the discovery there of a long canoe, formed out of a single tree, eight feet below the solid clay, during the execution of drainage works some ten years ago. Now, it is not likely that the shipwright who built his canoe out of a single tree would know how to build a raft capable of floating stones and rocks so large as those described. It is far more probable that the stones had to be conveyed by land, by a route at least three miles long, crossing the head of the ancient lake, at a place where, until lately, a very old bridge stood, over the now narrow streamlet which once fed the lake. That a ford of some sort existed here in very early times may reasonably be inferred from the name of a village about two hundred yards distant from the site of the present bridge. Togher is the modern designation of this hamlet, and Togher in the Irish means a causeway." The bringing of these stones to the top of the rath, which is very high and steep, imposed a further task; and unless they filled the trenches with clay, and having dragged, or rolled, the roof-stones into their proper positions, then excavated them afresh, it is very hard to conceive by what mechanical process these chambers were built, in so barbarous and rude an age.1

Many raths in the neighbourhood sound hollow, when struck with a crowbar; and the name "Doon," i. e. "cave," [Quære, ED.], points to the existence of caves in this locality, either of such size, or in such numbers, as to give a title to the townland.

I trust that this narrative may elicit from the members of the Kilkenny Archæological Society some suggestion as to the uses of the platforms I have described, or some statement as to whether any person has witnessed or heard of similar features in subterranean chambers. If it does so, or that any reader, before uninterested in the preservation of these specimens of domestic architecture of the race who built for war the massive circular fortresses in Kerry and in Arran, shall henceforth seek to preserve the rath, as well as its contents, one of the principal objects of this communication will have been accomplished.

THE OGHAM "ROSETTA" STONE.

[THE following paper, with its illustration, is copied, by permission, from that admirably conducted publication, the "Archæologia Cambrensis," third series, vol. VI. pp. 128-36, in order that the Members of the Kilkenny and South-east of Ireland Archæological Society may have before them a record of this valuable landmar

1 Mr. Mooney has taken every means to preserve these chambers from injury, and

intends to pursue the investigation of gallery No. 6, and to explore the entire rath.

in the history of the much-contested Oghamic question. The paper was read at the Cardigan Meeting of the Cambrian Archæological Association, and is signed with the initials H. L. J., which we venture to read as those of "H. Longueville Jones," the Rev. and learned Editor of the "Archæologia Cambrensis."-ED.]

Within the precincts of the abbey of St. Dogmael's, near Cardigan, is preserved a long narrow slab of porphyritic greenstone, such as is found on the ridge of the Preseleu Hills, semi-columnar in form, and rhomboidal in section. It is about 7 feet in length, tapering upwards from rather more than 12 to 9 inches in breadth, with an average thickness of about 7 inches. The surfaces are all smooth, without any lichen adhering to them; and, did not other stones of this kind from the same hills offer the same appearance, it might be supposed to have been once artificially polished. Such, however, is not the case; this peculiar kind of igneous rock does not decompose readily; its greenish base, and the dull white, squarish crystals with which it is filled, resist the effects of weather and of vegetation with remarkable pertinacity. The stone in question is probably in as sound condition, with certain exceptions, as when it was first brought down from its native hills.

Stones of this kind are prized all over Pembrokeshire, from the circumstance of their peculiar form and hardness making them useful as gate-posts; every farmer is glad to get them from Preseleu; and the very stone of which we are now treating shows, by two holes drilled into its surface, that it has been made to do this piece of agricultural duty in worse times, archæologically speaking, than the present.

Not only as a gate-post, however, but also as a bridge, has it been made serviceable to the daily wants of generations now dead and gone; for it was so used over a brook not far from its present locality, and had acquired a sort of preternatural reputation, from the belief of the neighbourhood that a white lady glided over it constantly at the witching hour of midnight. It was fortunate, perhaps, that this should have been the case; for the superstitious feeling of the neighbours not only tended to preserve it from injury,no man nor woman touched it willingly after dark,—but this very tradition, added to its peculiar form, probably led to its ultimate rescue.

A gentleman who is the present owner of the property on which St. Dogmael's Abbey stands, the Rev. H. J. Vincent, vicar of that parish, found the stone covered with a thick coat of whitewash, in a wall adjoining his house, where it was perhaps placed after its removal from the brook. When the wall was taken down, with the view of effecting some improvements, the stone fell, and was unfortunately broken in two. It was then carefully conveyed to the spot where it now rests. Before it fell, its inscribed face and edge were

uninjured. Luckily they had been turned downwards by whoever placed it, in ignorance of its value, across the brook.

The inscription had been previously known; for that exact observer, Edward Lhwyd, had drawn the lettered surface most carefully, and his original sketch still exists. He had also remarked some of the notches on its edge, and had recorded a few in his drawing, but had not said anything about them in any of his notes. His sketch was not known to exist until 1859, when it was found, by the writer of this paper, at Oxford. But several years previously the writer had ascertained that one edge of the stone was covered with Oghamic characters, such as he had discovered at the same period on stones in other parts of the same district, and he pointed them out to Mr. Vincent, who at once perceived their archæological value. For several subsequent years he took careful drawings and rubbings of this stone, communicating them at the same time to Professor Graves, of Trinity College, Dublin, and to Mr. Westwood. The former, who has made the study of Oghams almost his own peculiar science, by his skill in working out the occult alphabet (well known to the readers of the Archeologia Cambrensis, from a review of his learned memoir on that subject), at once read off these Oghamic strokes, according to the system previously arranged from Irish monuments of the same description, and found that it corresponded very nearly with the inscription on the face of the stone.

