and bronze pieces of Nero, Nerva, Hadrian and Antoninus Pius. The beautiful bronze brooches of our plate, probably unique in their precise variety of design, will, according to Mr. Wright's new dogma, be accounted by this gentleman as Roman; but here he is placed on the horns of a dilemma; for neither upon late Roman times (as he asserts all our cave objects of this class to be of), nor yet the succeeding still more barbarous eras, will either he or any other skilful antiquary venture to father these interesting ornaments. But early Roman manufactures have occurred in other caverns, as Kirkhead, in Cartmel, Thor's cave in Derbyshire and several in France.

Although nearly all the Craven caves still become, more or less, the beds of small watercourses during the winter season, and all are thickly floored by alluvial depositions, yet the favourite idea of certain geologists-that the antiquarian relics have all been washed in from above, is perfectly untenable. The caverns, as already stated, lie in very high and exposed situations, and consequently it could only be from the very summits of the hills, wherever level, that such removal by water could be effected, inasmuch as the sweeping of floods down the valley, so as to affect these caverns, within the last five thousand years, is out of the question. But even those few level hill-tops, from their bleak and yet far from commanding position, are wholly unsuited for the construction or maintenance of either early British villages or later Roman or Saxon camps, which we never find so placed. The only remaining neighbouring example of a camp lies nearly half-way down the valley, and, considering its elevation, in a comparatively sheltered location. No trace of such fortifications occurs upon these broken scaurs. The nearest Roman roads are somewhat distant (sixty miles), these being the one from Overborough (Bremetonacea) to Ribchester, and the other from Ilkly (Olicana) to the same place. Nevertheless, we can

admit no doubt as to the Victoria and Dowkerbottom caves having been occupied in Roman times, the presence of fragments of Roman sepulchral urns settling the question completely; for such, containing merely the dry ashes of the departed, were frequently retained by the nearest relatives in their residences. Again, the human relics (save a few primeval flints) are never found, where they assuredly would be if carried in by water, i.e., in the deep clay beds. They occur either in the soft or the hard stalagmite, evidencing human occupation whilst the cave was not subject to flood or other violent intrusion of matter, but during a perfectly quiescent state, essential to the free agglomeration of the stalagmitic bed in which the artificial remains invariably are found, when not upon the natural rock-floor, which, however, has rarely been the case.

Before concluding, further reference should be made to an interesting cave, found also in the limestone in this very county so lately as May of last year. I allude to that discovered in one of the most westerly outlying spurs of the limestone hilly region, viz., Kirkhead Hill, Kent's Bank, near Ulverston, which I am sorry not to have had the pleasure of personally inspecting; but the products, so far as known, remarkably confirm the conclusions to which I have arrived relative to the eastward group. Mr. J. P. Morris, of Ulverston, who is systematically exploring this recess on behalf of the Anthropological Society, writes me, relative to its main features, as follows:

"The entrance is about eighty-five feet above high water "mark. The floor is a compound of bones, earth, charcoal, "angular fragments of limestone, and water-worn pebbles "of blue slate. The human remains are very numerous, consisting of crania (in fragments), jaws with teeth, "arm and leg bones &c., several portions of pottery and "implements of stone, bone and iron. One of the implements "is the metatarsal bone of a young pig, with a very evenly "drilled hole through its centre. Professor Busk thinks this

"a whistle, as it is made similarly to those found in the south of France, belonging to the reindeer period.

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Only

one coin has as yet been found, which is of the Roman "Emperor Domitian;* I found it covered by a few inches of "the soil. The animal remains consist principally of the stag, roebuck, small ox, wild boar, pig, fox, badger, goat, "wild cat, water vole and old English black rat. I have numbers of bones yet undetermined, but I find all those containing marrow to have been split open longitudinally, "whilst upon others are marks of both metal and stone implements, according to the depth at which they occur. "The human remains represent all ages from the child to the "adult; in one portion of a child's jaw the permanent teeth are just forward, and are thrusting out the deciduous ones."

