1922] WEST, STONEHENGE 135 



the Kingdom. Once the site of a Roman fort, afterwards a Saxon 

 town, it stands on a high circular mound two miles in circumference 

 and surrounded by three deep trenches and embankments one above the 

 other. On its summit are still to be seen traces of walls, ramparts, its 

 cathedral and its castle. Its cathedral was removed to Salisbury in 

 1258. In the construction of the new Cathedral, stones taken from 

 the old one were used. 



Here WilHam the Conqueror assembled all the barons of his king- 

 dom in 1086. In Henry VII's time it was ahnost wholly deserted. 

 Though without a house, two members represented it in Parliament 

 until 1832. William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, first sat in Parliament for 

 Old Sarum in 1735. The Pitt Mansion is still to be seen. 



A few miles from Salisbury is "The New Forest," covering about 

 one hundred forty square miles. About 1068 William the Conqueror 

 laid waste the County of Hampshire, causing dozens of villages, 

 churches, schools and homes to be destroyed that a great hunting 

 ground might be made. Trees were planted and it was made a habita- 

 tion for wild beasts. The most severe penalties were imposed upon 

 those who hunted there without permission from the Court. While 

 killing, a man might be atoned for by a moderate fine, the killing of a 

 wild boar or stag was punished by the loss of an eye. At the present 

 time only about two-thirds of this forest belongs to the Crown. It is 

 used by the public as a pleasure ground and affords a delightful drive. 

 The scenery is beautiful, but the pronounced absence of water is sur- 

 prising, there being but one small stream crossing it. The heavy timber 

 is principally of oak and beech. Large portions are, however, grown 

 up to underbrush and heather. Here we saw the "Rufus Stone," now 

 encased in iron to protect it against relic hunters, marking the supposed 

 site of the tree from which the arrow glanced that killed King William 

 Rufus in the year 1100. 



A drive of eight miles from Salisbury brings us to the famous Stone- 

 henge, located in a government reservation, six by twelve miles in ex- 

 tent, purchased for military purposes in the year 1900. 



The bibliography of Stonehenge and Salisbury Plain comprises 

 many volumes. The several theories and fantastic speculations, ad- 

 vanced by authors, are confusing and in some cases without reason. 

 This paper is confined to facts only and is based on the writer's per- 

 sonal inspection of the remains during his visit to the site in 1922, on 

 an examination of the artifacts secured from it and now on exhibition 

 in the British and Salisburv Museums, and on information contained 



