the Coast of the Firth of Forth. 109 
remains of that period until we reach Cramond, at the mouth 
of the River Almond. 
To one who stands on the rising ground above that village, 
and looks seaward, it seems as if no more inconvenient part of 
the coast could possibly have been selected as the site of a 
port. A wide dreary expanse of mud stretches along the 
shore, and extends outwards for wellnigh two miles at its 
broadest part, across which vessels even of light burden can 
only venture at full tide. The river channel is narrow and 
shallow, and a little way up becomes rocky and stony. And 
yet this inlet is recognised as Alaterva, the chief harbour of 
the Romans on this part of the coast of Britain. We must 
remember, indeed, that the River Forth is constantly bearing 
down mud from the higher grounds, depositing it along both 
shores of the Firth, but especially on the south side. Eighteen 
centuries must undoubtedly have witnessed some change from 
the gradual silting up of the estuary. But this process of 
change is a very slow one. Even allowing the greatest depth 
of sediment to have accumulated compatible with the small 
amount carried in suspension in the water, and with the action 
of the tides and currents of the Firth, the depth of silt which 
has accumulated since the time of the Romans cannot, I 
think, have been by any means so great as to have converted 
what appears to have been the most commodious inlet along 
the coast into a difficult and dangerous shoal. But be this as 
it may, there can be no doubt that the mouth of the Almond 
would be greatly improved as a harbour if the sea rose in it 
to a greater height. If we admit that the land here was 
20 feet lower when the Romans occupied the country, then 
we cannot fail to see that they were fully justified in making 
it their chief port, for it would unquestionably be the best 
natural harbour along the whole of the south side of the 
Forth. 
The coins, urns, sculptured stones, and other remains which 
have been found so numerously at Cramond, fully attest its 
ancient importance. The remnant of a harbour has also been 
detected here. Itis greatly to be regretted, however, that in 
these, as in other instances of archeological discovery along 
the coast, no record appears to have been kept of the exact 
