^4 



called 'The Narrows.' The 'Kyles' of Bute are the 'straits' or 

 'narrow seas' of Bute. Of course," he adds, "we can say '■camp 

 of the strait,' for these words are equivalent to 'the fort of the 

 firth.' " 



By adopting this derivation, the difficulty vanishes. How very 

 aptly it suits the position of the Bowness camp, the map of 

 Cumberland bears abundant testimony. If this be granted, then 

 the five stations we have yet to discuss must be the five last on 

 the list. 



The question hence arises, shall we find these five stations in 

 connection with the eastern or the western branches of the great 

 road running northward from head quarters? or shall we find them 

 stretched across from west to east, to serve as rallying or supporting 

 stations % It would be easy to find five stations that would 

 admirably serve as supporting stations, but such a method has too 

 much of mere guess work about it to be of any value. To my 

 mind, the whole matter is inseparably mixed up with the building 

 of the Wall. 



One theory ascribes the foundation of the Wall to Stilicho, 

 about A.D. 400; another to Hadrian, A.D. 117 — 138. 



Should Stilicho have been the builder of the Wall, no great 

 stretch of imagination would be required to show the probability 

 that all tlie five might be on the east coast ; for we know that 

 about his time the Roman fleet was much occupied in keeping the 

 daring sea-rovers back. As an auxiliary to this fleet, a strong line 

 of forts might be necessary along the coast ; but, so far as we 

 know, the only evidence of such forts is at the mouth of the Tyne. 

 That this would be the only place so defended seems scarcely 

 credible, i.e., supposing five to be necessary on the east. But if 

 we turn to the west, even at the same period, we shall find a more 

 pressing want of camps than on the east. The Picts and Scots 

 were a more formidable enemy to the Romans, than were the 

 Saxons. Against the latter, their fleet could act with success ; but 

 the matter \yas different on the Sol way. 



