found. However it is not impossible but that in future times it may still come to light; and, whenever this happens, we hope its final resting place will be the Caernarvon Museum. From hence to SEGONTIUM Some faint indications of a raised way appeared at intervals in the fields on the side of the valley opposite to Dinas Dinorddwig, from whence it was inferred that the Roman road did not go, as is generally believed, to that very remarkable post, which indeed is of British formation; but rather that it continued along the northern ridge of the valley until it came up to the fortified walls of SEGONTIUM. It is said that traces of this road were found within memory upon certain common lands near the station; but no information worthy of dependence could be obtained on this point. It was considered, however, that the occurrence of the stone of Ty Coch, joined to the other faint indications whether of tradition or of observation, justified assent to the common opinion, which has always indicated a line in this direction as that used by the Romans.

At SEGONTIUM itself the most diligent researches have not shewn where the ancient roads left the station, nor in what manner two of them crossed the Seiont, but it is probable that the passage was in each case effected by a ford. One road, at least, is traceable distinctly in part of its course, running towards the post of Dinas Dinlle, where, though the work itself is of British character, yet the occurrence of Roman coins entitles us to believe that it was held by a Roman force. This strong post was very probably used as a defence for the entrance of the Menai, which since those ages may have greatly changed its form; but no traces are known of any other road leading away from it towards the S.E., whence we infer that it was strictly a maritime post, and not one of internal defence.

It next became desirable to trace that portion of the Roman communications which intervened between SEGONTIUM and HERIRI MONS, on the road to MEDIOLANUM, RUTUNIUM, and URICONIUM; and it was determined to trace it both out and in, by going to HERIRI MONS and back again. The distance of twenty-four miles assigned by the Itinerary to HERIRI MONS from SEGONTIUM, and the indications of former explorers, pointed out Tommen y Mûr, near Trawsfynydd, as the site of the station sought for; to this point therefore the

operations of the party were directed. Going, as they did, to judge merely by their own inspection and by the aid of local tradition, it was found not to be so easy to discover any traces of a way from SEGONTIUM, as from HERIRI MONS back again, and we shall therefore give merely the result of their researches on their return.

They found Tommen y Mûr to be a well defined Roman station, about 200 yards by 300; the agger preserved on three sides, with an enormous mound raised artificially at the northern end. This station lies on the S.E. slope of a hill, and commands a view all down that remarkable valley which the Roman road, Sarn Helen, descends from thence to Dolgelleu; as well as of the mountainous regions, where the same road running northward passes over an arm of Manad Mawr, by Bwlch carreg y fran, above Ffestiniog to Dolwyddelan, Llanrwst, and CONOVIUM. A sight is also obtained, over very rough ground, towards Pont Aberglaslyn and Snowdon. By the western side of the station runs a Roman road, appearing as a deep ditch, branching off from the Sarn Helen (which comes a little to the eastward and joins the road from MEDIOLANUM) towards Maentwrog and Ffynnon Helen.

The walls of the adjacent fields were found full of Roman bricks and tiles; part of a Roman wall is laid bare in one spot, and forms a kind of square apartment; and the party, being provided with a light pickaxe and crowbar, such as are used by foumart hunters, were enabled to dig into and lay open portions of another wall or house. No indications of coins, or other objects of Roman fabrication, could be obtained there; but it is believed that some of the Roman remains preserved at Plas tan y Bwlch, and in other collections in this neighbourhood, came from the spot in question. The weather here cut short the operations of the party, and prevented them from going over the line from thence to CONOVIUM, a portion of which is in good preservation, and about the direction of which, throughout nearly the whole of its extent, hardly any doubt exists.

The ground between Tommen y Mûr and Pont Aberglaslyn is so peculiarly difficult, that its examination could not be attempted at the time of this visit; but there are almost certain indications of one important point along its course at Ffynnon Helen, Helen's fountain, where a portion of a

very ancient paved road exists; and where tradition says that Helen was with the van of her army when she heard of her son Constantine being killed under Mynydd Mawr, on the road from SEGONTIUM. The party were able, too, to decide on the improbability of this road having entered the Snowdonian range (ERYRI) except by the natural opening of Pont Aberglaslyn. It appears, however, that traces of several very ancient roads along Cwm Croesor, and round the skirts of Manad Mawr, as well as by Penygaer, and Cwm Ystradlyn, are still visible; but whether these are British, or have any connection with the Romans, must be left for future determination.

