70 



and after a due supply of good Kennet ale, the Members refreshed 

 stormed the hill of Silbury, and walked thence to Marlborough. 



The second day seems to have been passed in visiting churches, 

 and wandering through the charming scenery and amid the mag- 

 nificent trees of Savernake Forest ; and in a vain and fruitless 

 attempt to overtake an ever-vanishing member on his pony. 

 After a visit to Martensell Hill and Camp, St. Ann's or " Tann " 

 Hill, and a Avalk of fourteen miles along the ridge of the Downs 

 overlooking the rich Vale of Pewsey, Devizes was reached in 

 time for the evening train to Bath. 



The fourth and last Excursion of the year took place on the 

 9 til of October. Encouraged by a rising barometer and the 

 prospect of fine weather the Members mustered strongly at the 

 Bath Station for an early start to the ancient Caer Segont, hodie 

 Silchester, by way of Reading and Mortimer. After a brief 

 glance at the remains of the Abbey at Eeadiug, a short walk 

 of two-and-half miles from the Mortimer Station brought the 

 Members to the amphitheatre at the north-east angle of the ?ity 

 walls. Though much over-grown with shrubs the form is tolerably 

 perfect. Guided by a gentleman of local influence, the city was 

 entered at the east gate, and the Eev. J. G. Joyce, rector of 

 Strathfieldsaye, was in readiness to conduct the Members to the 

 spot where the excavations had been made. The form of the 

 city, and the walls which surrounded it on seven sides, and in 

 some parts are of considerable height, were pointed out. A great 

 variety of coinage, from the earliest to the latest period of the 

 Roman occupation of Britain, has been found, and some beautiful 

 gold, silver, silver-plated, and bronze specimens were shown most 

 ingeniously mounted in cardboard and covered over with glass. 

 The iron work was in some cases in very good preservation and 

 very abundant. Many curious things were shown — scissor blades, 

 lock plate and key, hinges, strigils, the tools with which the 

 tesserae were cut and laid, a numerous assortment of bronze styli, 

 fibulae, a glass tube, studs, hair pins, &c., &c., the bone tickets 



