1>eesident's address. 85 



number of members left the Nortb British Railway Station at 

 Newcastle, at 11.45 a.m., and several stations which were passed 

 added others to our party. Arrived at Barrasford we walked 

 first to the whinstone quarries, which are being most extensively 

 worked by a Welsh company. A very fine section of the whin- 

 stone is here exposed the rock beiag remarkably homogeneous 

 and free from faults. "We then began to ascend the hill behind 

 the quarry, and gradually mounting pursued our way along the 

 outcrop of the Whin-Sill until at Gunnar Peak we attained 

 the highest point of the basaltic crags. The day was delightful, 

 and the view from this point looking in all directions was re- 

 markably fine. Immediately below us nestled the pretty little 

 village of Gunnarton with its curious ''money -hill," which 

 consists of an ancient British earthwork and fortress. We much 

 regretted that time did not allow us to descend and visit it, but 

 the Eev. G. Eome Hall, who most kindly and efl&ciently acted 

 as our guide throughout the day, had other interesting E,omano- 

 British remains to show us close at hand. On the southern side 

 of the summit of Gunnarton Crags themselves and immediately 

 below the highest peak he has found the remains of ancient 

 buildings, which are considered by him to be indications of what 

 was once a Romano -British town. Similar strong defensive posi- 

 tions exist on the summits of the great line of basaltic outcrop 

 eastwards towards the Watling Street. He has kindly supplied 

 us with the following information. In the process of remov- 

 ing the "talus" or debris from beneath the northern face of 

 Gunnar Peak the quarrymen discovered numerous remains of the 

 early inhabitants who lived in the town above during pre-historic 

 and Eoman times. Portions of skeletons and many skulls of men 

 women and children were found, together with fragments of 

 querns or hand mills and pottery, and also a bronze finger ring, 

 a bead of shale, and other objects. As the ancient town was 

 situated just above the spot where these relics were disinterred, 

 Mr. Hall considers it probable that victims had been cast head- 

 long dead or living from this lofty " Tarpeian Rock" on the 

 storming of that town, perhaps by the legionaries of Agri'cola 

 about A.D. 80 or 81. It was therefore deemed desirable to 



