Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 16.djvu/626

 very summits, for the cultivation of wheat and other products. The lower levels for miles are ditched and diked for rice-cultivation. This is specially marked along the coast bordering the Inland Sea, and along



the western coast of Kiushiu from Nagasaki round through Higo to Satsuma. This widespread cultivation has necessitated the leveling or other modifications of large tracts of country, and with this disturbance have probably disappeared many evidences of an ancient race. My attention was first called to the existence of some curious stone structures near Osaka, by Professor Yatabe, of the University of Tokio, who had received a letter from Mr, Ogawa, of the college at Osaka, with the request that I should examine them. This letter, accompanied by a few sketches, was published by Professor Yatabe in a Japanese periodical in Tokio.

On my return from an expedition to the southern portion of the empire, I visited Osaka with my assistant, Mr. Tanada, for the purpose of examining these structures. Mr. Ogawa and Mr. Amakusa, both teachers in the Osaka College, kindly accompanied me and rendered much assistance in the work of exploration. Our time was too limited to do more than make a hasty reconnaissance. We left Osaka early in the morning by jinrikishas (vehicles drawn by coolies), our way leading across extensive rice-fields, and our course directed to a range of low mountains about ten miles away. The country was as flat as a prairie, and had evidently been the floor of the sea at no remote geological period.

The dolmens are found in the villages Hattori Gawa and Kori Gawa, which lie at the base of a low chain of mountains. Having reached Hattori Gawa, we left our jinrikishas, and hunted up the head-man of the village who was to accompany us to the dolmens.

Providing ourselves with candles, we started up a rather steep road, and after a while diverged to the left, down through a tangled ravine—stopping at the door of a temple to examine an old pot which was brought out for our inspection, and which proved to be a piece of Bizen-ware, not very old. Shortly after, we came to a group of dolmens.