The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-09-19
.,o,rr ROCKING STONES"
-. Ones of England and Ireland
supposed Religious USe'
chicago Times

supposed Religious Use.
chicago Times
!. yoOd people of Blackstone. Mon
,s;Sire. England, are mourning the
II+S rocking stone, which has
., .T been the chief attraction
y. riTage. Indeed, the town is
VA n have derived its name fro II
s'Ds In the old vernacular of the
.' r rocking and bucking were
..'rmous This rocking stone was
~ TOek of rock. so formed and so
Iona - pivot as to oscillate forward
JseEEard without losing its equi-
nm Ever since the town was set
fib stone has been the delight of
ET1agers. As thousands of strangers
Tstsd the place every year on
80 20 see this famous stone and to
= ton its pivot, it brought no
n rains" to the stage-driyerS and
-OsTes Of inns and ale houses. The
= aOOd on the summit of a hill, and
4 Ike many similar natural curiosi-
he property of the crown. 1t was
esVrned and rolled into the wooded
IN below by the members of a variety
s5lny who had Lecn performing in
Ma. As tie stone weighs several
q and is in an unfayorable position,
flwObably never be restored to its
Faa position.
s famous rocking stone of the Mon
iltEhire village was not the only one
he kind in the British islands,
sghit was the one most widely
8R Similar stones exist in York
s Ierbyshire, Lancashire, Wales,
aCOnEaI. They are quite numer-
En Scotland. Not far from Lands
Ass famous rocking stone, known
Ih Logan" Some sixty years ago,
!Hain Lieut.. Goldsmith, of the royal
pr overturned the stone, with a
" be said, to a scientific investiga-
, As the admiralty caused him to
Am to its former position at his
p expense, and as the stone was
nd to weigh ninety tons, he re-
sad at leisure and at great expense
d folly and zeal in making scien-
! hTestigatiOns.
aa1d has several rocking stones
Pa have been carefully guarded by
aa0ltants The one at Islandmagee,
q BOwn'S bay, is the most famous.
20 only rocks when the hand is
s4a on 1t, or when the wind strikes
VI 1t trembleS and mods, or local
-ll0ns are not to be trusted, when
. A unjust landlord, an informer,
.l1S.esSSerVer, or a malefactor ap-
.esnS near it. 1t is almost needless
~, Iale That it is held in high estima-
ny lle people. Rocking stones are
~ - 9MmOn in Greece, and until re-
; ~ !.i ! vas supposed they were shaped
pOtu Oy ancient artisans for some
4 ''al purpose. Some of them con-
MS inscriptions, which serve to
~ S'asA the impression that the
~. M themselves were fashioned by
/ d IN TlleI , was general in Great Brit
s6aoESES OlGglStS apparently disproved
n f si; mat these rocking stones
srn ~e9l0ned by the Druids, and that
S,, ur1 use OF them in practicing
IL o, aSe rites which they performed
a h me me-; Oh religion. That they used
4 tI.r Itlr devotional exercises and
aes by 5s. Employed them to terrify the
sSo h. o.'h I.I ikei y, but there is no good
aaD6sa,d V,f5levlng that they shaped
Yas ion mem in in, the places where
~ ij T.. That they might have
steIls fo :! TIE people who preceded
tslls vi purposes of divination is
Inn a., 10 one of the poems of Os-
& or a'e fepresented as marching.
san 4. :" these stones, singing
ig Of gods and counting the
kSue ot tlOfatons as an augury of
y doOo VI an approaching battle.
et,tbT ToS were held in superStitious
sgaEtiaas';Ssa S after the introduction
q ~ and it was found neces-
ess oa,s areaten communication
s t d sOl1 who persisted in paving
DOL rocking stones.
he os,a nave a theory of their own
That tbassin OF rockingstones. They
Den pac!, are masses of rock which
tie softd shape to the slow de,
llsl pOrt;er portions of them. The
3 t6OSsN have washed away,
We'd 6v nc not likely to become de,
he ro oae action of the atmos.
seealy c pOlnt that becomes a pivot
add HupoSed of very hard ma
That n Uelns protected by the
p,oGet over it, retains its
shiebo tE Indians had rocking no
lad wbi lucy regarded with reyer7
ne Of S'GI they consulted as ora.
Ssa. an, Snem is at DEVILS Lake.
atiractiounoe constitutes one of the.
as Dor 'O us of the place. Had
As roel destroyed all Sentiment
satdtd @ SiaS stones, they would
'eat pra WIN more interest than