. 5 8 



The Scottish Naturalist. 



us to produce very satisfactory evidence of its former greatness as 

 a Pictish town. 



The ancient name "Davan" signifies the land or town of the 

 two lakes. One of the lakes still retains this name, as do also a 

 number of the surrounding farms. We are told that when the 

 Romans visited Davan they Latinized the word into Devana ; and 

 the ancient inhabitants, who called themselves Deailich, signify- 

 ing " Deeside men," they named Taixales, not being able to give 

 the true pronunciation. The word Kinnord has undergone many 

 pronunciations, being sometimes known as Kender, Ceanmore, 

 Kinnord, &c. Mr. Michie says, in his history of Kinnord, that 

 " it is evidently a corruption of the Celtic Cean ?H aird" signifying 

 "the end of the height, which is descriptive of the locality, 

 whether the height referred to be the ridge of Culblean, or, as is 

 more likely, the Ord," which was the site of the place of worship 

 of these ancient Pictish people. 



THE EARLY INHABITANTS. 



It is evident that Britain, being a detached island, had been 

 inhabited at a very early date by wandering and expeditionary 

 tribes from the mainland. We have no certain information as 

 to what race they were of, or to within hundreds of years of the 

 time these northern parts were first inhabited. There is every 

 reason, however, to believe, that the district or " town " of Davan 

 was among the first places chosen by these early settlers as an 

 encampment ; for, if we may judge from existing evidence, it was 

 considered specially suitable, from the fact that it possessed all 

 the natural advantages that were thought necessary to defend and 

 maintain an ancient colony. Roman historians tell us that the 

 ancient Picts settled in small districts where there were to be 

 found natural facilities for defence-works ; and in the immediate 

 neighbourhood of lakes, woods, and marshy ground. 



THE INNER FORTIFICATION. 



The existing ruins show that the most important part of the 

 "town," or what we may call the citadel, was strongly protected 

 by defence-works. At several points of vantage the remains of 

 the main fcrts, surrounded by moats, are to be seen. Moraines 

 were easily formed into places of defence; being in the im- 



