of brick, some of unusual thickness; fragments of pottery of a coarse, dark character, with the exception of one of a bright red colour, which was not, however, of the kind known as Samian ware, as well as large portions of plaster, which still retained the mark of the trowel. At another spot, and at a short distance, the foundations of another building were laid bare, during which operation a stone hammer, of a type often found in Ireland, was discovered and appropriated by the Rev. R. Williams Mason. A slight groove has been worked in the side, which was intended for the securer purchase of the flexible rod which formed the handle, just as at the present time blacksmiths secure their iron punches.. This kind of stone implement is called by Sir W. R. Wilde by several names, one of which is hammer-punch, although some of them are so rude and massive as to have more of the hammer than the punch proper. The more rude and heavy ones are, however, of the same outline and form as those which are true punches. These heavier and ruder ones are also found in ancient mines, and are sometimes called "mining hammers." Figures of them are given in Sir W. R. Wilde's Catalogue of the stone objects in the Museum of the Royal Irish Academy, p. 85, figure 67.

By the cottage near the wall of the camp are fragments of querns and Roman mill-stones which have been found at various times. The wife of the tenant a few days before the meeting of the Association found near her house a small cornelian intaglio of very fair work, representing a Mercury. This Mr. Mason purchased, and, as previously stated, presented to Mrs. Coulson.

A short distance off is a curious circular work, said to have been the amphitheatre. It is an oval enclosure about thirty-six yards long and twenty-seven wide at its broadest part. Pennant mentions there were two entrances one opposite the other; but, as a road at some time has been carried across it, these entrances may be only cotemporaneous with the road.... He speaks also of a part of it as appearing to have been cut off by a wall, the foundations of which still remained. These, however, were not noticed during this visit. A drawing, made of it by Mr. Blight, will be shortly given in the Journal. All vestiges of the seats of the spectators have vanished; but, unless the bank was much loftier than it is at present, it could not have held a great many. It may be, after all, not an amphitheatre. If so, it is very difficult to conjecture what it could have been. It is not noticed in the account of the visit paid in 1850.

The numerous company, on leaving the hill, reassembled at the mansion of Mr. Holland, where they were received with the most hearty and sumptuous hospitality.

The PRESIDENT returned the thanks of the Association for their kind and agreeable reception of the members, concluding his observations with proposing the healths of their host and hostess.

Mr. HOLLAND, in acknowledging the toast, observed that, although, for his own part, he had seen more of the Roman station at Tomen-ymur since the visit of the Association than he had ever seen before; yet he thought it would be very desirable if further excavations could be made under proper superintendence; and he hoped, therefore, he

might have another opportunity of welcoming the members of the Association to this part of the country.

The numerous visitors then dispersed themselves through the delightful grounds, commanding one of the most picturesque views in Wales, while others examined the incised stones which Mr. Holland had ordered to be brought to his garden for inspection. Four of these stones have only the words IN PERPETVI, and underneath are the numerals xx, XXI, XXII, XX. They have also the ivy-leaf figure so commonly found on Roman sepulchral monuments, especially in the south of France. The presence of this figure makes it probable that these are also of the same nature, but the meaning of the inscription and the numerals has yet to be explained. On another fragment the letters PR are magnificently cut. Beside these were no less than thirteen mill-stones and querns-some Roman, others not. objects were obtained from Tomen-y mur by the late Mr. Lloyd.

All these

The proceedings of the evening meeting were opened by Professor BABINGTON, who occupied the chair in the unavoidable absence of the President. He then, at considerable length, gave a detailed account of the various interesting objects they had examined during the excursions of Thursday and Friday. During the course of his observations, in remarking on the curious group of houses, assigned to Irish builders, standing above Harlech Castle, he was understood by Mr. Mason to refer their construction to the time of the Gaelic invasions.

