14 WITH NATURE AND A CAMERA. 



from which they had been made, but probably ex- 

 aggerated in the case of one of them (which we 

 were obliged to tie together with string before it 

 could be photographed) by the fact that it had been 

 heated, as it bore traces of having lain in the remains 

 of a peat fire. The St. Kildans said that these 

 stones were used in former times for putting into 

 the foot of a stocking and dashing out the brains of 

 invading enemies, some of whom called to kidnap 

 able-bodied men to serve in their ships in place of 

 hands washed overboard during stormy weather. 



We found a lot of fragments of earthenware 

 vessels half an inch thick, and so blackened on the 

 outsides as to lead us to suppose they had been 

 placed on a fire for cooking purposes. They were 

 in all probability made on the island and used in 

 the Viking times. Such vessels were manufactured 

 and used all over the Western Isles of Scotland, 

 from a very early period down to the time when 

 the steamers brought Staffordshire ware into fashion. 



The other implements figuring in the picture 

 consist of hammer-stones, whetstones, rubbing-stones, 

 or grain-crushers, and hollowed stones which may 

 have been used as lamps. Curiously enough one of 

 the lamp-stones we found was almost exactly similar 

 in size and shape to one still in use on Borrera. 



The entire credit of properly investigating and 

 restoring this interesting home of primitive man 

 belongs to our friend, Mr. John Mackenzie, jun., 

 who takes a great deal of interest in the history of 

 the place. Some idea may be gathered of the con- 

 dition of this strange relic of bygone days from 

 the picture taken of it before we commenced dig- 

 ging, and the fact that four or five feet from the 

 entrance the passage was completely blocked up 

 with earth and stones, which were overgrown with 



