1803.] 
the north of England, for preventing the 
jncurfions and depredations of the Scots, 
thefe beacons were extremely ufeful, and, 
though not equal in difpatch to the mo- 
dern telegraphs, in a few minutes would 
convey intelligence of an enemy’s 2pproach 
to the dillance of thirty or forty miles. 
Behind the Scar, and oppofite,to the vil- 
lage ot Raifb.ck, in the road to Afby, is 
a place called Caftle Folds, whither it is 
thought the inhabitants removed their 
cattle, when information was received that 
tne Scots had made a fudden inroad into 
England. Certain it is, that here they 
would he fecure, till the people could be 
collected torepel the invaders. This place, 
which is naturally difficult of accels, has 
been furrounded by a firong wall, and con- 
tains an area of an acre and a half of 
ground. It has alfo pofltfled a fort, 
whither the keepers of the cattle might 
have retired if the enemy made themfelves 
matters of the outworks. 
At afmail diftance from the village of 
Tebay,is an artificial mound of earth called 
Caftle-how, whichis furrounded onthe fouth 
fide by adeep ditch and remains of outworks. 
Oppofite to this, near the village of Green- 
holme, and on the fouth-weft fide of the 
river Birkbeck, is another hill, alfo deno- 
minated Caftle-how; and both fcem to 
have been ufed as batteries, for defending 
and commanding the paffes in each place. 
Near Raifgill-hill is a tumulus, confiit- 
ing of a regular circle of loofe ftones, ex- 
tending in circumference about one hun- 
dred, and rifing to the height. of three, 
yards. In this tumulus, was found a 
fkeleron entire, with feveral other human 
bones, _ ) 
Upon the mountajnons parts, within the 
boundaries of the parifh of Crofbyravent- 
worth, ace feveral tumuli, or Britifh fe- 
pulchres, which are called by the people 
burrocks, ov penburrocks, and which con- 
fit of large heaps of ftones, collected toge- 
ther for the proteétion of the dead. Lhe 
name, indeed, defignates their ufe and in- 
tention: pez is faid to be Britifh, and to 
fignify a head, cr furnmit ;, and Aurrsck is 
Saxon, and denotes a heap of ftones. Some 
of thefe tumuli having been lately removed 
for the making of roads, a great number 
of human bones were ditcovered, fome of 
which appeared to be of a more than ordi- 
nary fize. There were alfo found, at the 
bottom of the tumuli, leveral pieces of 
armour, among which was a halbert of 
brafs*. There are alfo feveral circles of 
* Camden tells us, that the Greeks, Cim- 
bias, and Britons ufed brazen arms. 
Agcount of the Parifh of Orton. 
419 
large ftones, which might be intended for 
the foundations of new fepuichres; or 
what, perhaps, is more probable, thefe 
circles were Dyuidical temples, in which 
facrifices were performed ; and this latter 
opinion receives fome confirmation from 
their being fituated ppon eminences, and 
open to the ealtern horizon.. 
It is to be feared that the ancients had 
jutter and more rational ideas, relative to 
the difpofal of the dead, than the moderns 
in general feem to poflcfst. The ceme- 
teries in populous and crowded cities are, 
for the moft part, not only offenfive, but 
defiructive, and engender difeafes, Quiet, 
remote, and untrequented places, if pro- 
perly fecured, are certainly the moft fuit- 
able for the purpoles of interment. The 
practice of burying in churches, or near 
them, has not the ieaft foundation in holy 
Writ: on the contrary, we know that under 
the Mofaic difpeniation, the bodies of the 
dead were confidered as a pollution to the 
prieft and the altar; and the cuftom, which 
prevails at prefent, was introduced by the 
Romifh clergy, who pretended that the 
defunét enjayed great and peculiar privi- 
leges by having their remains depofited 
in confecrated ground. 
The principal charity is a donation of 
Bibles to poor children, which was be- 
queathed to this and feveral other parifhes 
in Weftmorland, by Philip Lord Whar- 
ton; and the diftribution is made by his 
Lordfhip’s truftees. The late John Ro- 
binfon, efq. of Sion-hill in Effex, and 
‘member of parliament for Harwich, lat- 
terly procured the ‘* Book of Common 
Prayer’’ to be annexed to the Bible, and 
to be given with it to the children; but 
it certainly would be more eligible and ad- 
vantageous to diftribute them feparately. 
The inhabitants of this .parifh are ra- 
ther above the middle fize, and of a ftrong 
and athletic form of a body. Plain and 
fimple in their manners, and honeft and 
induftrious in_their vocations, their ideas 
feldom extend farther than a knowledge of 
thei: farms and cattle. There is little 
‘¢ The Germans have begun to remove 
the burying-place a mile or two from every 
city or town, by which means they have abo- 
lithed, or paved the way towards abolifhing, 
all the nonfenfical epitaphs and laughable in- 
{criptions, which generally abound in church. 
yards, and too often difgrace the memory they 
mean to celebrate ; and have fubftituted for 
the offenfive cemetery an agreeable kind of 
garden, more calculated to infpire calm devo- 
tion than fentiments of horror.” Vide Rene 
aer’s Tey through Germany. 
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