town.

Royal FORT, is one whose line of defence is at least 26 fathoms long.

Star FORT, is a sconce or redoubt, constituted by reentering and salient angles, having commonly from five to eight points, and the sides flanking each other.

Vitrified FORTS, a very singular kind of structures found in the highlands and northern parts of Scotland, in which the walls have the appearance of being melted into a solid mass, so as to resemble the lava of a volcano, for which indeed they have been taken by several persons who have visited them.

These walls were taken notice of by Mr Williams an engineer, who wrote a treatise upon the subject, and was the first who supposed them to be works of art; other naturalists having attributed them to a volcanic origin. These works are commonly situated on the tops of small hills, commanding an extensive view of the adjacent valley or low country. The area on the summit, varying, as is supposed, according to the number of cattle the proprietor had to protect, or the dependents he was obliged to accommodate, is surrounded with a high and strong wall, of which the stones are melted, most of them entirely; while others, in which the fusion has not been so complete, are sunk in the vitrified matter in such a manner as to be quite enclosed with it; and in some places the fusion has been so perfect, that the ruins appear like masses of coarse glass. Mr Williams has not only absolutely determined the walls in question to be the works of art, but has even hazarded a conjecture as to the manner in which they were constructed, and which, according to him, was as follows. Two parallel dikes of earth or sod being raised, in the direction of the intended wall, with a space between them sufficient for its thickpess, the fuel was put in, and set on fire. The stones best adapted for the purpose, called the plum-pudding stone, are everywhere to be found in the neighbourhood. These were laid on the fuel, and when melted, were kept by the frame of earth from running off; and by repeating the operation, the wall was raised to a sufficient height. This opinion of the stones being thrown in without any order, is thought to be confirmed by the circumstance of there not being any where a large one to be seen, nor a stone laid in any particular direction, nor one piece which has not in some degree been affected by the fire. Mr Williams mentions a fact tending to confirm his hypothesis, viz. of a brick-kiln situated on the declivity of an eminence, so as to be exposed to the wind, which happening to rise briskly one time when the kiln was burning, so increased the heat, that the bricks were melted, and ran, like a lava, for a considerable way down the hill.

The opinion of Mr Williams has been embraced by several other authors; particularly Mr Freebairn and Dr Anderson, the latter having published two treatises upon these buildings in the Archæologia. In the same work, however, we meet with a paper by the Hon. Daines Barrington, in which the author expresses quite different, sentiments. He observes, that Mr Williams,

Forts.

and the other antiquarians, who suppose the walls in Vitrified question to be works of art, imagine that the reason of their being constructed in this manner was the ignorance of cement, which in these remote ages prevailed in Scotland: but with respect to this circumstance, he says, that if one side of the wall only was heated, and that to any considerable height, the matter in fusion would in all likelihood drop down to the bottom, without operating as any cement to the loose stones thrown in amongst it. This circumstance of the walls being vitrified only on one side, is indeed remarkable, and takes place in most of the forts of this kind to be met with at preseut: but with regard to it, Mr Barrington observes, that he himself has been twice in the Highlands of Scotland, and has found very few hills of any height which were clothed with wood; the trouble therefore of carrying it up to the top of such a mountain would be very considerable. But to this it might easily be replied, that we cannot by any means argue from the present state of the hills in the Highlands to their state in a very remote period of antiquity. At that time, it is neither impossible, nor in the least improbable, that most of the hills in Scotland were overgrown with wood; or at any rate, there undoubtedly was plenty of peat, which is still used as fuel in Scotland, and which affords such a strong heat as to be advantageously employed in smelting iron, as we are informed by M. Magellan. A third particular mentioned by Mr Williams is, that these enclosures were intended as places of defence; and in support of this opinion he alleges, that there are dried wells found within most of them. But on this Mr Barrington observes, that shelter from the weather was also necessary, "upon the top of a bleak Scotch hill, whilst whisky (or a succedaneum for it) would be often in greater request than the bare element of water." This objection, however, as well as the last, is evidently very frivolous; for these buildings might have roofs as well as any other; and whatever necessity there might be for whisky occasionally, water was certainly an indispensable requisite.

