20 ANCIENT FORTIFICATIONS in 



and (as the wood burnt away) finking by their own weight in- 

 to a folid mafs, there would remain a wreck of vitrified mat- 

 ter, tracking the fpot where the ancient rampart had flood ; ir- 

 regular and of unequal height, from the fortuitous and unequal 

 diftribution of the ftony materials of which it had been com- 

 pofed. The appearance at this day of thofe vitrified mounds 

 creates the ftrongeft probability of the truth of this conjecture. 

 They do not appear ever to have been much higher than they 

 are at prefent ; as the fragments that have fallen from them, 

 even in thofe places where the wall is loweft, are very inconfi- 

 derable. From the durable nature of the fubftance, they 

 muft have fuffered very little change from time, though, from 

 the gradual growth of the foil, they muft, in fome places, 

 have loft, in appearance, a good deal of their height, and, in 

 others, have been quite obfcured. Mr Williams, in making 

 a cut through the ramparts at Knockfarril, found, in many 

 places, the vitrified matter entirely covered with peat-mofs of 

 half a foot in thicknefs. 



I have obferved, that, in the fortification on Craig-Phad- 

 rick, a large portion of the outward rampart upon the north 

 fide bears no marks of vitrification. The reafon of this it is 

 eafy to explain. In the flruclure of this part of the wall no 

 wood has been employed ; for the extreme fteepnefs of the 

 rock on this quarter rendered any rampart for defence entirely 

 unneceffary. A low fence of itones and turf was fufficient 

 here to prevent the cattle, which were probably lodged between 

 the outer and inner rampart, from falling over the precipice. 

 Such is that fence which at prefent remains on the north fide 

 of the rock of Craig-Phadrick. 



It appears, therefore, highly probable, that the effect of fire 

 upon thofe hill-fortifications, has been entirely accidental, or, 

 to fpeak more properly, that fire has been employed, not in the 

 conftruction, but towards the demolition of fuch buildings > 

 and for the latter purpofe it would certainly prove much more 



efficacious 



