broad, but toward each end the breadth is gradually increased. This bridge is formed of plumpudding stones, put together without much art, and vitrified on all sides, so that the whole mass is thereby firmly cemented. To render the surface smooth, and the passage easy, a stratum of gravel had been laid above the breccia, and filling the interstices, had become incorporated with the stones while in an igneous state. The north and west sides of the hill are steep, and upon these sides the fort is inaccessible; the approach is from the northeast, along the verge of a precipice, and the entrance had been defended by an epaulment of stone, the ruins of which still remain. There is a private passage to the bridge from the south; and westward, between the base of the mound and the precipice, there was formerly a tank that had supplied the fort with water, and which has recently been filled up. Barry seems to be corrupted from the Gaelic, Bar, "a summit," and Ra, "a fortress,”—Bar-Ra, "the fortress on the top of the hill." Upon the declivity of Barry Hill, and about half a mile to the south-east, there is another fort, of the same figure as the last, but of less dimensions, and surrounded by a strong wall and moat.-Seven miles south-east of these, on the other side of the valley, and upon the top of one of the Sidla Hills, called Denoon Law, there is also a similar Pictish fort, the longest diameter of which is 360 feet. The walls had been built without cement, and there is only one entrance from the south-west. It is situated in the parish of Glammis, in Forfarshire.-The top of Kinpurnie Hill had likewise been fortified by the Picts, and appears to have been used as a watch-tower. All these works are of unknown antiquity, and various have been the con

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jectures concerning the epoch of their formation, which is generally supposed to have been anterior to the Roman invasion. The circumstance of the walls being constructed without cement,* and partially vitrified, favours this supposition: on the other hand, there is no account of the Romans storming any of these forts, and some of them were capable of being defended for a considerable time.- Let us now endeavour to trace the march of Agricola into the country of the Horestii.

We have seen that the posts at Barry Hill were not Roman works; but, three miles to the southward of these, intrenchments have been discovered at Caerdean, on the peninsula formed by the confluence of Dean Water and the river Isla. The ramparts are so much levelled, that their dimensions cannot now be exactly ascertained; but there is ample space for the encampment of 26,000 men, upon the Polybian system. The Roman road from Cupar Angus, leading to the northeast, toward Battle Dykes, passes through this camp. The situation is excellent; and, indeed, is such, that vestiges of Roman works might have been expected, yet they escaped the notice of antiquaries, till within these few years. Caer-Dean signifies the camp, or fortress upon the Dean; it is distant 10 English miles from Meiklour; and, on leaving that place to march into Horestia, we suppose Agricola encamped here with his army.-Dean, in Saxon, has the same import as the English Dell; but the name of this stream seems to be from the Gaelic Douin, "deep and dark-coloured." The Isla appears to derive its name from being subject

*The Romans are believed to have introduced the art of building with cement into Britain.

to floods: Y-llif," a flood," British. In the twelfth century, Giraldus Cambrensis calls this river Hylef.

In advancing through Strathmore, the Roman general seems to have proceeded nearly in a straight direction, parallel to the secondary ranges of the Grampians, which were distant three or four miles from his line of. march. When the Romans invaded a country, they fixed upon a distant hill, or some other conspicuous object, upon which they directed their route; and, by keeping one or more intervening objects also in view, they were commonly enabled, in long reaches, to take. the shortest lines. Their ordinary day's march being from 8 to 15 miles, according to circumstances, if two camps be found, we may expect to discover one or two more in the same direction; and these may be looked for in such places as the Romans preferred for their encampments, and formerly described. The most eligible of such situations they chose for their castra stativa, or garrisons; and, after subduing the country, they connected these by Itinera, or military roads. If they were driven from a province, succeeding generals advanced upon the roads formed by their predecessors, and again occupied the camps of former commanders, repairing the old ramparts, or throwing up new intrenchments, according to the number of their troops, and their system of defence.-It is probable, that Lollius Urbicus reoccupied several of the camps of Agricola, in the country of the Horestii, and formed the military ways which connect them, as the latter could hardly have had time to execute such works, after the defeat of Galgacus, and before his recall by the Emperor Domitian.

The next encampment of Agricola, we suppose to

have been at Battle Dykes, 12 English miles north-east of Caerdean, and 3 miles north of the town of Forfar. This camp is situated in the parish of Oathlaw, on the eastern declivity of a small hill, having the South Esk on one side, about a mile to the northward, and the rivulet of Lemno on the other, within a quarter of a mile to the southward. Three sides, and part of the fourth, are almost entire; and five gates are distinctly seen. The traverses are straight. The prætorium seems to have been upon the highest ground, near the west side of the camp: the intrenchment upon this side is for the greater part effaced; but in it must have been situated the Decumen Gate, as the east side appears to have been the front. On the south side is a large tumulus, or cairn of loose stones, at a short distance from the rampart, and to the westward of what was called the Quintane* Gate. The camp is oblong, but broader in the front than in the rear: its mean length is 2970 feet, and its mean breadth 1850, being a trifle larger than the great camp at Ardoch. Of course, it would contain 26,000 men upon the Polybian system; and as the intrenchments and traverses of the gates are also similar to the camp at Ardoch, there seems reason to conclude that this camp was occupied by Agricola. From the name, we might be led to suppose that a battle had been fought here; but no traces of an engagement are to be found, unless the large tumulus above mentioned be regarded as such. This, however, has generally been considered an exploratory post,

*The Quintane Street was near the front of the camp, and parallel to the principal street; it was so called, because it passed in front of the fifth cohort; and the gates in the ramparts which opened upon this street, were called the Quintane Gates.

though we are tempted to think that the summit of the small hill, upon the declivity of which the camp is situated, would have been a better station for the exploratores. Such a tumulus, or tumuli, being found near many of the Roman stations, and temporary camps, it is probable they were raised above the ashes, or the bodies, of the Romans and their allies, who died of their wounds, or of a natural death, while the army occupied these intrenchments. Doubtless a skirmish may have taken place here, though not mentioned by Tacitus; yet there is no probability that Agricola would be attacked in his camp. A slight engagement may have happened, when Lollius Urbicus had the command, or even at a much later period; but the names of Battle Dykes, and of War Dykes, another camp to the eastward, may have been given to them by the country people, for no other reason, but because they were evidently ramparts which had been thrown up by soldiers concerned in war.

The Roman road from Caerdean passed through Battle Dykes. Maitland, Hist. Scot. vol. i. p. 200, mentions, that " John Webster, the farmer who resided in, and laboured this camp, turned up with the plough the foundations of this road, in divers parts of its course through the camp." To the eastward, it crosses a ford in the South Esk, at the peninsula formed by the influx of the Noran, where we supposed Esica may have stood; and it traverses the Muir of Brechin, toward War Dykes and King's Ford in the North Esk, where Tina was probably placed. It does not pass through Brechin, nor does it appear to have given off a branch to that town in crossing the Muir; and these circumstances confirm our belief that Esica was not situated at