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Since the above was penned explorations have been re-commenced with every prospect of success, and Mr. Morris reports the discovery of immense quantities of human bones, along with a fine looped chisel, (too commonly called a celt,) dagger, and a very remarkable cutting instrument, in bronze; a Roman axe and hammer head in iron; rudely fashioned early British pottery, perforated for suspension; lastly, some ornaments, comprising a trefoil-shaped Roman fibula, and an enamelled pin, with beads of amber and earthenware.†

In the preceding pages many interesting questions have been raised, affording scope for discussion of a far more comprehensive character than present limits will admit, and a short summary must conclude this paper.

We know that beasts of prey and other of the largest

The presence of Roman coins does not necessarily imply an absolutely coeval occupation, such pieces remaining in circulation for several centuries. In the Victoria cave, however, we have other evidence confirmatory of contemporaneous residence, as very probably may yet be discovered in Kirkhead.

+ Mr. Morris reports the discovery of a second cavern in the western promontory of Cartmel," Capeshead Cave," containing human bones, which as usual occur in the stalagmitic carpeting of the clay floor. No traces of man's handicraft have hitherto been noticed, the recess not having yet been thoroughly looked over, to say nothing of the promised complete excavation which may possibly provide other materials of most legitimate interest for the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire.

mammalia have dwelt in our land, possibly under very differing circumstances of temperature &c. to those existing, and have resorted for shelter or other temporary object to the extensive and numerous caves abounding in some of our hilly districts, but it has not yet been clearly demonstrated that their remains are absolutely associated with those of any race of man existing within the last two thousand years, or sufficiently so to prove unmistakeable contemporaneity. Allusion is here made to the lion, rhinoceros, elephant, hippopotamus, hyæna, cave tiger, European bear and great Irish deer. At the commencement of our era the Romans found here the large primeval ox, the long-fronted (or short horned) ox, wild boar, one or two species of red deer, roebuck, goat, wolf, wolfdog and badger, all of which-save perhaps the roebuck, said still to exist in the wilds of Devon-have since become extinct in this country although some have merged into extant species. Their remains, along with RomanoBritish relics, are, with the exception of the large ox, of frequent occurrence, completely establishing their existence at least during the greater part of the Roman occupancy of this country, and it is a noteworthy fact that bones of the native wolfdog (Canis primævus) occur more frequently than any other in the Craven caves, and usually associated with those of the rat on the latest natural floors of several of them when first examined, shewing a later habitation by these animals than by man. Indeed, no object recognized as of exclusively Saxon or early English origin has been discovered in these caves; the only articles of an archæological character, later than about the sixth century, so far as known, being a few silver pennies of Edward II or III, these being found, not in any of the caves above-named, but in one of secondary note, situate in the range of scaur bearing the name of the Attermire Rocks, and nearly a mile from the Victoria cave. It was in Yorkshire, we must remember, that

a price was last set upon the head of a wolf,-at least it is so stated by Topham,-and consequently those uncultivated and cavern-furnished wilds may fairly claim to have been among the last resorts in England of this once national scourge.

Summing up all the present available evidence, I beg to

submit

Firstly, that the Craven caves, originally mere volcanic crevices in the limestone, enlarged by running water, were the resort of large beasts of prey when dry, but, becoming increasingly subject to inundation, the remains of destroyer and destroyed became commingled with the alluvial clay deposited along with a few rude instruments, these having been fabricated by a primeval race of men, occasionally inhabiting the caves during war or whilst engaged in the chase.

Secondly, that after long ages of alluvial deposition, they became the temporary abode of a partially civilized race, possibly merely sojourning in these now upland regions-like the peasants of Sweden and Norway, with their cattle during the summer months, at the present day-making many of their ornaments of bone, and their weapons still chiefly of stone and flint.

Thirdly, as the occasional or accidental resort of a comparatively civilized people, who, by communication with the coast and the foreigners trading thereto, had acquired some knowledge of metals, and could appreciate an artistic ornament for the adornment of their persons.

Fourthly, as a temporary refuge of a more or less Romanized people during some sudden incursion of northern barbarians, or in the last gallant struggles of the Brigantes with the might and discipline of Rome.

Fifthly, as still a refuge when, on the gradual retirement of the Imperial legionaries from Britain for the defence of the more central portion of the Empire, the North became fearfully subject to inroads from her ancient foes beyond the wall, and no man's tenement was safe.