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sides. The well-known Cowran Cut, which reaches a depth at one 
point of 110 feet, is through a part of this esker tract. 
Besides the two compact areas of esker country I have mentioned, 
isolated esker mounds and ridges may be seen at various places. 
Many are scattered about between Brampton and Kirklinton ; in 
the neighbourhood of Crofton Hall, and elsewhere. The beautifully 
wooded conical hill, called Torkin, on the north side of Crofton 
Park, is a good example of an esker mound, Esker mounds are 
often so extremely like artificial barrows as to be a very possible 
source of disappointment to an antiquary. A long, low, winding 
esker ridge crosses the Carlisle and Dalston road a few yards south- 
west of Dalston Hall. On this ridge, both east and west of the 
road, the word ‘‘Tumulus” appears on the (6in.) Ordnance Map. 
I am informed by Mr. R. S. Ferguson of Carlisle that these tumuli 
have not yet been opened. It may well be that these natural 
tumuli have been used as burying places ; but, on the other hand, 
irregularities very much more striking often occur in the course of 
a perfectly natural ridge. Such is the case of Torkin, which is a 
sudden expansion both in height and breadth in the course of a 
ridge little, if at all, more prominent elsewhere than that at Dalston 
Hall. 
What has been said of the characteristics of the Brampton esker 
tract holds good of that between Abbey Town and Allonby. 
There also are steep-sided ridges and mounds, with peaty hollows. 
In this last named quarter, however, there is less boldness of 
outline, and the eskers, though forming the highest ground in the 
district, do not attain a height of more than one hundred and 
fifty-six feet, while east of Brampton they may be seen to a height 
of seven hundred feet or more. Though eskers are by no means 
evenly distributed, but are very common in some localities and 
almost or entirely absent from others, it cannot be said that they 
show any preference for any particular level. Indeed the raised 
beach and certain gravel mounds on the great flat between Abbey 
Town and Silloth, may be considered as the lowest, while south of 
Caldbeck they reach, and even cross, the eight hundred feet 
