31 6 Dr Hibbert on the Vitrified Cairns of Orkney. 



of Wood wick, from whom, on other occasions, I have received 

 much valuable information of Orkney, to procure me more de- 

 cisive satisfaction. In the meantime, I can only add, that it is 

 highly probable that Elsness often derh'ed its information of 

 the exact number of approaching war ships from independent 

 observation ; as the high lands of Sanday afford nearly as 

 good a look out station as North Ronaldsay. 



After this particular examination, I visited several of the 

 more common wart or ward hills of Orkney, but observed the 

 beacon cairns upon them to show little more than discoloration 

 from fire, with the exception of one ward hill only, — namely, 

 that of Sanday, which is situated about two miles north of 

 Elsness. Three of the cairns on this height were considerably 

 vitrified.* 



The circumstance of vitrification being chiefly observable on 

 the beacon stations which connect themselves with the mooring: 

 of an armed fleet, while a similar manifestation in the ward 

 hills of other islands of Orkney appears scarce, is of no little 

 interest, and strengthens the conjecture, which is not altogether 

 uncountenanced by history, that, upon the numberless occasions 

 of invasion from Norway, it was much less frequently found 

 necessary' to alarm the country at large, than to confine the 

 signal to the fleet which was in readiness ; and that ward hills 

 were only fired when an enemy was likely to make good its 

 landing, or when it became necessary from any other circum- 

 stances to summon the whole of the islands to take up arms. 



Nor is it of less moment to keep another incident in view : — 

 that while Elsness from its peculiar locality was in every way 

 adapted, by means of beacon fires, to communicate with the 

 fleet of Papa Stronsa, the comparative lowness of the promon- 

 tory prevented its signals from being observed by an expedi- 

 tion advancing from the north ; — which fact, by the way, may 

 explain many circumstances connected with the vitrified forts 

 of Scotland. 



Such is the general history of the vitrified cairns of Orkney, 

 which may serve to set at rest, I trust for ever, two questions 

 which have been agitated for more than half a century. The 



* Since this communication went to press, I have received from Mr 

 Traill of Woodwick, vitrified specimens from the island of Rousav, Ork- 

 ney.— S. II. 