Mr Barrington having thus given his reasons for dissenting from the opinion of Mr Williams and the antiquaries just mentioned, proceeds to state his own. He tells us, that having travelled for 21 years the most mountainous circuit in Wales, he has frequently observed enclosures of dry stones, particularly a long tract in the western part of Merionethshire, called in the language of the country Duffryn, i. e. the vale. On first viewing these small enclosures made with walls of thick stones, he was at a loss to imagine how it could be worth while to construct such strong fences for so inconsiderable a piece of ground as they enclosed; but, on examining the adjacent country, he found it almost entirely covered with stones of a similar kind; and, of consequence, the smaller the space to be cleared, the less expensive would be the removal. "For the same reason (says he), such dry walls are often of a great thickness, and sometimes the corners of the enclosures are filled with stones to a great width, this being the only possible means of procuring pasture." To a practice of the same kind our author would ascribe the origin of the works in question: but the objection occurs very strongly, that the walls in Scotland are vitrified, and it is not to be supposed that such trouble

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Would

Vitrified would be taken with fences made in such a fortuitous Forts. manner. This objection, our author owns, would indeed be unanswerable, on the supposition that the vitrification was made on purpose to strengthen the walls of the fortress; but (says he) may not the vitrification have been occasioned by volcanoes, or by what are called bloomeries? The same effect may be produced likewise on dry walls of stone by lightning passing along them. The loose stones in either case would not be rejected because they were glassy, and would be piled up in the fence of the enclosure: as the great point upon these occasions is to clear the ground, and remove the encumbering stones to the smallest distance. One of the advocates for the designed and not fortuitous vitrification, says, that the pieces he had produced did not resemble what is called lava. But every volcano is not necessarily an Etna or a Vesuvius; and consequently the matter disgorged from the crater must perpetually vary both in substance and form. Vitrified masses, larger or smaller, will likewise be produced by the same means. It may be contended, indeed, that pasture thus procured, by clearing the ground, would be more convenient at the bottom or on the sides, than on the top of the hill; but to this I answer, that in rocky countries you must get what pittance you can of soil, and often it will happen that the only detached and removeable stones are on the summit. When such enclosures have been made, they became very convenient for putting cattle into; and hence perhaps some of the wells which Mr Williams hath mentioned."

Our author concludes his dissertation on this subject by observing, that if vitrification answered the purpose of cement, it is very extraordinary that the ancient inhabitants of Scotland did not apply it to the houses or huts in which they constantly lived, but reserved this troublesome and expensive process merely for a fortification, which might not perhaps be used in half a century against an enemy. On this it is almost superfluous to observe, that in the ages of barbarity and bloodshed, in which these enclosures, whether natural or artificial, were supposed to be used as fortresses, war was so frequent, that a defence against an enemy might seem to be necessary every day, instead of once in half a century. Before we proceed further in the argument, however, it will be necessary to give some account of the situation and appearance of these for

tresses.

According to Mr Cardonnel, the largest of them is situated on the hill of Knockfarril, to the south of the valley of Strathpeffer, two miles west from Ding wall in Ross-shire. The enclosure is 120 feet long and 40 broad within the walls; strengthened on the outside with works at each end. A range of habitations seems to have been erected against, or under, the shade of the outward wall; of which those on the south side seem to have been higher and larger than those on the north. There are two wells in the middle, which, on being cleared out, filled with water. On the skirts of the hill to the south are many detached buildings; which, from the stratum of dung found on removing the ruins, appear plainly to have been used for securing the cattle. This place seems to have been anciently of consequence, and the residence of some powerful chief, from a road which leads through the kills to the north-west sea. To the east of the works

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Class 11.

