59 
That a cohort ad occupy the camp after the withdrawal of the 
Beetasians we may argue from the acknowledged importance of the 
station, as also from the unbroken succession of coins after 
A.D. 240 down to Notitia times. 
That the Spanish cohort did xof return, I shall attempt to show 
shortly, its presence in the later empire being apparently required 
elsewhere. 
So far, then, as the Maryport camp is concerned, we have found 
no proof of continuity; but, on the contrary, frequent changes. Had 
we taken other stations along the line of the Wall, in connection 
with the Dacians, Tungrians, Ala Petriana, etc., we should doubt- 
less have arrived at the same conclusion. In fact, the words used 
by Dr. Bruce with regard to the Maryport camp may, with equal 
justice, be applied to other camps. He says (Zvans. C. and W. 
Arch. and Ant. Assoc., vol. i. p. 187), “The diversity of troops 
named on the altars shows that a quicker exchange took place 
than was usual.” 
It is true that altars have been found apparently supporting the 
idea of an inversion ; but then, as I have attempted to show, altars 
may be made to prove almost anything ; and only let the idea of 
inversion be granted, the chaos in which we are now placed will 
become even more pronounced. We must first clear away the 
altars from our minds altogether—they have not been found 
necessary in deciding hundreds of places in other parts of Britain, 
and they are not an absolute necessity even here. 
If, then, our argument be sound with regard to the Maryport 
camp, the case for inversion fails in a very important particular. 
Moreover, only three stations out of eleven have been decided on 
the strength of altars, namely, Maryport, Moresby, and Papcastle. 
The very slender character of the clue, so far as the two former 
places are concerned, has already been pointed out, and we shall 
presently have something to say to the same intent with regard to 
Papcastle. Still, without accepting this as a final decision, we 
shall have to consider the question by the light of other existing 
lists, to see whether they corroborate or refute such conclusions, 
