xxii HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



some cases, acrimoniousness, to prove the correctness of 

 their theories on this subject, appear in most instances 

 to have reversed the only sound process of reasoning. 

 Instead of deriving their conclusions from evidence, 

 direct or indirect, they seem to have formed their con- 

 clusions first and selected their evidence afterwards. 

 The result has been a partial statement of their case, 

 involving a want of candour which fails to carry convic- 

 tion. After all, an ounce of fact is worth a ton of theory. 



In default of historical records, we turn perforce to 

 tradition. Tradition is not history, but when sifted with 

 discrimination, it may, and frequently does, bristle with 

 suggestions which are not without a certain value. But the 

 traditions of the Hebrides which relate to pre-historic 

 times are largely composed of myths, and there is little 

 assistance to be derived from them. 



It may be urged that we have in the Outer Hebrides, 

 memorials of the long past which have existed through 

 the centuries right down to the present time; books in 

 stone; monuments which contain more trustworthy records 

 even than written annals ; relics which render the antiquary 

 independent of the historian. True; but where antiquaries 

 disagree, who shall decide? In the standing stones of 

 Callernish, for example, we have a book which would do 

 more to enlighten us on the primitive conditions of life in 

 the Island of Lewis than all other evidences put together, 

 were it possible to decipher its language. But the book is 

 almost entirely sealed, and in spite of all efforts to open it, 

 sealed it remains to the present day. The antiquary, how- 

 ever, has come to our aid in enabling us in a small measure 

 to answer the question, "what do these stones mean"? We 

 know that within the great Callernish circle,* in the year 

 1858, a circular cairn was discovered; that in the centre of 

 the cairn was found a chamber, divided into two compart- 

 ments, with a passage leading to the outside of the cairn ; 

 that minute fragments of human bones, which had 

 apparently been subjected to the action of fire, were 



* There are two smaller and little known circles in the same vicinity. 



