At the bottom of these pastures on the right, runs the virgin stream of _Kennet_, just parted from its fountain by _Silbury-hill_. One stone is still standing by a little green lane going down to the river. Now our avenue marches directly up the hill, across some plough’d fields, still by the hedge of the _Marlborough_ road, where yet stands another stone belonging to it. Then we are brought to the very summit of the celebrated _Overton-hill_, properly the _Hakpen_ or head of the snake, which is 7000 feet from the _vallum_ of _Abury_ town. 400 cubits, according to _Herodotus_ II, was the _stadium_ of the ancients, our furlong; a space that _Hercules_ is said to run over at one breath. Had the side-interval of the stones of this avenue been the same throughout, 50 cubits, that repeated 100 times the number of the intervals, would produce 5000 cubits. But because, as I said, they lessen’d this interval proportionably, as they came to the neck of the snake, it amounts to 4000 cubits, which is ten _stadia_, an eastern mile in Dr. _Arbuthnot_’s tables, amounting to 7000 feet, as Mr. _Roger Gale_ and I measur’d its whole length. We may observe the proportion between the diameter of the great circle of _Abury_ town, which was 800 cubits, two _stadia_, and the length of the avenue, which is five times the other. Observe farther, they carry’d the avenue up the side of the hill, so sloping as to make the ascent gradual and easy. This _Overton-hill_, from time immemorial, the country-people have a high notion of. It was (alas, it was!) a very few years ago, crown’d with a most beautiful temple of the Druids. They still call it the sanctuary. I doubt not but it was an _asylum_ in Druid times; and the veneration for it has been handed down thro’ all succession of times and people, as the name, and as several other particulars, that will occasionally be mention’d. It had suffer’d a good deal when I took that prospect of it, with great fidelity, _anno_ 1723, which I give the reader in plate XXI. Then, about sixteen years ago, farmer _Green_ aforemention’d took most of the stones away to his buildings at _Bekamton_; and in the year 1724 farmer _Griffin_ plough’d half of it up. But the vacancy of every stone was most obvious, the hollows still left fresh; and that part of the two circles which I have drawn in the plate, was exactly as I have represented it. In the winter of that year the rest were all carry’d off, and the ground plough’d over.