Art. 11.

The fort next in consequence to that of Knockfarril is situated on the hill of Craig-Phadrick near Inverness, "which (says Mr Cardonnel) has this peculiar circumstance, that there appears to have been two vitrified walls quite round the area. The inner one seems to have been very high and strong; the outer wall but low probably the space between was intended for securing their cattle, as there are no remains of dry-stone buildings, such as are found near the rest. Several parts of this outer wall appear quite entire, sticking to the firm bare rock, where it was first run. The area within the inner wall is nearly 80 paces long and 27 broad." Of this we have an account by * Edin. Alexander Fraser Tytler, Esq. professor of civil history Phil. Trans. in the university of Edinburgh, who visited it in the Vol. II. year 1782. The hill itself is a small conical eminence, forming the eastern extremity of that ridge of mountains which bounds Loch Ness on the north-west side. It is situated about a mile to the north of Inverness, and is accessible on two different quarters, viz. the west and south-east; the forming affording entrance by a narrow level ridge adjoining the hills on Loch Ness, and the latter by an easy ascent from the high ground above Inverness. On approaching the hill from the west, we first meet with a road cut through the rock from the bottom to the top, in most places 10 feet broad and nearly as deep; winding, for about 70 feet, with an easy serpentine direction, by which we gain an ascent over a steep rock otherwise quite inaccessi ble from that quarter. This road, in our author's opinion, is undoubtedly the work of art, and the vitrified matter on the top is the only thing which indicates the effect of fire; there being neither the appearance of pumice-stone, lava, nor basaltes, about the hill otherwise. There is indeed plenty of plum-pudding stone; which some have supposed to be of the nature of volcanic tufa; but this opinion is rejected by our author as erroneous. "But the circumstance (says he) which in my apprehension evinces, in the most satisfactory manner, that these appearances of the effect of fire on the summit of this hill are not the operation of nature, but of art, is the regular order and disposition of those materials, the form of the ground, and the various traces of skill and contrivance which are yet discernible, though considerably defaced either by external violence or the obliterating hand of time." To investigate this matter regularly, he begins with the winding road already mentioned, and which is evidently cut through the rock for the purpose of gaining an easy ascent from the level ridge to the summit, which would otherwise have been impracticable. la ascending by this road, there appears towards the middle on the right hand, a small platform overhanging the passage, and inclining by a very gentle declivity to the very edge of the rock. Four enormous stones are placed upon the platform, and on the edge and

extremity

dun castle, near Fort Augustus; and another on the Vitrified west side of Gleneves in Lochaber, three miles to the Forts. south of Fort William. The Castle hill of Finhaven, in the county of Angus, has likewise some considerable ruins of the same kind.

Vitrified extremity of it, which have evidently been guided by Forts. art into that position; it being impossible that they could have rested there, had they been rolled down from the higher parts. The obvious reason for placing them in such a position has been, that on an alarm of danger they might be projected into the path below, which could be done by the efforts of a very few men : and when this was done, the passage would be entirely obstructed, or at least rendered so difficult that it could be defended by a few against any number of assailants. Some other large stones are placed on an eminence to the left, probably with a view to block up a hollow channel, by which an enemy might have attempted to ascend. When we come to the top of the hill, a few feet below the rampart which crowns the whole, there appears an outward wall, approaching on the sides of the hill so near the upper rampart, as to have only a trench of 10 or 12 feet wide between them. This outward wall is in some places so low as to be almost level with the rock, though in other places it rises to the height of two or three feet; but even where lowest, it may be traced by a line of vitrified matter sticking fast to the rock all along, and nearly of the same breadth, which is about nine feet. The remains of this wall are strongly vitrified, except in one place on the north side, where, for about 70 yards, the rampart is formed only of dry stones and earth. At the east side, where the hill is more accessible, there is a prodigious mound of vitrified matter, extending itself to the thickness of above 40 feet. At the southeast corner, and adjoining to this immense mound is an outwork, consisting of two semicircular vitrified walls, with a narrow pass cut through them in the middle; which appears to have been another, and perhaps the principal entry to the fort.

