180 REPORT — 1859. 



been remarked by a former writer that " the vitrified enclosure on Noth is far more 

 perfect than on any other of those works in Scotland, and is infinitely more remark- 

 able." On a plain of some extent at the north and north-western base of the cone, 

 in the direction of the Burn of Kirkney, are distinctly marked the tumuli said to con- 

 tain the slain in the battle in which Lulach, the son of Lady Macbeth, lost his life in 

 the year 1057. Upwards of one hundred of them are to be recognized ; but whether 

 the graves are those of the victims of many fights, whether this was the cemetery of 

 the mountain-fort, or whether the above tradition is authentic, it is now impossible to 

 determine. The place is called Mildewne — the grave of a thousand. The author of 

 these notes opened five cairns on different parts of the field. The first, and, apparently 

 from its magnitude, the most important, contained a stone coffin of very rude con- 

 struction, but of such a description as to render doubt with regard to its original pur- 

 pose out of the question. On removing the stones and earth to the depth of about 

 three feet, a flag-stone of considerable size appeared : it was placed upright at the 

 western extremity of the excavation, and, at the eastern, at a distance of about six feet, 

 a similar one was discovered of lesser size, but standing exactly in the same position 

 opposite. On the earth being removed from between these, a flat layer of stones 

 became visible. These were placed so accurately, that at first it resembled one entire 

 slab, but, on farther investigation, proved to be portions of flat stones placed very close 

 together, and of a similar quality to those already described. In the four other cairns 

 nothing whatever was discovered, from which it may fairly be conjectured that, in 

 these barbarous times, the rights of sepulture were not attended with much ceremony 

 or refinement, and that it was only in the case of a person of superior rank that even 

 the rough and disjointed receptacle above described was provided. The view from the 

 summit of the hill of Noth is very extensive. From it, with a clear atmosphere, may 

 be distinctly seen the high grounds in nine counties — namely, Caithness, Sutherland, 

 Ross, Inverness, Moray, Banff, Aberdeen, Kincardine, and Forfar. Near the village 

 of Insch, in the district of Garioch, on the summit of a conical hill, with an elevation 

 of about 600 feet, stands the ruined Castle of Dunnideer, erected on the site of a still 

 more ancient vitrified fort of smaller size, but similar to that on Noth. It is not here 

 necessary to enter into details of this specimen of the vitrified forts, which is neither 

 so perfect nor so extensive as the one imperfectly described ; but it forms some data 

 as to their very remote antiquity, when it is stated that part of the vitrified materials 

 are to be seen in the more modern building which became the residence of Gregory 

 the Great, King of Scotland, who, according to Fordoun and other historians, died 

 there in the year 893. 



Description of Passes through the Rochy Mountains. JBy Dr. Hector. 



On Gebel Haurdn, its adjacent districts, and the Eastern Desert of Syria; 

 with Remarks on their Geography and Geology. By John Hogg, M.A., 

 F.R.S., F.L.S., F.R.G.S. fyc, Honorary Foreign Secretary of the Royal 

 Society of Literature* . 



In this communication the author gave a sketch of the recent descriptions of the 

 Leja/i, the Haurdn, the Gebel Haurdn range of mountains, and the district called 

 Ard El Balhanyeh, the Batansea of the Romans, portions of the former ancient king- 

 dom of Bashan, as lately published by the Rev. J. L. Porter, and Mr. Cyril Graham; 

 also an account of that part of the Syrian or Arabian Desert which is called El 

 Jlarrah, and is situated to the east of Gebel Haurdn, with a description of the elevated 

 volcanic region on its northern border, named by the Arabs h'Safah, and in which 

 are seen many high cone-like peaks, some of which are probably the remains of former 

 craters. This account was taken from the descriptions given by Mr. C. Graham, the 

 only modern European traveller who as yet is known to have reached those previously 

 unexplored and long-forgotten regions. 



The author exhibited a map of southern Syria, comprising a district from Busrali, 

 about 36° 26' 45" to 37° 45' nearly long. East from Greenwich, and from Sal/chad and 



* The entire paper (though without the Map) is published in the ' Edinburgh New Phi- 

 losophical Journal,' vol. xi. (New Series) for April, 1860, pp. 173-192. 



