- 
FORTS, VITRIFIED. 523. 
Vitrified extended, prevents us entering’ so largely, as we should 
otherwise have done, on the system which we have now 
_ ——\~—" endeavoured to’sketch. From the preceding observa- 
pm erties: 
tions, however, our readers will readily ive, that 
the work is not unworthy of its distinguished or, 
and that the principle which it unfolds is iarly de- 
serving the attention of engineers. 
See'Vauban, T'raité de l Altaque des Places. Carnot 
De la Defense des Places Fortes, Paris, 1812, &c. a 
| See Minrrary Arcuirectune for the subject of Cas- 
trametation, and other topics connected with the pre- 
ceding article. 
FORTS, Vrreirrep. The lation Vitrified Forts, 
has been given to certain or vitrified masses of 
stone, which were discovered on the tops of some hills 
in the north of Scotland, about the year 1773 or 1774, 
by Mr Williams, a mineral surveyor, who published an 
pee Cebandeatie Mine, thay copied 
‘ora i time, the attention 
of some cf the first uit ebaitticke and gave exer- 
cise to the ingenuity of antiquarians. Various conjec- 
tures and theories were announced ; and some went so 
far as to conclude, that nothing short of volcanic fire 
owing to an idea, that their origin was involved in 
impenetrab naednainedare seemed to be no 
prospect of the | world coming to an agreement 
of opinion, it is certain, that a long time has 
eihiee' thin lel of rencarchi hen been a 
curiosity apparently been asl H 
quavertagheyoraow dine i y aiff 
easily damped ; and we shall consider ourselves fortu- 
nate, if the brief notices in the present article shall 
lead to a more and accurate examination of the 
ten on this subject about thirty years and publish- 
ed intheTransactionsof theRoyal Societs cf Edinourgh,) 
«how curious it is, that the same appearances to diffe- 
rent observers, lead to the most ite opinions and 
conclusions!” Whaling of Opinions wher sometimen 
be owing to the different degrees of attention which 
have been bestowed on the facts, and their relative con- 
p< weal in that he ain te ’ 
ned a ; is: to view e 
thing with av Bydyohiel dea cally hal accohld wich 
his own fancy, to the entire exclusion of the views of 
others. But circumstances of importance often escape 
the most accurate observers, and lie concealed till ac- 
eident leads to their discovery, or till unbiassed obser- 
vers remove the tions, occasioned by fondness 
the structures in question |, or su the 
application (ever wae take) spe ery to 
has: arisen 
Shape acl irae pie opps oe 
( ce of the 
Vitrified masses, from the want means to trace 
their first origin, It has fallen to our lot to diseo- 
‘ver such means; and having been so fortunate, we 
have some hope of being able to reconcile many opi- 
’ which at seem to be very site, and 
‘to open a’ path which may lead to the For thi 
purpose) we shall begin by the facts which 
Ives to our view, mining the 
of Dow Crerer in Ww 
we think, the true origin of the vitrifications, which Vitrified 
speculation, has been found, _ Fors: 
have occasioned so m' 
We trust that it will appear evident, that making sig- 
nals by means of fire has occasioned not only the ap~ 
pearances in Dun Creich, but those on many other hills, 
and has probably been the origin of this singular me- 
thod of cementing stones, if indeed it was ever resort- 
ed to for pu s of architecture. : 
Near Creich, in the county of Sutherland, a ridge pro- 
jects into the Frith of Dornoch, terminating in an abrupt 
precipitous hill. This ridge lies nearly east and west ; 
and from the summit there is an extensive view of the 
sea, and the country towards the east ; and of the valley, 
containing the Dornoch Firth towards the west. - The 
access to the top is by no means easy, even where it is 
most practicable. Round the edge of the summit there 
is a ram: 
the remains 
It is about thirty feet square, the walls being three feet 
thick, but not now more than four feet high. On the 
outside of this building, as marked by the letter B, is 
another rampart of loose stones, which is probably the 
remains of a structure intended for the same use, but 
which has been exchan for the more substantial and 
’ convenient building within. C is a well, which has 
been filled up. There is a very spring of water 
on the outside of the rampart, on the south side of the 
hill. D marks a line, on which there is a mass of stones 
bearing abundantly the marks of’ fire, and which we 
traced across the whole summit. The surface of the 
hill within the outer rampart is uneven and rocky ; and 
that part of it which is crossed by the vitrified mass, is 
rather lower than the eastern portion. 
The line D being the only one which is vitrified, no 
marks of fire appearing any where else, is a striking 
and important fact. This line extends from A to B on 
the sketch (Fig.3), passing over the 
in the only direction in which a range of signals could be 
made, so as to be distinctly seen further up the country. 
To be satisfied of the reason why the signal fires 
should be kindled on, or beside a heap of stones, we 
have only to imagine a gale of wind to have’ arisen 
when a fire was kindled on the bare ground. The fuel 
would be blown about and dispersed, to the great an- 
noyance of those who attended, The plan for obvia- 
ting the inconvenience thus occasioned, which would 
occur most naturally and readily, would be to raise a 
heap of stones, on either side of which the fuel might 
be placed to windward. To account for a large extent 
of vitrified matter, such as that along the line D, it is 
only necessary to allow the inhabitants of the coun 
to had a system of si A fire at one end, 
might denote something di from a fire at the 
other, or in any intermediate part. On some occasions, 
two or more might be necessary, and sometimes 
a fire along the whole line. 
It is evident, that the le who formed the struc- 
ture on Dun Creich, had no idea of spplying, fire for 
the of strengthening the ramparts, and had not 
en the hint aff them by the effects of the 
even 
i fires. Hence we consider the at 
oe ica vir 
this place as demonstrative of the fact, 
cations have been occasioned by the of signal 
fires, to warn the inhabitants of the of an ere- 
my, or to convey the orders of a chieftain to his depen- 
dants. It too, that such signals have been common 
after the use of lime mortar was known, since we find 
on this hill the remains of a building constructed 
of loose stones, marked on the plan (Plate Puare 
CCLX. ig-1.) by the letter R. A, marks the site of CCLX. 
a building constructed of stone and lime. "i 
of the hill, and Fig. 3. 
