The entire number of Runic characters may be about 935, exclusive of
scribbles and many doubtful marks. The monograms and bind-runes, or
connected consonants, are considered as forming one letter. There are also
some marks which may have been intended to represent a horse and an otter
with a fish in its mouth; also, a winged dragon and a worm knot, which
last has much the appearance of one of the great Saurians. The two hind
legs are very plainly defined.
BARROWS AT BOOKAN.
This barrow is in the parish of Sandwick, but so near to Stennes that it
may have been regarded as connected with the great circle. It is on the
property of Mr. Watt of Skail, in the West Mainland. It was opened on the
6th of July, and proved to be a collection of kists or graves. At the
north end of the central kist, a flint lance head, and several fragments
of clay vessels or urns, were found, together with a lump of heavy metal,
supposed to be Manganese, but no bones. In some of the other kists were
human remains in a very decayed state, two jaw bones being the most
perfect. These were much distorted.
Mr. Petrie gives me the following measurements:--The Barrow is about 44
feet in diameter, and about 6 feet high. About 11 feet within the outer
margin of the base of the barrow is a circular wall or facing about 1 foot
high. From the south side of this wall a low passage, 6 feet 3 inches
long, 21 inches in height, and the same in width, leads to a chamber or
kist 7 feet long and 4-1/2 wide. At the north end of this there was
another kist 4 feet 8 inches long, and 3 feet wide. On the east side there
was one 4 feet 8 inches long, and 2 feet 9 inches wide; and on the west
side two kists, both of which were of the same length as that on the east
side, and both were 3 feet in width. They were all about 2 feet 8 inches
deep. The foundation of the surrounding wall or facing was considerably
above the level of the floors of the kists.
LARGE BARROW CONTAINING GRAVES.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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