276 Incised Marking on the Impost 



that they should have been religiously preserved. It seems 

 however that in no long time after attention had been called to 

 them, they became the object of wanton mischief from visitors. 

 It might have been two years or more since I had previously seen 

 them ; but at the time of the meeting in September, not only had 

 the lichens been scratched off the markings, but their edges and 

 surfaces had been hacked and hewn with a knife or chisel, so that 

 the aspect of age such as they had possessed was quite lost, and a 

 completely different character given to them. Hence it was not 

 surprising that there was much division of opinion as to their age, 

 and that the majority of those present on this occasion appeared 

 in favor of their modern date. All doubt on this head was soon 

 to bo dispelled. 



In the following week, a letter dated Amesbury, September 28th, 

 appeared in the Salisbury and Winchester Journal, with the offer 

 of evidence as to the modern character of the markings. This was 

 written by a resident in this small town, which is distant about two 

 miles from Stonehenge. All real antiquaries must feel indebted 

 to Mr. W. C. Kemm, for his exertions in successfully dispelling a 

 notion, which as he expressed it, was " more likely to mislead than 

 to throw any light on the origin of Stonehenge." Mr. Kemm 

 subsequently informed me, that in consequence of the discussion 

 which had taken place, he had been induced to make inquiries 

 of his neighbours respecting the markings on the stone. The first 

 person who could give him any information he says was Mr. John 

 Zillwood, who is the schoolmaster of the place, a respected and in- 

 telligent person, 64 years old, well acquainted with Stonehenge 

 from his boyhood. He says he distinctly remembers the time 

 when he first saw the marks in question, when they were evidently 

 fresh and newly made. His impression, when first spoken to, was 

 that this happened about 45 years ago, in or about 1819. It was 

 soon found that there was other evidence, in addition to that of the 

 schoolmaster. John Pike, a shepherd, aged 62, whose early life 

 was passed on the very farm of West Amesbury on which Stone- 

 henge is situated, on being applied to, stated that he well remem- 

 bers, about the time named by Mr. Zillwood, seeing two men, as he 



