The monument consists of four distinct parts, three distant circles, and a cove. The stone it is composed of, is of such a kind as I have not elsewhere seen; certainly intirely different from that of the country, which is a slab kind. If any stone ever was, this would tempt one to think it factitious, though I think nothing less: it looks like a paste of flints, shells, crystals, and the like solid corpuscles crowded together and cemented, but infallibly by Nature’s artifice. The long current of years passing over it, and its most perishable parts being wasted away, leaves the rest much corroded externally, and as it were worm-eaten by dint of time: yet of itself it will stand for ever; for its texture is extremely hard, and beyond that of marble, at least those of Marlborough downs. If I have any judgement, by oft surveying these kind of works, and with a nice eye, I guess by its present appearance, and consideration of its wear, to be older than Abury and Stonehenge. One would think, from its dusky and rusty colour, that it is a kind of iron stone: it is very full of fluors and transparent crystallisations, like Bristol stones, large, and in great lumps; so that it shines eminently, and reflects the sun-beams with great lustre. I cannot but think that it is brought from St. Vincent’s rock, near the mouth of Bristol river, as Mr. Aubrey says expresly; though Mr. Strachey, who has curiously observed every thing of this kind, cannot affirm it: and if its comes no further, we may well admire at the strength and manner requisite to convey them hither over that rocky country, wholly consisting of hills, and dales, and woods: but the notion of religion fully answers all difficulties; and the founders well provided for the perpetuity of their work, in the election of their materials. I found some stone like this by the sea side, this Summer, at Southampton; and the walls of the town are mostly built of it. The stones in our work are apparently very shapely, and squared, though with no mathematical exactness, that is, not hewn with a tool, but rather, as we may suppose, broke by flints, and a great strength of hand, in those early ages, when iron tools were not found out: the greatest number of the stones are now visible, either standing, fallen, or buried in the ground by the person before mentioned; the places of such for the most part are apparent enough, the grass growing but poorly above, as we said before, so that the purpose of interring them is defeated, and more grass lost by their lying than when they stood in their places. Many may be found by knocking with one’s heel upon the spot, whence there is a sound; others, by thrusting an iron rod into the earth. The species of the stone renders it useless to be wrought up in building, especially in this country, that abounds with more manageable stone for the purpose. From the regular figures of the stones, as well as their order of positure, the eyes of a spectator