I 



PnE-IIlSTOKIC FoitTS. 139 



master, Glenesslin, and with his assistance, valuable on account of 

 his skill with the surveyor's chain, I took several measurements. 

 We found the form of the fort to be elliptical, or perhaps it would 

 be more correct to say it is an irregular circle. The longer 

 diameter — 259 feet over all —runs nearly north and south ; and 

 the shorter diameter— 2.')3 feet — nearly east and west. There is 

 thus only a couple of yards' difference between them, or a single 

 yard in the radius. 



The outer trench is both wide and deep. It varies in width 

 from 32 feet on the eastern side to 43 feet on the west — the 

 narrowest part being nearest the river, and the widest where the 

 ground rises slightly above and overlooks the entrenchment. 

 Other measurements gave 38 and 39 feet, on the north and on the 

 south. On these sides the depth does not exceed a couple of feet, 

 but the ground was too soft to make sure. On the west we 

 measured 10 feet 10 inches in depth, not at the deepest part. On 

 the east it appears to be deeper still, but owing to water in the 

 trench there we could not make any attempt at measurement. 



The rampart within this outer trench, with its curved upper 

 surface, measures 16 feet across on the north, 15 feet on the 

 west, 14 feet on the south, and 13 feet on the east. It varies 

 considerably in height, being loftiest on the east and west. 



Within this rampart there is a second trench, varying in 

 width from 20 feet on the south and east to 24 feet on the north, 

 and 30 feet on the west. The depth of this ditch will be about 

 5 feet, and less than that in some places. Within it there may 

 have been another rampart, but the ti-aces of it are not very 

 distinct, and such as do exist may only indicate the line of a 

 palisade. 



The level area so thoroughly defended is not of grtat extent. 

 It mecisures 108 feet from north to south, and barely 100 feet 

 from east to west. Many oak trees are growing upon it and all 

 alons the rampart, springing from the roots of trees that have 

 long ago been cut dow^n. The leaf mould of centuries lies de- 

 posited on the surface and in the trenches, so that their actual 

 depth and the original level of the ground could be revealed only 

 by excavation. Excavation would also shew whether the founda- 

 tion of the rampart was formed by stones, loosely piled together 

 or regularly built, or whether it was formed simply with the earth 

 thrown out of the trenches. From the number of stones of con- 