Along the precipitous sides of the Pass of Pont Aberglaslyn no trace of any pathway, except the actual road, was discernible; and it is by no means improbable that where the present bridge stands, and nearly coincident with the present road, the Roman troops crossed the stream and pursued their way to SEGONTIUM. It was supposed that some traces of an intermediate station would have been found near Beddgelert, dividing the long march of twentyfour miles into equal portions. All the vallies therefore, including the strong British post of Dinas Emrys and two smaller British posts just above the village of Beddgelert, were carefully examined with this view; but nothing Roman could be discovered. No traces of raised or sunk roads, no. bricks, nor coins could be heard of or seen.

Between Beddgelert and the foot of Mynydd Mawr on the S.W. side of the valley, and at some distance from the modern road, the party came upon the very evident track of an exceedingly ancient road, resembling in all respects that which they had found leading from CONOVIUM to Aber. It is not used as a road now, but runs across enclosed fields; it is very visible and is traceable with hardly any interruption for upwards of four miles, to the very base of Mynydd Mawr, under Castell Cidwm, where tradition says that Constantine was shot by an arrow. Above Llyn y Gadair, N.W. of Moel Fryn, and close to the side of this old road, is a tumulus, which has been opened in former days, and contains a kind of tomb or kist-vaen within it, very similar to those on the mountains above Aber. From the summit of Moel Fryn there is a sight to the neighbourhood of Tommen y Mûr (HERIRI MONS). Here the road, which

in parts looks like a trench, runs along an agger six feet wide; it keeps along the west side of Llyn y Gadair, turns, to avoid a hill, just where the road branches off to Drws y Coed, and thus passing near the turnpike gate on the present coach road, runs along the west side of Llyn Cwellyn, till it is lost in some marshy ground at the very edge of the lake under Castell Cidwm.

It was supposed that a branch might have gone off from it over Drws y Coed towards Dinas Dinlle, and no doubt some ancient track may have always existed in that direction, but nothing sufficiently certain could be ascertained on the subject.

From Bettws Garmon to Caernarvon it is believed that the Roman road ran nearly along the modern one, which goes in a direct line to the middle of the station at SEGONTIUM. Above Bettws is a farm called Ystrad, "The Street," connected no doubt with the old Roman road.

Vague rumours are afloat at Caernarvon of Roman coins having been found at Llys Dinorddwig, in the valley of the Seiont, on the way towards Llanberis; in this there is nothing improbable, inasmuch as the excavations at SEGONTIUM shewed that the Romans had worked slate quarries in the hills. It is also said that traditional indications of the Romans are to be found near Dolbenmaen and towards Tremadoc; this is a part of the subject to which future researches are to be directed.

That portion of the Roman road Sarn Helen, which extends from Dolgelleu to Tommen y Mûr, was afterwards explored, and here the task was comparatively easy; the line from the neighbourhood of Dolmelynllen being visible nearly all the way to HERIRI MONS, sometimes raised, but commonly as a trench or depressed road.

About half way between Dolmelynllen and Trawsfynydd, the road runs along a ridge, below which, on the eastern side, in the valley of the Afon Gain, stands a large Maen Hir called Llech Idris. It is above ten feet high, four feet six inches broad, only twelve or fifteen inches thick, and is formed of the schistose rock of the country. In an adjacent field is to be found the remarkable monument called Bedd Porus, mentioned by Pennant, vol. II., p. 101. That learned antiquary found the stone bearing the inscription in a farmhouse; but it is now placed in the middle of a field, on the

west side of the river, and is surrounded by a fence of stones to preserve it from injury. It was rescued from destruction some years ago by W. W. E. Wynne, Esq., who found the farmer in the act of building it into a wall; and Sir R. Vaughan, on being informed of the circumstance, took proper steps for its preservation. Subjoined is a copy of the inscription, reduced from a rubbing:

PORNS

HICINTWLOne HOMO "MANYS FVIT 1245 E

The dimensions of the stone are three feet four inches by two feet four inches, the lower corners being broken away, and about eight inches thick. As to the nature of the inscription much room is afforded for conjecture. The name should certainly be read PORIVS, not PÕRVS; but how or when the modern numerals were introduced at the bottom, or what they are intended to record, we have no means of saying. They, like the other characters, are all sharply cut, with very little weathering perceptible, and the E, that follows them, seems to be of the same age as themselves. We were at one time inclined to suspect that some fraud had been connected with the inscription, and that it was an antiquarian forgery; but we have no grounds on which to base our conjecture, other than the anomalous occurrence of the numerals. Between the word HOMO and the first letter of the succeeding one, two well defined dots occur, but no traces of any thing like a cross, nor of any abbreviation.

The portions of Roman road from HERIRI MONS to Ffynnon Helen, in one direction; to CoNOVIUM in another; and to Bala and MEDIOLANUM in a third; remain to be investigated, as well as that part which lies southwards from Dolgelleu, in the county of Merioneth.