24 The Thirty- Fourth General Meeting. 



which existed amongst antiquaries as to the age and intention of 

 this world-renowned monument; and expressed his belief that if 

 the Archaeological Societies could first agree amongst themselves 

 what they deemed most desirable for its protection, the owner, Sir 

 Edmund Antrobus, would probably give his consent to any reasonable 

 proposal that might be made. The Rev. E. Duke, calling on the 

 many barrows surrounding Stonehenge as corroborating his view, 

 very powerfully advocated the pre-Roman erection of that monument, 

 in which he was supported by Mr. A. Evans, who went carefully 

 into the question, and gave as his opinion of its approximate date 

 B.C. 450. Dr. Cox, on the other hand, advocating the view of 

 Mr. Fergusson (which has never found much favour with the main 

 body of Wiltshire archaeologists), argued that the great monument 

 dated from post-Roman times, and might probably be attributed to 

 the middle of the fifth century A.D. The Rev. Prebendary Scarth 

 observed on the injuries that had accrued to the stones within the 

 last twenty years, and others gave similar testimony : and thus 

 ended another visit of learned antiquaries to Stonehenge, on which all 

 the old theories were respectively touched, but no fresh evidence was 

 elicited either as to its age or its object ; nothing, too, alas ! was 

 done as to its protection and preservation. The next halt was at Lake 

 House, where the Rev. E. Duke received his numerous guests with 

 his usual hospitality and kindness, and pointed out the many objects 

 of interest in his excellent collection. Before leaving Precentor 

 Venables expressed, on the part of the visitors, their most hearty 

 thanks, and then all drove back to Salisbury, which was reached at 

 7, p.m. 



At 8.30 a Conversazione was held at the Council House, when 

 the Historical Section was opened by its President, the Very Rev. 

 The Dean of Salisbury ; who most happily pointed out the 

 successful historical researches which have been made of late years 

 by the deans, canons, prebendaries, and other members of the 

 Cathedral bodies of England. This was followed by a paper by the 

 Rev. C. H. Mayo on "Dorset Bibliography," which gave rise to an 

 animated discussion, begun by the Bishop of Salisbury, as to the 

 means of collecting materials for a county history, and in which the 



