THE 
AN TIOULT TRS .Or Si BOR NE: 
Le <a es od a I 
IT is reasonable to suppose that in remote ages this woody and 
mountainous district was inhabited only by bears and wolves. 
Whether the Britons ever thought it worthy their attention, is not 
in our power to determine: but we may safely conclude, from 
circumstances, that it was not unknown to the Romans. Old 
people remember to have heard their fathers and grandfathers say 
that, in dry summers and in windy weather, pieces of money were 
sometimes found round the verge of Woolmer pond; and tradition 
had inspired the foresters with a notion that the bottom of that 
lake contained great stores of treasure. During the spring and 
summer of 1740 there was little rain; and the following summer 
also, 1741, was so uncommonly dry, that many springs and ponds 
failed, and this lake, in particular, whose bed became as dusty as 
the surrounding heaths and wastes. This favourable juncture 
induced some of the forest-cottagers to begin a search, which was 
attended with such success, that all the labourers in the neighbour- 
hood flocked to the spot, and with spades and hoes turned up 
great part of that large area. Instead of pots of coins, as they 
expected, they found great heaps, the one lying on the other, as if 
shot out of a bag; many of which were in good preservation. 
Silver and gold these inquirers expected to find; but their 
discoveries consisted solely of many hundreds of Roman copper- 
coins, and some medallions, all of the lower empire. There was 
not much véréi stirring at that time in this neighbourhood ; 
however, some of the gentry and clergy around bought what 
