"We commenced this inquiry by excavating a rectangular space, 30 feet long, 16 feet broad, and 3 to 4 feet deep, in the line of direction indicated by the piles, and exposed quite a forest of oak stakes. Other trenches were then made with exactly similar results. The stakes thus revealed did not at first appear to conform to any systematic arrangement, but by-and-by we detected, in addition to six single piles, small groups of three, four, and five, here and there at short intervals. This observation, however, conveyed little or no meaning, so that we could form no opinion as to the manner in which they were used. Up to this point no trace of mortised beams was anywhere to be seen. In all these trenches the stuff dug up was of the same character. First or uppermost was a bed of fine clay rather more than 2 feet thick, and then a soft dark substance formed of decomposed vegetable matter. The source of the latter was evident from the occurrence in its upper stratum of large quantities of leaves, some stems, branches, and the roots of stunted trees _in situ_. The tops of the piles in the trench next the crannog were from 2 to 3 feet below the surface of the field, but they rose gradually as we receded from the crannog, and in the trench next the shore one or two were found on a level with the grass. About 4 feet deep the stuff at the bottom of the trench was so soft that a man could scarcely stand on it without sinking ankle-deep. It was not nearly so heavy as the upper strata, but more adhesive, and of a nutty-brown colour, which, on exposure, quickly turned dark. Notwithstanding the flabbiness of this material, the piles felt quite firm, and this fact, together with the experience derived from our examination of the deeper structures of the island, led to the supposition that the piles must terminate in some more solid basis than had yet been made apparent. To remove all doubts on this point, though a long iron rod could be easily pushed downwards without meeting any resistance, we ordered a large deep shaft to be dug in the line of the piles, and the cutting nearest the crannog was selected for this purpose. This was accomplished with much difficulty, but we were amply rewarded by coming upon an elaborate system of woodwork, which I found no less difficult to comprehend than it now is to describe. The first horizontal beam was reached about 7 feet deep, and for other 3 feet we passed through a complete network of similar beams, lying in various directions. Below this--_i.e._ 10 feet from the surface--the workmen could find no more beams and the lake silt became harder and more friable. We then cleared a larger area, so as, if possible, to exhibit the structural arrangement of the woodwork. The reason of grouping the piles now became apparent. The groups were placed in a somewhat zig-zag fashion near the sides of the gangway, and from each there radiated a series of horizontal beams,