Next to the lithei, or croinI•hs, stand the kist-vaens, or monuments of limy consisting of three uprights, and one horizontal stone covering the whole: they are often found in, or near circles, and are frequently accompanied with barrows of various kinds. Kist-viwn is a Welsh term, and signifies stone-chest, lot the term quoit is frequently applied to the same structures, more especially in Cornwall, and there is one near Cloyne, in Ireland, named Carig-Croith, which is interpreted Sun's ?balse. Such mouninents are found in abmillanee, and in every quarter of the globe; we select (tile as a specimen, Kit's Coty I louse, Kent.
Phis monument stands near to the village of Aylesford, and is thus deseribell by Stowe :—" It consists of four flat stones, One of than standing upright, between two others, inclosing the edges of the first, and the fourth laid flat upon the other three, and is of such height that men may stand on either side the middle stone in time of storm or tempest, safe wind and rain, being ilefended with the breadth of the stones, having one at their backs, one on either side, and the fourth over their heads." "About a coit's east from this monument, lieth :mother great stone, a great part thereof in the ground. as Olen down where the same had been affixed." This description answers very well to its appearance at the present day, with the exception that the separate stone last mentioned, is now entirely buried in the ground. The dimensions are given as in (rose's Antiquities: '` Upright stone on the north or north-west side, eight feet high, eight feet broad, two feet thick ; estimated weight, eight tons and a half Upright stone on the south or south-east side, eight feet high, semen and a half feet broad, two tbet thick ; estimated weight, eight tons. I :pright bet w yen these, very irregnlar ; medium diinensions, five fect high, five feet broad, tim•teen inches thick ; estimated weight, about two tons, Lipper stone very irregular; eleven Ibet long, eight feet broad, two feet thick ; estimated weight, about ten tons seven hundred-weight." 'Monuments of the same description are to be seen in Palestine, the fidlowing account ut some of which is given by Captains Irby and Mangles ;—‘, On the banks of the at the foot of the mountain, we observed some very singular, interesting, and certainly very ancient tombs, com posed of great rough stones. resembling what is called Kit's Coty House, in Neut. They tire built of two long side
stones, with one at each end, and a small door in front, mostly fiwing the north ; this door was of stone. All were of rough stones, apparently not hewn, but found in flat frag ments, many of which are seen about the spot in huge flakes. Over the whole was laid an immense flat piece, pl.( tjecting both at the sides and ends. What rendered these tombs more remarkable was, that the interior was not long enough for a body, being only five feet. This is occasioned by both the front and back stones being considerably within the ends of the sides only. There are about twenty-seven of these tombs, very irregularly situated." This description would answer very well for our own erections of the kind, were it not fbr the second stone amt doorway, no traces of which are to he found in these islands. Sir Inchard Colt I bare gives two representations of similar stones in Malabar, but lie does not accompany them with any description.
Numerous monuments kind are to be fimnd through out the British Isles, but they occur most frequently in Corn wall and Wales, also in the Isle of Auglesea, the last resort of the Druids, and in Ireland.
What the use of these caves were is not agreed upon, some claiming them as sacrificial altars, others as tombs, and others again as simply sacred C? rtietions answering to the ark or sacred chest of the Jews. The former position is maintained by King, who, after referring to the account given by the Romans of the human sacrifices of the Druids, con tends for the peculiar applicability ut' such erections to that purpose ; but his opinions do not seem to be borne out by tiwts. As a decisive argument in the matter, he cites an instance of a structure of the kind existing in the county of Louth, Ireland, which is called the killing-stone; but if this hold good as a proof, it similar one may be advanced for the second class of opinions, in the case of the Trevethy Stone in Cornwall, the word Trevcdi signifying, in the British language, it is said, the Place of I ;raves ; and besides this, Kit's Coty II/Arse is transferred into Catigern's house of colts, the term colt being translated large flat stone. This place is so named, it is averred, from the filet of C'atigeru being buried there, after the battle With and Ilorsa, which occurred at Avlesford, and in w hieh he'was slain.