The inner wall, surrounding the summit of the hill, encloses an oblong level area of about 75 yards long and 30 broad, rounded at each of the ends like the outward wall. It is of considerable height, and nearly of the same thickness with the outward one.-It has some appearance of having been defended with four turrets or bastions: but the traces are so imperfect, that Mr Tytler does not lay much stress on his observations in this respect; a number of small tumuli of earth, with a stone in the centre, were more discernible. On the east side a portion of the internal space appears separated from the rest by two ranges of stones fixed strongly in the earth, and forming a rightangled parallelogram. "This separation (says our author) is immediately discernible by the eye, from this circumstance, that the whole of the enclosed sumit has been most carefully cleared from stones, of which there is not one to be seen, unless those that form this division, and the single one in the middle of the circle of tumuli above mentioned. What has been the design of this separated space, it is difficult to conjecture. It might perhaps have marked the residence of those of a higher rank, or served as a temple for the purposes of devotion." On the east end of the large area on the summit is a well of about six feet in diameter, which has probably been sunk very deep in the rock, though now it is filled up with rubbish to within a yard of the top.

The other fortified hills mentioned by Mr Cardonnel are those of Dun-Evan in the shire of Nairn; Tor

Dun-Evan and the hill of Finhaven have likewise been visited by Mr Tytler, who gives an account of them in the paper already quoted; of which the following is an abstract. "On the summit of the hill of Dun-Evan, whose name implies that it had been originally a place of defence, are the remains of two walls surrounding an oblong space like that of Craig. Phadrick already described, but somewhat smaller in size. [Mr Cardonnel says that it is about 70 paces long and 30 broad]. There are likewise the traces of a well in the enclosed area; and at the east end are the remains of a prodigious mass of building, much more extensive than that on Craig Phadrick." Here, however, our author could not perceive any marks of fire; and Mr Williams owns that the vitrified ruins here are more wasted than on Knockfarril or Craig, Phadrick. But with regard to the vitrifications here, our author is inclined to suppose Mr Williams to have been entirely in a mistake. On the Castle hill of Finhaven, however, the vitrified remains are very visible all round the summit, which is cleared of stones and levelled, unless at one end, where there is a great hollow space separated from the rest of the area, and probably destined exclusively for the keeping of cattle.. The enclosed area is about 140 yards long, and up-.. wards of 40 broad.

Besides these fortifications, the hill of Noth affords a remarkable appearance of the same kind of which Mr Cordiner gives the following description, not from his own observations, but those of a gentleman of credit who visited the place. "On the top of the hill there is an oblong hollow, as I could guess, of about an English acre, covered with a fine sward of grass : in the middle toward the east end of this hollow is a large and deep well. The hollow is surrounded on all sides with a thick rampart of stones. On three sides of this rampart, from 8 to 12 feet thick, is one compact body of stones and minerals which have been in a state of fusion, resembling a mixture of stone and iron-ore, all vitrified, calcined, and incorporated. On the north side the rampart consists of broken pieces of rock, which have the appearance of having been torn to pieces by some extraordinary violence. If the calcined compact wall exists under them, it is not at present visible."

Such are the descriptions of the most remarkable of these curious fortifications which of late seem to have engaged the attention of the learned in a considerable degree. We have already taken notice, that by some they are supposed to be the works of art, by others the productions of a volcano. Mr Cardonnel adopts the opinion of Mr Williams as the most probable, both with respect to their use and manner of construction. Mr Tytler takes notice of the remarkable difference of opinion among those who have viewed the places in question. "It is curious to remark (says he) how the same appearances, to different observers, lead to the most opposite opinions and conclusions. The two gentlemen above mentioned (Mr Williams and Dr Anderson) seem not to have entertained the small

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