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of the (may I say?) antediluvian inhabitants of this fen 
country on which in later times the old Roman castle of Cam- 
boritum looked down as a peninsula on a number of islets. 
In order at once to consolidate and manure the upper stratum 
of peat which years of drainage have reduced to less than 
half its original thickness (within 40 years a subsidence from 
nine to four feet in depth has been observed), the farmer every 
eight or ten years spreads on the surface and ploughs in a 
layer of stiff clay brought up by means of trenches three 
feet wide at intervals of about 15 yards. Rarely are these 
clay-pits opened without disclosing not only the vegetable and 
animal traces of ages past, which I have mentioned, but also 
implements of flint, bronze, and iron, which admit of close 
comparison with those already classified by the laborious skill 
of M. Keller, Sir John Lubbock, and other pre-historic archeo- 
logists. Nor are clear evidences of Roman occupation want- 
ing, not only as elsewhere in bulwarks against a common 
enemy, the ocean (eg. at Lynn), and in roads (eg. that from 
Denver through March to Peterborough), but again and again, 
as an elevation of a few feet above the surrounding fen finds 
us on what is still an island, speaking for itself in such 
names as Ston-ey, Angles-ey, &ec., we discover that never- 
failing evidence of a Roman habitation, pottery, as well as 
arms and domestic appliances for use and luxury. It is an 
object of the last class which by the favour of the owner, 
Mr A. Goodman, I have now the honour of submitting to 
your criticism—a charger which, for reasons that may prove 
satisfactory, I think may be considered of Roman work. It 
was found in the spring of 1864, at the depth of 14 inches, 
in the course of gault-ploughing a piece of old grass land, 
about 200 yards from the Hundred Feet River at Welney, 
once an islet in the district of Wella, which now comprises 
the parishes of Upwell, Outwell, and Feltwell, in the county 
of Norfolk. Various opinions have been suggested in regard 
