AGES OF BURIED FORESTS. 181 



In a small pamphlet, entitled The Antiquities Found at 

 Hoy Lake inCheshire, described by A. Hume, LL.D., F.R.S.A., 

 published in 1847, are given with accurate illustrative draw- 

 ings descriptions of several of the articles found there, con- 

 sisting of a needle and needlecase, both formed of rudely 

 squeezed together sheet metal ; a fish hook, formed in the 

 same way as the needle, by rolling a thin sheet of metal 

 into the requisite shape ; a buckle, or brooch ; a buckle 

 with part of a strap attached ; a delicate hook, speckled 

 like a peacock's tail ; a key made of thin twisted metal, like 

 the needle, with sheath and fish hook ; another buckle, 

 and a small hammer, like the clapper of a small bell ' 

 and an ornament which resembles the boss of a book 

 But besides these which have been represented by 

 drawings, there are many more ; there were more than a 

 hundred buckles, and wellnigh as many more other 

 articles formed of lead, silver, copper, iron, and brass. 

 They are chiefly articles for domestic use ; and " it is 

 remarkable," says Dr. Hume, "that there is not among 

 them a single weapon of any kind, nor anything that 

 seems to indicate a violation of the habits and scenes of 

 peaceful life." 



It is conjectured that what occasioned the destruction of 

 the village may have occasioned the destruction of the 

 forest, and if the conjecture be accepted, the questions 

 How and When may the catastrophe which brought 

 destruction to the forest and to the village have occurred ? 

 may find an answer. With .regard to circumstances 

 attending the catastrophe, it is conjectured that timely 

 warning must have been afforded to the inhabitants 

 of the village : a grave-yard is said to have been dis- 

 covered at low-water at spring-tide by an engineer, 

 while surveying the coast for a very different purpose; 

 an old skull and some other human bones have also been 

 found; but as no human remains that indicate a 

 sudden or violent death have been found, it is alleged 

 that "it is highly probable that the village had been 

 deserted previous to its final submersion. This idea ia 