To this Mr. MASON demurred, stating that there was not the slightest doubt that the Gaels were the occupants of the whole of Wales for a vast period of time anterior to the arrival of the Kymry. He wished time and weather would have allowed extensive excavations among the buildings so commonly assigned by the Welsh to the Irish or the Gael, for "in that case, it was possible some relic might be found like the stone with the spiral circle at Llanbedr; for, according to Sir James Simpson in his admirable work on archaic sculpturings, it was the only known instance of that peculiar type of sculpturing found in Wales, while it was common in Ireland. Now this stone had been removed to its present position with a view to its greater security by Dr. Griffith Griffiths, who found it among some of those structures called Cyttiau Gwyddelod. But the philological argument also confirms the testimony derived from tradition, as well as from Gaelic relics, that the Gael occupied Wales, if not the whole of the interior of England for a period up to the time of the Roman invasion. Maglona (not to speak of Leucarum and Conovium) was merely the Latinised form of Maghlonadh (marshy plain), a name highly descriptive of the ground about Machynlleth. The nomenclature of the whole coast of the Bay of Cardigan from Bardsey to St. David's Head was highly curious and instructive. There was first a continuation of that outer fringe of Norse or Danish names of promontories and islands extending along the whole line of coast. Next came the Gaelic names which extended from the coast into the interior, mixed up with Kymric proper. This type of nomenclature was most especially to be observed in the counties of Cardigan and Merioneth, to which districts the Gael seems to have clung the longest.

The CHAIRMAN explained that Mr. Mason had partly misunderstood what he had stated concerning the Gaelic invasion. He was of the same opinion as Mr. Mason and others, that the Gael were the perdecessors in this country of the Kymry, but the invasions he alluded to were those of a much later period. He now called on Mr. T. O. Morgan to read a paper on Montgomeryshire, when and how it became shire ground.

The CHAIRMAN having thanked Mr. Morgan for his ably drawn paper,

Mr. BARNWELL, in alluding to the remarks of Mr. Wynne on the preceding Tuesday as to the nature of certain lines on one of the Dyffryn cromlechs, said they had, on their visit to Cwm Bychan, found a large rock, which appears to have been detached from the height above, the face of which was scored in the same manner, except that, instead of the lines being straight ones, those on the rock were segments of concentric circles, which, from their exact regularity, had also the look of artificial work, but which were no doubt the effect of natural causes; and, if so, there could be still less doubt about the lines on the cromlech.

Dr. GRIFFITH GRIFFITHS said that, as there had been several allusions made to cromlechs, he thought it might interest the meeting to hear the result of his own observations of these monuments, which he had examined, not only in Wales, but England, France, and North Africa, showing that the race who erected these chambers must have occupied those countries at some remote period. He had seen no less than thirty cromlechs at no great distance from Algiers, of nine of which he laid before the meeting very faithful representations, together with fragments of rude unornamented pottery, burnt human bones, flint flakes, etc. All the cromlechs that he had seen in this part of Africa were certainly smaller in all respects than those of Wales, the largest capstone not exceeding nine feet by eight. In every case, moreover, the remains of the original carnedd which once covered them up were still to be seen, thus confirming his own opinion that all cromlechs were originally covered with earth or stone, and had nothing whatever to do with Druidic altars or sacrifices. Mr. Barnwell had stated that all cromlechs in their perfect state were mere chambers, the walls consisting of four or more large slabs, covered by one or more capstones. He excepted to this statement, as he had seen near Algiers a cromlech one side of which never had been composed of a slab, but of small dry masonry. At the present time on Carnedd Hengwm a perfect cromlech remained with its covering of stones. Dr. Griffiths also gave a description of a very remarkable monument of this kind at Dragnignon in the south of France, the cap-stone of which was eighteen feet long, and the supporters, six in number, from eight to ten feet high. From the drawing of it, which was handed round, the chamber appeared to be of a less regular quadrangular shape than usual. During the present meeting they had seen the stone at Llanbedr with the spiral ornament cut upon it. He now produced a drawing of a menhir, with some very curious figurings, which might be taken for the cup or circle figures, but which some might think were rude attempts at delineation

Be

of the human features. He himself, however, did not think so. fore he finished, he begged to draw the attention of the members to the fragments of a sepulchral urn lately discovered under a cave at Tyddyn Gronw. The urn had been covered with a lozenge or diamond pattern, imprinted by a twisted thong. Mr. Wynne, of Peniarth, had stated that he was unacquainted with the fact of any urns having been found in the county. Many fragments of urns, however, have been found at Tomen-y-mur, and the late Mr. Lloyd was said to have obtained a perfect one, but this was probably Roman, not British.

Mr. DUNKIN remarked that the ornaments on the fragments exhibited by Dr. Griffiths were identical in character with that on the Roman brick they had seen that day.