We say very nearly, for one important mark, equivalent to a, was apparently wanting; if that were found, the professor's alphabet and theory would be completely correct. He therefore advised the writer to re-examine the stone more minutely; this was done, and the professor's conjecture was found to be correct: but more of this hereafter. Professor Graves then declared this stone to be the equivalent of the famous Rosetta stone of the Egyptian hieroglyphic discoveries, because it contained the same inscription in two distinct characters, one of the Romano-British type, the other of that occult Oghamic class which has been so much controverted, so much theorized upon, and so little understood. All that remained was to ascertain who might have been the personage commemorated, and what the date of his existence, as well as the palæographic character of the inscription.

The Rev. Robert Williams, M. A., of Rhydycroesau, on being appealed to, immediately observed (as Lhwyd had also done) that CVNOTAMVS was the proper Latinized equivalent of CVNEDDAF, the British king, who is said to have flourished in the fourth century;1

1 The Rev. Robert Williams, of Rhydycroesau, assigns to Cunedda Wledig the date of A.D. 340-A.D. 389. Professor Rees, on the other hand, treating of the events that occurred in Britain towards the end of the

fourth and beginning of the fifth centuries, says as follows:

46

'According to the Welsh accounts, one of the most distinguished chieftains of this time was Cunedda Wledig. His territory is said

but nothing could be then, nor has been since, elicited concerning SAGRANVS, here mentioned. If we are to assume that the Cunotamus here mentioned is really the Cunedda of early Welsh History, and if we are to consider the dates assigned above as tolerably correct, we can then evidently fix a period before which this stone could not have been sculptured, viz., the end of the fourth century. But the evidence we possess is not sufficiently weighty, the authenticity of its basis is not sufficiently proved, to allow of our assenting to it implicitly. We must call in the aid of the palæographer to obtain other means of approximation. Mr. Westwood, on being consulted as to the apparent date of this inscription, judging from its palæographic characteristics, has given the following opinion:

"The Latin portion of the Sagranus inscription offers but few peculiarities. It is entirely composed of Roman letters of a rather narrow form, varying in height, some in the upper line being nearly six inches high; those forming the word FILI in their much narrower form, in the bars of the F appearing on the left side of the upright stroke, in the upper

to have been in the north, an expression used indefinitely for any part of the tract reaching from the Humber to the Clyde; the particular district is not mentioned, but owing to the remoteness of the country from Wales it cannot be expected that the traditiou should be precise. In right of his mother, Gwawl, Cunedda was also entitled to the headship of the clan of Coel Godebog in the south; Ceneu and Mor, the proper representatives of that tribe, being ecclesiastics." Soon after the departure of Maximus to the continent, a people, called Gwyddyl Ffichti, or Irish Picts, to distinguish them from the Picts of the north, landed on the western coasts of Britain,† and occupied the whole of North Wales, as well as the Dimetian counties of South Wales. At a later time, the northern Picts made one of their irruptions into the country of their more civilized neighbours; and Cunedda, being unable to resist them, was forced to seek an asylum to the southward. The probability is that he retired to his maternal kindred. He was the father of a numerous family; and his sons, being reduced to the condition of adventurers, undertook the enterprise of delivering Wales from the Irish marauders. In this it is presumed they were assisted by the rightful inhabitants; and

they were so far successful that they recovered a great part of South Wales, and the whole of North Wales, except Anglesey and some portions of Denbighshire. The country recovered was divided between them, and they became the founders of so many clans which gave names to the districts that they occupied, some of which names are retained to this day. Thus Ceredig and Ceredigion, comprising the present county of Cardigan with a great part of Carmarthenshire; the word, Ceredigion, being the plural of Ceredig, and meaning his followers. Arwystl had Arwystli, or the western part of Montgomeryshire. Dunod had Dunodig, or the northern part of Merioneth with part of Carnarvonshire. Edeyrn had Edeyrnion, and Mael had Dinmael, both in the eastern part of Merioneth. Coel had Coeleion, and Dogfael had Dogfeilin, both in Denbighshire. Rhufon had Rhufoniog, in Denbigh and Carnarvonshires. Einion had Caereinion in Montgomery, and Oswal had Osweilin on the borders of Shropshire. Tibion the eldest son of Cunedda, died in the Isle of Man; but his son, Meirion, was one of these adventurers, and had Cantref Meirion. The date which may be assigned to the expulsion of the Irish is the period between A.D. 420 and 430.§

*Saints.

+ In this statement the Welsh authorities are confirmed by the Irish historians, who relate that an invasion of Britain, on an extensive and formidable scale, took place towards the close of the fourth century under the auspices of a king of Ireland, called Nial of the Nine Hostages.-Moore's History of Ireland, chap. vii.

The present counties of Cardigan, Pembroke, and Carmarthen.

The Silurian Achau y Saint, and Nennius.