NOTES AND QUERIES. 



387 



collection in the United Kingdom, but not by any means so great a variety as 

 my own museum. 



Where metal was used in making holes in hammers, the sides of the aper- 

 tures are cylindrical, and in some cases the circular lines left by the tool may 

 be seen. There are many instances of this in the hammer-heads in the Museum 

 of the Royal Irish Academy. Where, on the contrary, a stone, with sand and 

 water was used, the edges of the aperture are deeply splayed on each side, and 

 the septum broken through, as shomi in some of my examples, as also in a 

 number both in the Dublin and Edinburgh Museums. Erom examination of 

 the several specimens I come to the conclusion that in the earliest and rudest 

 the position chosen for the hole was first chipped or punched into a hollow, or 

 indentation, and then by the process of a rotatory or grinding action with a 

 hard stone adapted for the purpose, and sand and water. One half of the work 

 of making the hole being thus accomplished, by the like process the opposite 

 side of the hammer was worked out until in the centre or near it the apertures 

 met. The commencement of this process may be seen in several ovoid-shaped 

 stones, and a series of objects illustrating the process of the formation. 



Lign. 3.— Stone hammer with comijlete ijerforation. 



The third hammer in my collection is one made of granite of a form quite 

 uncommon, great pains having also been taken in its manufacture. It is 

 ground aU over its external surface, and partakes of the axe and hammer in 

 shape, the hole in its centre being ground, and, from appearances, it was put 

 upon a shaft, the small end of which passed through the top of the hammer, 

 and a pin was driven through the shaft, and it was thus fastened to the handle ; 

 tlie under side of the hammer rested on a thicker or collar part of the handle, 

 left wide to allow the under side of the hammer to rest upon it. I give you a 

 sketch of this hammer from a drawing taken some time ago. Much more 

 might be said about such implem.ents had I time^ for want of which I conclude 

 these remarks by stating that the hammers were made by chipping^ boring, drill- 

 ing, and rubbing, and the first hammers could be made without the use of metal. 



Metal might be known but yet not worked for or into hammers. Einally 

 I would observe that hammers are made of almost all the hard stones that are 

 found in England ; but it is not my intention to describe their lithological cha- 

 racters, but simply to state that the rudest of them are frequently made of 

 softer stone, and that those which were intended for special purposes were 

 made in a careful manner, highly wrought, and of more durable material.— 

 Edward Tindall, Bridlington. 



The Great Monoliths at Borotjghbridge. — Sir, — Having had occasion 

 to visit Boroughbridge during the time of the last Barnaby Eair — so named 

 in consequence of its occurring each year on the day of St. Barnabas, 

 I took the opportunity of examining the extraordinary monoliths, better 

 known to the people at the old borough and vicinity as the "Devil's 

 Arrows." As these remarkable obelisks are spoken of by almost all topo- 

 graphers, antiquarians, and geologists, I think it will not be out of place to 

 hand you a brief description of them and of the observations made by me. 



The stones at present standing are three in number. The first, or the one 



