Jlncient Vitrified Beacon Stations. 



507 



rally situated on lofty insulated hills, in such a chain of mutual 

 connection as to allow telegraphic communications to be con- 

 veyed from one station to another, at a considerable distance." 

 The fused state of some of these walls had brought them within 

 the province of geology at one time ; but it is now perfectly clear 

 that the consideration of these stations belongs purely to archae- 

 ology, and any person who still entertains doubts on that sub- 

 ject, has only to read Dr. Hibbert's papers, contained in the 

 October number for 1831, of Dr. Brewster's Journal; especially 

 the letter to Dr. Brewster, entitled, " Notice of the discovery of 

 very extensive vitrified remains at Elsness, in the Island of San- 

 day, Orkney," to be entirely convinced of this fact. This notice 

 of a very interesting subject will be concluded by citing the fol- 

 lowing passages from the letter alluded to. 



" 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 first is, — To what uses or observances is the effect of 

 vitrification attributable ■? While the second is, — To what people is the effect at- 

 tributable 1 In a tone of confidence, therefore, we are now entitled to reply, — That 

 vitrification was merely incidental to the fires which were kindled upon beacon 

 stations ; and that the people who, in every country which they occupied or colo- 

 nized, organized systems of beacon stations, were of Scandinavian origin." 



The letter concludes wdth the following summary. 



" First : That the vitrified sites of Orkney not being characterized, as in Scotland, 

 by the presence of stone ramparts, but simply by small cairns, upon which the 

 fuel for beacon fires had been placed, incontestibly show, that a beacon station was 

 not of necessity a place of strength or defence. 



" Secondly : That such of the ancient Duns, or strengths of Scotland proper, 

 m which vitrification is found to be an occasional occurrence, belong to the oldest 

 fortified sites in the country, and are referable to some of its oldest inhabitants, 

 probably to the Picts, who are supposed to be of German origin. 



" Thirdly : That these ancient Duns, not originally vitrified, indicate, by their 

 construction and extent, that they were used by a people who had already passed 

 from the hunting to the pastoral state ; as they evidently comprehend in their de- 

 sign, the protection of cattle, with that of human defence. 



" Fourthly : That from the tenth to the fourteenth century, a considerable part 

 of Scotland was overrun by the Scandinavians, under the various names of North- 

 men and Danes, who reciprocally became themselves liable to invasions from other 

 piratical tribes of the same northern origin as themselves, and were therefore in- 

 duced to institute systenis of beacon fires, in imitation of those with which they 

 had been familiar in Norway. 



" Fifthly : That as in most instances the ancient fortresses or duns of the oldest 

 historical period of Scotland, were continued to be used as the gathering places 

 of clans or tribes, the same were most conveniently selected as the sites of beacon 



