(From Plate XXXV. of Vol. VII. of _Proceedings of the Society of
Antiquaries of Scotland_, First Series.)
Captain Thomas thus describes his descent into and exploration of this
earth-house:--"An irregular hole was pointed out by the little lassie
before alluded to, and some of my party quickly disappeared below
ground. As they did not immediately return, I thought it was time to
follow, and squeezing through the ruinated entrance (_a_), I entered the
usual kind of gallery, which descended into the ground at a sharp angle.
At the bottom, on the right-hand side, was the usual guard-cell (_b_);
the sides of dry-stone masonry, but the end was the face of a rock _in
situ_. Proceeding on, the roof rose and the gallery widened to what was
the main chamber (_c_), which was 7 feet high under the apex of the
dome, and 4 feet broad. Upon the west side of this chamber, and about 2
feet from the ground, is a recess, about 2 feet square and 4 feet long.
At the further end, and in the same right line, the gallery (_d_)
became low (2½ feet) and narrow (2 feet). Again the roof rose, and the
gallery widened till stopt, in face, by a large transported rock (_f_);
to the right of the rock a rectangular chamber (_e_), 2 feet broad,
extended 4 feet, and ended against rock _in situ_. Round, and beyond the
rock (_f_), the wall of the left side of the gallery was built, but the
passage was so narrow (_g_) that I contented myself by looking through
it. This incomprehensible narrowness is a feature in the buildings of
this period. Some of Captain Otter's officers pushed through into the
small chamber (_h_); beyond this the gallery was ruinated and
impassable; the total length explored was 45 feet."[71]
[Footnote 71: _Proc. Soc. Antiq. Scot._, vol. vii. (First Series), pp.
167-8.]
[Illustration: PLATE II.