128 



certain piles in excavations near London Wall and Southwark 

 Street — possibly the remains of pile buildings — were discovered. 

 They were found in the peat above the virgin gravel, and were 

 most probably sunk by the Britons rather than the Romans, as the 

 capital of the former would be situated in the marshes, and of 

 necessity built on piles. 



There is some reason to believe that there were two settlements, 

 one on the north and the other on the south bank of the Thames. 

 If so, they would be in the territories of distinct, if not hostile, 

 tribes. There was probably a ferry, if not a bridge, of some 

 description between the two shores. 



The original surface of the soil of London has been much 

 altered in the course of generations, the depth of made earth 

 being often very great. At one period the Thames flowed straight 

 from Lambeth to Limehouse, instead of describing the large 

 figure S, as at present ; and the greater part of the district now 

 stretching south and east of the river to the range of heights in the 

 neighbourhood of Sydenham and Greenwich, was occupied by 

 marshes and shallow lagoons. The original city, clustered round 

 the eminence now crowned by St. Paul's, was bounded on the 

 north and east by an extensive _/^;z, from which Finsbury takes its 

 name. On the west the Fleet river, already mentioned, was 

 navigable to King's Cross, and for a long period formed a con- 

 venient and well-protected harbour for the city. On account of 

 the steepness of its banks it received the name Holehirn or 

 Holloivbuni^ now left in the name Holborn, although the river is 

 now covered over, and has disappeared to the sight. 



Two of the most important points connected with Roman 

 London are the existence of a bridge, and the purpose of the 

 "London stone." 



Dion Cassius, in the 3rd century, states there was a bridge over 

 the Thames at the invasion of Claudius A.D. 43, a little above the 

 mouth of the river ; but as the mouth of the Thames was then 

 nearly where London Bridge now stands, this bridge was probably 

 almost in the same place. Throughout the entire line of the old 

 bridge the bed of the river was found to contain ancient wooden 



