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constructed, these, and the many fortified camps throughout Scotland, together with the connecting roads, are to be regarded as works of very wonderful magnitude, and arranged with consummate skill. The country for conquering and retaining which such efforts had been made must have been considered by them, truly, not a barren worthless waste, but a land well worth possessing; and its inhabitants, though at first perhaps somewhat barbarous, or less civilized and wealthy than their conquerors, must, during the Roman occupation, have acquired such a measure of acquaintance with and practice in the arts of industry, if not of literature also, as would raise them nearly to a physical and intellectual par with the great masters of the world.

Before quitting this subject, I wish farther to offer a short remark regarding one of the outpost forts north of the Kelvin Valley rampart, which has specially come under my observation. It is marked on the map before you as the Bencloich Hill fort, and its position is seen to be near the foot of the steep rocky southern slope of the Campsie fells opposite Kirkintilloch. Evidently, it had been selected as most suitable for observing the Glazart and Blane Valleys and the northward mountain pass of the Campsie Glen. I submit a sketch of it, enlarged from the Ordnance 25-inch scale map, which indicates its forms and those of its defensive outworks, consisting of various segmental ditches and banks. The flat surface of the mound as now seen is about 150 feet in diameter, and the slopes which are at the rate of about 1 to 1, have a vertical height above the general ground surface of more than 30 feet towards the west, but considerably less towards the east and north. Its approach had been from the east, and close by the gate entrance there seems to have been a large draw well. It does not appear that hitherto any attempts have been made to explore the interior of the mound by excavation. I imagine that it will be found when opened somewhat similar to the road side mountain fort in the Torwood near Larbert, which was cleared out two years ago; that is, having circular walls of stone to support a roof, with an opening for entrance and another for exit, a stone floor at the bottom, and marks of an upper floor of wood, the walls strengthened and defended outwardly either by embanking with earth and stones to near their top or by being sunk in the solid earth and rock, or partly both ways. This fort has long had for its popular name, "The Meikle Rieve." Near it there is a smaller fort of like form called "The Maidens' Castle," situated by the side

of a brook running there through a deep ravine. It also has several outward defence trenches. May we not be allowed to conjecture that this name represents, through tradition, or translation, the original one, and also the object of the structure? Supposing so, we can look back to the earliest known applications of the term "Maidens' Castle," and observe two meanings, one equivalent to inviolate fortress, and the other a stronghold for the protection of females. Accepting in this case the latter sense we are led to infer that the Roman soldiers, stationed at the Meikle Rieve outpost, were allowed to have their female connections, dependants, or followers, located near them in a building more or less fortified, and conveniently situated for purposes of domestic economy, personal seclusion, and escape from danger in the event of a hostile attack. Farther, we may suppose, from the other name, "Rieve," that after these two forts had served their original purposes, and the Roman soldiers had been withdrawn, the larger one had been at some time occupied by persons who plundered their neighbours and stored the spoil there. Words corresponding with this meaning are found in the AngloSaxon and all other languages of the Teutonic family, and likewise in those of the Persian, Roman, and Celtic kindreds.

MACNAB, PRINTER, MILLER STREET.

LIST OF DONATIONS TO THE GLASGOW ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY SINCE ITS FOUNDATION IN 1856.

1. Piece of Pinewood, found six feet below the surface of the ground in Candleriggs, Glasgow, presented, on November 2, 1857, by Gabriel Neil, Esq.

2. Impressions of a Roman signet, presented, on 1st March, 1858, by John Buchanan, Esq.

3. Plans of Willowbank (1801), presented, on 1st March, 1858, by Mrs. Alderson, Rothesay.

4. "Poetry and traditions of the Highland clans," presented, on 6th December, 1858, by the author, Donald Campbell, Esq., late Lieutenant, 57th regiment.

5. Indenture betwixt Robert Stewart and William Lang (1724), presented, on 6th December, 1858, by James Reid, Esq.

6. Two pairs of silver shoe buckles of the eighteenth century, presented, on 3rd January, 1859, by James Hutton Watkins, Esq.

7. Four copper Roman coins, presented, on 3rd January, 1859, by James Hutton Watkins, Esq.

8. A Chair of the sixteenth century, said to have belonged to George Buchanan, presented, on 3rd January, 1859, by Dr. Stewart, Kirkintilloch.

9. Bond (1686), and Letter to Deacon Tennent (1757), presented, March, 1859, by Hugh Tennent, Esq., of Wellpark.

10. Extracts from Irvine custom-house records, presented, on 7th March, 1859, by Andrew Scott, Esq., late of H.M.'s Customs.

11. Panel from the Archbishop's Castle, Glasgow, presented, 5th December, 1859, by Gabriel Neil, Esq.

12. Stone cup, and ancient bead, presented, on 10th December, 1860, by John Robertson Reid, Esq.

13. "Reminiscences of Glasgow Custom-house" (five copies), presented, on 11th February, 1861, by Andrew Scott, Esq.

14. "The age of Glasgow Cathedral, and of the effigy in the Crypt." By John Honeyman, Jun., Architect. Presented by the author on 11th February, 1861.

15. "Account of the remarkable monument in the shape of a cross, inscribed with Roman and Runic letters, preserved in the garden of Ruthwell manse, Dumfriesshire." By the Rev. Henry Duncan, D.D., minister of Ruth well. Presented by William Fleming, Esq., Miller Street, on 3rd December, 1861.

16. Two moorish coins of the thirteenth century, presented, on 7th January, 1862, by John Cruickshanks, Esq., West George Street.

17. "The Norwegian Invasion of Scotland in 1263," presented by Hugh Tennent, Esq., of Wellpark.

18. "On the origin, coronation, and jurisdiction of the Lord Lyon, King of arms," presented by Sheriff Strathern.

19. Signatures of Volunteers (1803), presented by David Smith, Esq., J.P.

20. Coat of the Royal Glasgow Volunteers.

21. Archium Glasguense: Notes as to ancient documents, by Laurence Hill, LL.B. Presented by the author.

22. Genealogy of the Reid Family.

23. Bronze arrow-head with rivet, also fragments of bone, and of a clay urn, found 4th August, 1859, in a small tumulus in the lands of Blochairn, Baldernock parish, Stirlingshire, presented, on 5th December, 1864, by Alexander Galloway, Esq.

24. Several fragments of stone from the Standing-stones of Stennis, and from a tumulus in the vicinity, presented on 5th December, 1864, by Alexander Galloway, Esq.

25. Bronze vessel, found in Blairskaith, Baldernock, presented, on 5th December, 1864, by Alexander Galloway, Esq.

26. "Old Glasgow and its Environs." By Senex. Presented, on 14th November, 1864, by the author.

27. "The Upper Ward of Lanarkshire described and delineated." By George Vere Irving, F.S.A., Scotland, and Alexander Murray. Presented by Messrs. Thomas Murray and Son, on 5th February, 1866.

28. Roman coin of Antoninus Pius, presented, on 18th March, 1868, by D. Lamond Macnab, Esq.

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