166 Eecent Excavations at Birrens. 



upon liostile ground, they never think of fighting- till they first 

 make their camps, which they do not rear up at a venture, or 

 without rule." 



The constructive methods exhibited are interesting-, being in 

 many respects in contrast with those now in use. The formation 

 of the streets does not bear out the common conception of a 

 Roman road. Generally, it consists of a thick bed of gravel, hard 

 and well bound together. The crown is well raised, and the 

 gravel formation is retained at either side by means of two courses 

 of stones, laid flat, one over the other ; and outside these are 

 the water channels, composed of stones 18 inches broad, and in 

 lengths of 2 feet to 4, having the gutters about 9 inches wide and 

 4 deep, cut with a square section out of the solid. In the 

 case of the subsidiary streets only one line of gutter, placed at or 

 near the centre of the roadway, is found. At several points con- 

 tinuous channelling of this description, several stones in length, 

 remains in situ. 



The surfacing of the northward portion of the longitudinal 

 street is different, for, over a similar bed of gravel, it is paved 

 with whinstoue cobbles, but the work is much disturbed. At a 

 depth of 12 inches another similar surfacing is found, the cobbles 

 used being- somewhat larger. In this case, however, the water- 

 channel is in the centre of the roadway, and is composed of a flag 

 for the bottom, with the sides constructed of stone kerbing. 

 This latter formation rests on forced ground about 18 inches 

 deep ; the streets towards the south rest on the natural till. 



The water-channels of the higher formation would thus seem, 

 as regards position at least, to be secondary, and it may be that 

 the channelling itself is also to be assigned to that period. 



The floor pavements in the station are of several sorts. With 

 in the buildings examples made of squared and dressed freestone 

 flags, such as are in use now, are found. But the most common 

 kind is the irregular polygonal pattern, patches of which are found 

 in all parts of the area. It also is composed of freestone flag, but 

 in small pieces, and the joints, instead of being hewn, are hammer- 

 dressed, so as the pieces may fit together on all sides. 



Numerous drains traverse the camp, of various dimensions and 

 depths, but it is not ascertained on what system they are disposed 

 Near the south end of the longitudinal street, one is found 8 feet 

 in depth, measuring from the surface to the bottom. The drain 



