Aug. 31, 1 888. J 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



209 



divinity of the emperors. Among the many fragmen- 

 tary remains found in clearing out the Roman reservoir 

 into which the hot springs were received, were two 

 small bronze tablets containing inscriptions difficult to deci- 

 pher, and only one of which has been read, but variously 

 interpreted. It seems to be either an imprecation 

 (defixio) or anathema, having a list of names attached to 

 it. Many coins and two metal vessels and other articles 

 were also found, which are now lodged in cases in the 

 Pump-room, but are very indifferently arranged. It 

 would be impossible in this short notice to particularize 

 all the objects of interest which have been discovered, but 

 which when arranged may help to furnish a very in- 

 instructive museum of Roman remains, if united with 

 those already preserved in the Museum of the Literary 

 and Scientific Institution. 



No notice of Roman Bath can be complete without 

 specifying the roads which led to it and the bridge by 

 which the river Avon was crossed. The present bridge 

 has succeeded a bridge constructed in Roman times, 

 some indications of which still remain. The principal 

 Roman road, called the " Foss," coming from the sea- 

 coast of Devonshire, and traceable nearly from Seaton, 

 passed through Ilchester, a well-known Roman station 

 (Ischalis), continued on until it crossed the Mendip 

 Hills near Shepton Mallet, and afterwards approached 

 Bath by what is still called " Holloway," below which it 

 crossed the river Avon and entered Bath by the south 

 gate. 



This road is laid down on the ordnance map, and 

 remains perfect in many places, having recently been 

 examined and its structure recorded. It passed through 

 the city by the north gate, now destroyed, but the 

 mediaeval gate seems to have incorporated the Roman 

 gate in its structure, if you can trust the drawings that 

 remain. From this point it passed through the suburb 

 of Walcot, and its course has been traced by the remains 

 of Roman interments and memorials which have been 

 found along its course, until it came to Bath-Easton, 

 where it ascended the hill and made direct for Ciren- 

 cester, the ancient Corinium. The course thither is dis- 

 tinctly traceable past the shire-stones which mark the 

 contact of the three counties Somerset, Wilts, and 

 Gloucestershire. It afterwards continued its course to 

 Lincoln (Lindum), and from thence to the sea. 



Another line of Roman road came from South Wales. 

 Leaving the Roman stations of Caerleon and Caerwent, 

 well known as the location of the " Legio Secunda 

 Augusta," it crossed the Severn above its junction with 

 the Avon, and came on to Bitton, where are distinct re- 

 mains of a Roman station, and from thence entered 

 Bath, passing through Weston and entering by the west 

 gate of the city. It united its course with that of the 

 Foss until it came to Bath-Easton, where it branched off 

 and passed up the hill to Bathford, and continued its 

 course straight to Marlborough (Cunetis), and so on to 

 Silchester, the ancient Calleva. 



These were the main roads in Roman times, but others, 

 of inferior construction, have been traced. 



A principal road came from Gloucester (Glcimm), which 

 united with the road commonly called the Via Julia not 

 far from Bristol, and so passed on to Bath. The Roman 

 town of Bath was thus connected with all the principal 

 stations in the west of England ; and though there are no 

 lapidary records by means of which we can ascertain by 

 what troops the city was garrisoned, or any stamped tiles 

 such as are found at Caerleon, bearing the impress of a 



particular legion, yet there is no doubt that Aquae Solis 

 was fortified and held by Roman troops. 



The tombstones that are found record the names of 

 legionary soldiers, both infantry and cavalry, also of 

 centurions, but these may have come for the benefit of 

 the thermal springs, and have died in Bath. 



Remains of Roman camps exist on Lansdown and on 

 the Bathwick side of the river, which seem to have been 

 occupied as summer stations. 



Very interesting remains have been found at Camerton, 

 on the Foss Road to the south-west of Bath, which appears 

 to have been a Roman posting-station, and remains of 

 many houses have been found there, as well as the 

 foundations of a semi-circular building. Many coins 

 have also been found here, which were collected and re- 

 corded by the Rev. J. Skinner, a former rector. 



Those members of the British Association who visit 

 Bath at the approaching meeting and are interested in 

 the Roman remains will find ample opportunity of gra- 

 tifying their taste, and will also find every facility, as a 

 handbook has been prepared specially for the visitors, 

 giving complete details of the city and its surroundings. 



MEETING OF GERMAN NATURAL PHI- 

 LOSOPHERS AND PHYSICIANS AT 

 COLOGNE. 



AT the last meeting of the Society of Natural Philosophers 

 and Physicians in Wiesbaden, in 1887, a resolution 

 was passed appointing Cologne as the centre for the sixty- 

 first meeting of the Society, and, thanks to the untiring 

 activity of the several committees and the co-operation of 

 the Town Council, preparations for the reception of the 

 guests are well advanced. 



The Wallraf-Richartz Museum, the Museum of Industrial 

 Arts, the Historical Museums, and the Rathhaus (Council 

 Chambers), in Cologne, will be opened free to members on 

 production of their cards, at any time during the week of 

 the meeting. 



There will be three general meetings, on the 1 8th, 20th, 

 and 22nd September, in the large Giirzeinch Hall ; the meet- 

 ings of the thirty sections from the 18th to the 20th Septem- 

 ber will be held in the halls of the Grammar School (Kieuz- 

 gasse 2-4), and of the Girls' High School (St. Apernstrasse 



53-59)- 



Tickets for members and non-members (as well as ladies), 

 and for the banquet (5 marks each) will be for sale at the 

 Enquiry Office, from the 1st to the 12th September. Mem- 

 bers are recommended to bespeak their apartments early. 



The committee hopes for a large attendance of natural 

 philosophers, physicians and friends of science, and will 

 endeavour to accord them a fitting reception. 



All communications referring to the sections must be ad- 

 dressed to the chairman of such sections; those concerning 

 the exhibition must be addressed to the secretary of the 

 exhibition committee, Herrn Dr. Eltzbacher, in Cologne, 

 Sachsenhausen 9. 



Foreign members can obtain their tickets in advance by 

 applying to Herrn Banquier Moritz Seligmann, Kasinostrasse 

 12 and 14; 12 marks must be sent for members, 6 for a 

 lady's ticket. 



Herr Th. Deichmann has very kindly arranged that all the 

 offices are to be in close proximity to the central station ; 

 the reception, boarding, and enquiry committee are all 

 located at No. 6, Bahnhofstrasse. These offices will be 

 open on the 16th September and following days, from 8 a.m. 

 to 8 p.m. The necessary cards, badges, for the members 

 and their ladies, the programmes of the meetings, the daily 

 papers, etc., together with the tickets of the banquets, 

 theatre, and Rhine excursion, will all be obtainable at the 

 enquiry offices. 



The boarding committee will supply all necessary informa- 

 tion about apartments. 



