Fretp MEETINGS. 173 
was joined by the Rev. Mr Dick, the minister of the parish, by 
Mr Bell of Castle O’er, and Mr Beattie of Davington. The tenant 
of the farm on whose ground the camp is situated happened to be 
from home on business, but both he and Mrs Scott, the pro- 
prietrix, had kindly offered to give every facility for the investiga- 
tion. It was found that the ground covered by the camp was 
almost identical in form and extent with the camp at Birrens 
recently explcred—that is, it was square, or rather rectangular, in 
form, not circular or oval, and measured about 500 feet in length 
by 300 in breadth. But there was this difference, that the surface, 
instead of being flat as at Birrens, sloped downwards towards the 
north or north-east. The rampart could be distinctly traced, and 
the ditch was said to have been 20 feet wide and 5 feet deep. 
There was also distinct evidence of a gateway at the south side. 
The experts present were of opinion that the probability was in 
favour of its having beena Roman Camp; but in the absence of 
any positive evidence, such as would be furnished by excavation, 
and the discovery of relics of Roman occupation, they hesitated to 
decide the question absolutely. After tarrying here about an hour 
and a half, the party set out on the return journey by a different 
route, having been kindly invited by Mr Bell, the proprietor of 
Castle O’er, to visit a camp on his property. The road taken, so 
far at least, was that which leads to Langholm by the valley of 
the White Esk. On the way two Druidical stone circles were 
pointed out by the driver on the other side of the river, and at 
some distance from one another, but time did not permit of their 
being visited. Castle O’er is a fine residence, beautifully situated 
in the river valley, and about four miles distant from Eskdalemuir. 
The camp occupies the summit of a hill in the immediate neighbour- 
hood of the house, and, unlike that at Raeburnfoot, is oval in form, 
and estimated to be about six or seven hundred feet in length by 
two hundred and fifty to three hundred in breadth. On one side 
there seem to have been three ramparts with corresponding 
ditches ; but on the other, at the farthest distance from the road, 
only one, owing apparently to the nature of the ground, which on 
that side descends more precipitously. This is not supposed to 
have been a Roman camp, but rather a British. Some authorities 
speak of it as Saxon, but as no excavations have ever been made, 
as far as known, the question as to its origin may be regarded as 
still unsettled. The proprietor pointed out extensive trenches in 