Mr. R. I. JONES gave an account of a great variety of objects which might be visited to-morrow, if time permitted of such an extended excursion. On Ynys hir, one of the islands between Portmadoc and Tremadoc, were the remains of a watch-tower, Twr Gwilio. On the other island, known from time immemorial as Ynys Fadog, coins of William the Conqueror have been found. At Llidiart Yspytty (gate of the hospital) large quantities of Roman brick, bones, etc., have been discovered just below the surface; and about 1810, when the modern town of Tremadog was being erected, an immense quantity of bones had been removed from this spot to Penmorfa church-yard. On the hill-side, about a quarter of a mile from the post road of Penmorfa, numerous foundations of houses could be traced a short time ago. On Bwlch Craig-wen a circle, consisting of thirty-eight stones in Pennant's time, has since vanished; the remains, scanty however, of another circle, or rather oval, still exist at Cefn Coch.

The evening being too far advanced to admit of the reading of Mr. T. O. Morgan's "History of the Parish of Darowen," the usual votes of thanks were then proposed and unanimously passed.

Mr. LLOYD PHILLIPS, seconded by Mr. J. PUGHE, moved that the thanks of the Association be given to Mr. Coulson and Mr. Holland for the hospitality with which they had received the members of the Association during the meeting, and also to Mr. David Williams for his kindness in inviting them to Castle Deudraith, an invitation which, from the arrangements of the week, it was impossible to accept.

Mr. BARNWELL, seconded by Mr. JAMES DAVIS, of Hereford, proposed a similar vote of thanks to the Local Committee, and Treasurer, Mr. E. H. Ellis, for their effective services; and to Mr. Thomas for placing the school-room during the week at the service of the Association. Mr. MASON, on behalf of himself and his colleagues, acknowledged the vote. He alluded to the support which the county of Merioneth, or rather his portion of it, gave the Association, and thought that if the Local Secretaries in the other counties showed a little more activity the same result would follow.

The CHAIRMAN, in breaking up the meeting, hoped that the visit of the Association to that neighbourhood would be the means of drawing attention to its antiquarian remains, and encouraging the study of such matters, which was, in fact, one of the principal objects of the Association. They had come not to teach others what the antiquities

of the district were, but to be taught; and if, from their longer acquaintance with such subjects, they were enabled to furnish any information, or throw any light on the difficulties of local details, they had great pleasure in being of any such use as far as they could. On behalf of the Association, he begged to thank all who had assisted so kindly on the present occasion.

An unanimous and cordial vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded the public meeting.

After all strangers had retired, a meeting of members only was held, Professor Babington again taking the chair.

The two matters of business discussed were the communication from the Woods and Forests respecting the lease of Denbigh Castle and the reversion of that of Harlech, and the place of meeting next year. This latter point was left to the Chairman of Committee and the two Secretaries, with full power to arrange. As regards the other, it was unanimously resolved that Denbigh Castle, being already leased to certain gentlemen for the benefit of the town of Denbigh and neighbourhood, it was advisable not to accept the offer of the Board of the Woods and Forests. That, as regards the reversion of the lease of Harlech Castle (which would fall in in 1873) it was desirable, under the circumstances of the Association, not to enter into any arrangement so long before the time of action.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 29.

The final excursion consisted of two sections, one returning to Portmadoc from Criccieth, the other proceeding onwards to Treceiri. The first halt was made at Llidiart Yspytty, where Mr. R. J. Jones had directed excavations to be made. These, however, led to no decisive result. A vast quantity of Roman tile, some good masonry of very early character, but not apparently Roman, bones, and other débris, were exposed. The place, however, seems to have been previously disturbed; and, as Mr. Pughe had justly remarked at the meeting of the previous evening, it would be unsafe to draw any definite conclusions from this assemblage of rubbish. The name of Hospitium might seem to indicate some establishment of the Templars or Hospitallers ; but no record of any such establishment exists. The existence of Roman brick, some of it ornamental, is, however, a fact that does not admit of any dispute. A complete examination of the whole ground might throw some light on the question.

Pen Morfa Church was next inspected. It is a plain Welsh church, built 1698, and of a very ordinary character. The only relic of the preceding building was a fragment of painted glass with portion of a figure, and which may be as old as the fourteenth century, but more probably of the fifteenth.

A short drive brought the excursionists to a fine artificial mound with what had been a deep ditch surrounding it. Pennant says that Rowland conjectures it to have been a watch-tower; but it is simply the ordinary mound or motte on which castles were originally built, and which, especially in the case of smaller castles, was continued down