212 antiquities in Scotlanid. June 1 38 
of this country, That it was not known by ‘the’ 
Danes, at least, seems extremely probable, from @' 
curious fact that I fhall now take notice of ; and if it. 
was not known by the Danes, it seems probable, that’ 
it would not be known by the other northern nations 
on the continent. “The fact I allude to is as follows : 
It is well known that the Danes made frequent i in- 
roads into Scotland, for several centuries, with vari- 
ous degrees of succefs, During that period they 
seized upon a peninsulated rock in the Murray frith, 
about four miles from Elgin, which is now called 
Brough-bead. Asthis was a place naturally strong, and. 
formed besides a kind ofharbour, by means of which 
supplies could be brought to it by sea, they thought 
it a very convenient station to be occupied as a place 
of arms, and aceordingly fortified it for that purpose. - 
‘Fhree large and. deep parallel ditches were drawn a= 
crofs theneck of the isthmus that joined it to the land ; 
and within the innermost of these a large wall has been 
erected, which. has been continued quite round the 
peninsula, as the ruins of it at this day clearly fhow.. 
The circumstance that. made me here take notice 
of this Danith fortification, is, that all-the stones on 
the outside of the wall, appear to have been scorched ia 
the fire in so much that they appear almost as red, on 
that side, as bricks, although the stone is naturally of a 
very white kind, and some of them are.almost burnt 
10 a powder. Between these stones, on digging among 
the rnins of the wall, is found a good deal of reddith 
dust, exactly resembling dry clay, that has been burnt 
to afhes.. But in no part of this fortification is there 
the smallest appearance of vitrified matter, and the 
stones in the inside are every where of their natural 
colour. 
al it at ee 
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