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Eingsbury, can only be answered by getting some notion of 

 that of Avebury. Mr. McKnight argued that ' Megalithic ' 

 monuments, scattered widely as they are over the earth's 

 surface, and found in every nation in the world, were probably 

 connected with sun worship ; and that though the monuments 

 had nothing about them that could serve the purposes of war, 

 yet that they had very frequently round them, as at Avebury, 

 real lines of defence, strong lines of such fortifications, as the 

 people who raised them were acquainted with in those early 

 ages of the world. Thus on the south side of Avebury runs 

 the Wansdyke, and on the other side, extending down into the 

 plain of Braden, the defences consist of a series of earthworks 

 occupying admirable defensive positions. Along the north- 

 eastern flank of the Downs from Avebury we have first, 

 Barbary Castle (or Camp), and beyond that Siddington Castle, 

 with the White Horse hill and castle on the extreme flank. To 

 the front or north of Avebury, we have Eingsbury, and beyond 

 this again, a smaller work still traceable at Bury Hill ; and 

 further eastwards the strong earthwork at Blunsdon ; so that 

 with the Wansdyke in the rear, and these works thrown out 

 far to the front, and covering the country round the ' Downs,' 

 there would be ample defence for the most sacred spot in all 

 the island. The earthworks at Eingsbury enclose a large space 

 of ground, and though in their origin as suggested by Mr. 

 McKnight they may have had some connection with Avebury, 

 there is no doubt that they mark the site of a very early 

 British village, and have been occupied in succession by Eoman 

 and Anglo-Saxon. 



Scattered over the surface of the Camp at Eingsbury were 

 pieces of a sandstone rock of a very curious character differing 

 entirely from any previously met with. I am indebted to the 

 Eev. Dr. Smtthe for the following notes upon it. He says : 



' A story obtains amongst the people of the villages round, 

 that the pieces of sandstone o^ hght weight lying scattered 

 over Eingsbury Camp, are pieces of pumice-stone that were 

 brought thither by the ancient warriors, with which to furbish 

 their armour and weapons. 



