82 PAPERS, ETC. 



We have here a map of the hill, copied partly from 

 that by a survey of my deceased frieud, Crocker, in which 

 I had the pleasure of assisting hiin. The whole brow of 

 the hill, which is about three miles round, is entrenched, 

 and that with no small labour and skill ; a great part being 

 in fine preservation. To vvhom, then, are these extensive 

 earthAvorks to be attributed ? To be enabled to answer 

 this question, it will be necessary to take a retrospect of 

 how this country has formerly been peopled, of which 

 history gives but a very imperfect account ; but we learn 

 that the very early inhabitants of our island Avere little 

 better than simple savages, unskilled in the art of warfare, 

 and unlikely to have accomplished so great a work. We 

 are informed that the Celta?, ft-om Gaul, invaded and con- 

 quered the country, and retained it until about 350 years 

 before the Christian Era ; and this was probably the age of 

 Druidism, in which were erected those Megalithic struc- 

 tures at Stonehenge, Stanton Drew, Abury, and others 

 of that character. Of these people are occasionally found 

 interesting relics, callcd Celts — weapons, and Utensils of 

 bronze, and arrow-heads of flint, &c. 



The Belgfe next invaded this country, i.e., about three 

 centuries before the time of Julius Cfesar, and divided it 

 into sixteen states ; of which, not to mention others, the 

 Belg£B held Hampshire, Wilts, and Somerset ; and as it is 

 stated by historians that they were often engaged in war- 

 fare with other states, i.e., with the Morini of Dorsetshire, 

 and the Damnonii of Devon, it is very probable that those 

 extensive fortresses of Hamdon, Lambart's Castle, Pilles- 

 don, Neroche, and many others, were then formed ; which 

 are quite of a different character from those of the Romans, 

 in tlieir irregulär shape, following the outline of the elevated 

 ground ; whilst we know that the Roman plan of encamp- 



