100 



Hittite may have crossed the Atlantic centuries before Madog, 

 Cabot or Columbus was born. The greatest European finds, 

 of course, have been near the classic sites, such as Rome, Pom- 

 peii, Rimini, Orvieto, and Aquileja. Alesia, near Dijon, that 

 withstood so long Julius Caesar, has disclosed some of its property 

 left in the ruins by its conqueror. We must now turn to British 

 affairs. A few, but interesting, funeral tablets have been found 

 of the Romano-British period at Corbridge (Corstopitum), York 

 (Eboracum), and other places, etc. Traces of Neolithic man, 

 resembling those of Switzerland are reported from Haddington- 

 shire, and a skull, upon which opinions somewhat differ, has been 

 discovered in Sussex, etc. Our Somerset and Dorset neighbours 

 have been busy at Maumbury, Glastonbury and other sites. At 

 Old Sarum, Avebury, Caer Gwent, and Uriconium the Society of 

 Antiquaries, in concert with local support, have been making 

 scientific and careful explorations. But, in our own neighbour- 

 hood, important suggestions and questionings have also arisen. 

 In the pages of " The Antiquary " Mrs. King Warry has sug- 

 gested Portland as the Ictis of Diodorus, and Mr. Clift, before the 

 Dorset Field Club, proposed to remove the murder of the Saxon 

 King Edward from Corfe to Coryates — both still in Dorset. 



Death has thinned the ranks of the Antiquarians during the 

 past year — Miss Toulmin, Dean Kitchin, Professor Skeats, and 

 Messrs. Nicholson and Parker, amongst others, have passed 

 away. May we hope others will arrive to continue the work tem- 

 porarily arrested by their deaths? 



Before closing this brief and imperfect review, we may refer 

 to two matters that more intimately concern this Society and our 

 locality. For some years past the Corporation of Bournemouth 

 have become the owners of a large number of drawings, plans 

 and measurements of the ancients forts and mounds of Dorset. 

 This would seem to indicate that these things were interesting 

 to them because they were just beyond them on the west. But 

 why should the east be neglected? — or, more important still — 

 Why are the old settlements within the Borough ignored or 

 neglected, such as the entrenchments at Moordown and Pokes- 

 down? These are now practically destroyed! But, just outside 

 the Borough boundary, at Hengistbury, still remains an important 

 camp and settlement, which has been privately and superficially 

 examined. Rumour often threatens it and, no doubt, soon it 

 may be modernized, yet, under the shadow of that hill and 

 within the defences of its dykes was an ancient settlement 

 sufficiently important to protect the waterway to Hants, Wilts 

 and Dorset. Was it Bolvelaunio, as asserted by General Pitt 

 Rivers? If so, the key to much of the story of South Britain 

 lies buried so close as to touch, if not actually within, the Bourne- 

 mouth border. Are Bournemouthians troubled with presbyopia 

 or longsightedness, and cannot see things so near at hand? One 

 sometimes wonders whether the financier and speculative builder 



