Coin proving it ancienter than any Invasion of the Ostmans or Danes; and the Carving and rude Sculpture, Barbarous; it should follow, that it was some Place of Sacrifice or Burial of the Ancient Irish. The Giants Causeway is so well described in the Phil. Transact. [N° 212 & 241.] that nothing can be added to that Account of it. We have the same Stone on the Top of Cader Idris, one of the highest Mountains of North Wales; but ours is less elegant, and does not at all break off in Joints; nor could I satisfy myself that there are set Joyns (as in the Entrochus and Asteria) in the Basaltes of Ireland; but that it is the Nature of the Stone to break off in such a convex Form. However, we could perceive no Seams in these Pillars, excepting on those Sides that were exposed to the Weather. An other remarkable Curiosity we met with, was a Copper Trumpet like a Sow-Gelders Horn; having the Hole for sounding near the midst, and two Rings at the smaller End; above two foot long. Three of these were found in an old Karn (i.e. a great Heap of Stones) at Balle Niwr near Carreg Fergus. We could make nothing of the Petrifying Quality of Loch Neach; but that they sometimes find Stones there, having the Grain of Wood. We met with some Irish Inscriptions there, and others here; which none of the Critics in that Language we conversed with could interpret. Near Larne in Antrim we met with one Eoin Agriw, whose Ancestors had been Hereditary Poets, for many Generations, to the Family of the O Neals; but the Lands they held thereby being taken away from his Father, he had forsaken the Muses and betaken himself to the Plow: So we made an easy Purchase of about a dozen ancient Manuscripts on Parchment. As to your Queries: The Mackinboy is the *Tithymalus Hibernicus* (or *latifolius sylvaticus*) Car. Hort. Oxon. Their Shamrug is the common Clover. The Potato is not indigenous of Ireland. The Arbutus is, for what I can yet understand, the same with the Common: And for the Sabina, I doubt my Friend I sent to Kerri (whom I have not yet seen) will bring me no News of it. I have the Account of the living Fossil Muscles attested and signed by the four Persons present at the finding them; so that nothing but its being a singular Instance makes me scruple the Relation: But the Labourers have such a Character for Veracity, that I rather incline to believe it, than to doubt: I am, Honoured Sir, Your most obliged Servant, E. LHWYD V. An Account of Experiments concerning the Proportion of the Power of the Load-stone at different Distances. By Mr. Fr. Hauksbee, F. R. S. Without mentioning the many Difficulties that attend the making of Experiments of this Nature, I shall immediately give an Account of their Success, and the manner of proceeding; which was as follows. I took a Quadrant of 4 Feet Radius; and having fix'd it to the Floor, in the Position of the Needle, whose South