[117] Transac. Royal Irish Academy, vol. xviii. p. 159. Dr. Petrie challenges the pedigree of the Scottish Lia Fail, and even goes some length to establish the reputation of a stone at Tara as the genuine one, but the Scottish stone has too faithfully fulfilled its character as the Stone of Destiny to admit of any such unaccredited rival! [118] _Vide_ Hailes' Annals, _note_, vol. ii. p. 242. [119] Judges ix. 6. [120] 2 Kings xi. 14. [121] Archæol. Hibern. p. 19. [122] Borlase, p. 177, Plate XIV. [123] Archæol. Scot. vol iii. p. 122. [124] Eyrbiggia Saga. Abstract Illust. of Northern Antiquities, p. 479. [125] Sir Walter Scott speaks of this ceremony as confined to the lower classes, at the time of his writing the "Pirate;" but this is contradicted by the statement of Dr. Henry, and there is every reason to believe that it had fallen at a much earlier period into disuse. [126] Archæol. Scot. vol. i. p. 263. [127] Sinclair's Statist. Acc. vol. xvii. p. 235. [128] Peterkin's Notes on Orkney, p. 21. [129] Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley, Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, vol. i. [130] Pyramids of Gizeh, vol. i. p. 54. [131] The Menai tubes, composed of wrought-iron plates, measure each 1524 feet in length, and the weight of the whole is estimated at 10,540 tons. This enormous structure had to be raised a height of 100 feet, and thrown over an arm of the sea 1100 feet in width, and navigable by the largest ships. [132] Sinclair's Stat. Acc. vol. xvii. p. 110. [133] Archæologia, vol. vii. p. 414. [134] Wallace's Orkney, p. 53. [135] A. Z., a native of Orkney, resident in London, who under this title presented to the Society from time to time a curious and valuable collection of books relating to the Orkney and Shetland Islands, accompanied with copious MS. notes, some of which contain touching allusions to the fond recollections cherished by him of his native place. [136] Illustrations of Northern Antiquities, p. 480.