Page:Prehistoric Britain.djvu/220

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PREHISTORIC BRITAIN

These they use as winter retreats and graneries, for they preserve a moderate temperature; and upon an invasion when the open country is plundered, these recesses remain unvioiated, either because the enemy is ignorant of them, or because he will not trouble himself with the search."

Hut-circles.—The habitations known as hut-circles are found in numberless localities throughout Britain, especially on upland moors that have been little disturbed by cultivation. They are generally associated with other prehistoric monuments, such as cairns, cromlechs, beehive houses, menhirs, souterrains, etc. I cannot think of a better way of conveying to readers a general idea of these promiscuous remains than to give a brief account of one or two localities, where they are still to be seen. During a stay of a few days at Penzance the present writer was able to visit the principal antiquities of West Cornwall, the result of which may be thus summarized.

Starting from Penzance and following the Morvah road, we first come to the "Lanyon Cromlech," a free-standing dolmen with a cover-stone 17 feet long by nearly 9 feet broad, and resting on three pillar-stones, 5 feet in height. But this is not its original height, as the cover-stone fell some years ago, and when it was being raised the supports had to be reduced. Before this event it is said that a man on horseback could ride under