Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 75.djvu/138

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each with human bones, frequently mingled with those of the horse and cow.

The way in which one tumulus near Carnac has been explored is interesting. This forms a large mound, over 260 feet long, oval in outline, rising fifty or sixty feet above the surrounding plain, and locally known as Mont St. Michel. On one end of the level summit is a small chapel of St. Michel while on the space in front is an interesting cross of fifteenth century workmanship. As open cuttings would have been expensive (and even impossible in the neighborhood of the chapel), the tumulus has been explored by driving small tunnels through it in every direction. These have later been walled up and roofed in with stone, so that, by the aid of a candle, one may visit all the points of interest in the interior, just as one-would explore one of our Indiana or Kentucky caves, seeing all the features found—in this case two dolmens and numerous cairns—as nearly as possible in their original condition.

It would be a tedious task to enumerate, even by name, all of the objects found in these explorations, which were begun in 1862 by the Société Polymathique of Vannes, continued, for the fifteen years ending with his death in 1881, by the Scotchman, James Miln, and since that time by Le Rouzic. The material collected by Miln forms a small but very important museum which he bequeathed to the Commune of Carnac, and which must be visited in order to have a full knowledge of these strange megaliths. Le Rouzic, the present curator, is enthusiastic in his field, gladly welcoming the student, and spending much time in explaining his treasures.

In the first place these plainly show that, whether the orientation