Report of Meetings for 1881. By Jas. Hardy. 459 



to point out their peculiarities, and state his theory of their 

 object, aided by a plan and sections, which he had prepared. 

 Apart altogether from Mr Arkle's statements, the opinion that I 

 and some others formed from the slight inspection that as strangers 

 we could make, was that the Motes, which are combined at the 

 base, although double-topped, were Kaims, or accumulations of 

 drift, which have been subsequently dressed and modified by hu- 

 man agency ; that they were possibly once occupied as a hillfort ; 

 burials also may have taken place in them, as they have the bar- 

 row form ; and that as the name indicates they were employed as 

 a place for holding tribal councils ; but as to whether a British 

 or a Saxon people held these comitia, or both at different stages 

 of history, there will be always room for differences of opinion. 



Dr Bruce in the 3rd Edition of the " Eoman "Wall," thus speaks 

 of them. "' The Mote Hills ' of Elsdon are marvellous works of 

 an unknown antiquity. Even upon the supposition, which is 

 highly probable, that their constructors have availed themselves 

 of mounds thrown up by diluvial action, these fortifications in- 

 dicate a people capable of great thoughts and resolute acts. 



" Although the ' Motes ' have no resemblance to a Eoman camp, 

 it is certain that the Eomans occupied them. Several Eoman re- 

 mains have been found in them, the most important being the 

 very curious inscription," on two stones now at Durham, which 

 reads as follows : — "To the god Matunus for the safety of [Anton- 

 inus Caesar born] for the good of the race of mankind, by order 

 of ... . imperial legate and propraetor. It was erected 

 and dedicated by Caius Aulus Csecilius." ( ?). " The name of the 

 emperor for whose welfare the dedication was made, and to whom 

 is applied the proud but not unprecedented title of ' born for the 

 benefit of mankind,' is lost in consequence of the fracture of the 

 stone. There can be little doubt, that one of the Antonines, 

 probably Caracalla, was intended. The god Matunus is not else- 

 where mentioned." 



After a discussion on what we had been listening to, Mr Arkle 

 in conclusion gave glowing utterance to the sentiments which the 

 storied spots which we were visiting, with their lessons out of the 

 dim past, were so calculated to elicit. I am happy to be able to 

 give in full his appropriate summing up. 



' ' We have no time for any lengthened reading here, but it may perhaps assist 

 us in remembering the old and interesting objects we have examined, if I 

 venture to make a few remarks on, or rather allusions to them at the present 

 time. 



