150 Hadrian's Wall. [Sess. 



The channel which brought the water-supply to it was also 

 discovered. A group, probably forming part of the fountain, 

 represents a lion killing a stag, and the lion's mouth is 

 adapted for the pipe, through which doubtless water spouted. 



The most interesting find at Corbridge, though it is one of 

 the oldest (1734), is undoubtedly a large silver dish known 

 as the ' Corbridge Lanx.' It is lavishly ornamented in relief, 

 and represents a group of the Greek and Koman divinities — 

 Apollo, Vesta, Juno, Minerva, and Diana. The story of its 

 discovery is worth telling. Some children, playing on the 

 river bank, found the dish near the remains of a Roman 

 bridge which crossed here. The father of the girl who found 

 it cut off the four feet upon which it stood, and took them to 

 a jeweller. Finding that they were silver, the jeweller bought 

 them, and later the dish also. Then he attempted to sell it, but 

 the affair came to the knowledge of the Duke of Northumber- 

 land, who, as Lord of the Manor, claimed the dish, and after a 

 lawsuit he got possession of it, and the dish is now in Alnwick 

 Castle. There is an electrotype reproduction of it in the 

 Museum of the Newcastle Society of Antiquaries. It is 

 supposed to have been one of the sacrificial dishes of a 

 local temple. 



Of course large numbers of coins have been found here, as 

 they are all over the line of the wall. It would almost 

 appear as if the Roman soldier had thrown his money away. 

 A field, which once formed part of a station, is known as the 

 'brunt ha'penny' field from tha number of coins turned up 

 by the plough. It is curious to note that, immediately we 

 cross the border into Scotland, the number of coins found is 

 remarkably small, which perhaps indicates the influence of 

 the spirit of the locality upon the character even of its tem- 

 porary inhabitants. The gold coins found are just like our 

 own, with the head of the reigning emperor on the one side 

 and some symbolic representation on the other. There is one 

 which shows where we got our figure of Britannia which is so 

 familiar on our copper Coinage. It is a coin of Hadrian, and 

 Britannia represents here not freedom and empire, but slavery 

 and Roman domination. Corstorpitum was a civil town, but 

 with a strong military element, and there are many indica- 

 tions of this. A party of the 2nd Legion recorded their 



