157 



the garden of the Institution, and others were to follow. Among 

 these was a piece of wood, apparently withy, reduced to its 

 present form by pressure, which seemed to show that trees had 

 taken root among the ruins. On the immense stones which he 

 had found there were remnants of moss on the top face, showing 

 that they stood plain, without any cornice — the mere pillars of 

 roofless temples and buildings. All the metal cramps wliich 

 joined the stones were gone. In part of the ruin there was a 

 mark of the level of the hot water, higher than the Roman level 

 but lower than the present level. He found the old Roman 

 drains in some places as high as 1 1ft. most complete ; but until 

 he opened them in the greater part stopped up, although in 

 mediaeval times they had evidently been partly used, as there 

 was evidence of frequent repair. These drains appeared to have 

 surrounded the whole grand system of baths, which occupied an 

 area more than twice as large as all the present establishments of 

 the Baths put together. He exhibited a flagon of metal found in 

 the drains, as also a mask of pure tin, which might have come from 

 the coffin of one of the nuns of Osric's house. He had read a 

 paper on it to the Society of Antiquaries, which had been pub- 

 lished in The Bath Herald. 



After a remark from the Secretary on the importance of record- 

 ing the association in which any relic was found, Mr. Da\'is added 

 that in his examination of the Old Bridge, about which there had 

 been so much jDrofitless talk, he had found that the southern arch 

 was Roman work and no doubt carried a tower. So that before 

 the Prior of Bath began the present bridge there must have been 

 the ruins of a Roman one, the superstructure of which was of 

 timber. 



Mr. Moore confirmed what had been said of the White Hart 

 site, produced some fresh water shells found there, and expressed 

 his belief that the vaUey was covered with water during the time 

 of desolation. 



The Rev. Preb. Earle, in repljdng, said he was not satisfied as 



