"DEAR SIR,--I have been instructed by the engineer to forward to you, by Wednesday at latest, any information gained by the sinking of the central shaft in the crannog. "The mode adopted was to open a place about 12 feet square. "The pump forwarded was only 3 inches diameter, and it was found that three men bailing with buckets were required to enable other two men to dig. "A large mortised oak beam was found about 18 inches below present surface; still further down a few oak beams were lifted with broken portions of transverse (soft wood) beams adhering to under surface of the oak. This was at a depth of 3 feet 6 inches. A large flat stone, near to which was a compressed mass of grass, some ferns (common bracken), and fragments of moss, was also turned up.--I am, yours faithfully, "JAMES MATHEWSON. "_P.S._--5.20 P.M. Men leaving. Found mortised beam (oak) with pin in hole. Beams as far as we can plunge a rod--3-1/2 feet deep." Writing subsequently, May 11th, Mr. Mathewson says:--"The sinking of the shaft was a failure through want of depth at outlet. Oak beams with cross layers of softer wood and brushwood were found all over the bottom of shaft. Some small jaw-bones were brought up from a depth of 2 feet 6 inches below present surface, as also some compressed ferns and grasses, a small quantity of ashes, and a trace of whitish clay. On Friday evening I turned over some of the formerly unmoved oak beams at a corner of the shaft, put the spade a foot further down and turned up a sandstone which had been used as a whetstone. It was irregularly shaped, 7 inches long and 2-3/4 broad. One flat face and a sloping edge were ground smooth by whetting. It was 1 foot 6 inches below present floor. In the near surroundings of the spot I also found ashes and traces of tough whitish clay and a few bones." Again, writing on the 16th May, Mr. Mathewson says:--"I sounded shaft to-day, and found hard beams from 3 feet 9 inches to 4 feet 3 inches below present level of excavations. The shaft is rudely 3 feet 6 inches deep. In some crevices the iron bar went down to 6 feet from top of shaft, and again struck wood." RELICS FOUND BELOW UPPER LOG-PAVEMENT. But the chief evidence that the section now removed from off the island represented the débris of a former habitation, is derived from the relics found among its contents, which are as follows:-- (1.) _Whetstones._--Three of these implements, the most modern-like that I have yet seen, were found to the west of the junction of the gangway with the crannog, and at a depth of 2 feet 6 inches. One is rectangularly-shaped and beautifully polished on all sides. It is made of a hard dark stone, and measures 7-1/4 × 1-3/8 × 7/8 inches; another is a smooth slightly oval-shaped rod, 5-1/2 inches long and about 3/4 inch in diameter; the other is about the same length, but of a roughly quadrangular shape.