an eminence crowned with wood, affords to the seenery a pleasing variety. Below this was planted the artillery that so successfully battered the castle walls, when the victorious arms of Massey spread through the country terror and dismay. In Letter III. p. 20, col. 1, line 36, for alteration, read alternation. Col. 2, line 13, for extraneous, read cutaneous. between them. This fort is situated on a point of hill land which overlooks the great eastern roads from Salisbury, Ilchester, Shaftesbury, &c. to Exeter. The ancient roads from Ilchester and Ilminster ran by the last, and near the castle of Neroche to Otterford, and over the hill through the north of Up-Ottery to this very point; and from thence to Exeter. The promontory on which it is situated, is calculated to secure the To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. country: its works were truly Roman, SIR, THE HE public is lately indebted for the re-publication of Richard's Itinerary of Great Britain to several learned writers: copies of this work were very much wanted. The commentary upon it must be a very acceptable part of the work, so far as it is just; but in Iter 16, "the site of Moridunum is said by the writer to be doubtful, some thinking it to be at Eggardon, the hill of the Morini, with which the distance of nine miles would not disagree; whilst others, with more reason, prefer Seaton, the great port of the West; because the foss leads from Ilchester directly to it. Intermediate stations have evidently been lost between this place and Exeter, as has also been the case between that place and the Dart, the Tamer, the Fawy, and the Fall." With many antiquaries it is an opinion of long standing, that Moridunum is Seaton; but it is a very erroneous one. A comment to this purpose in this very useful work, cannot be too soon pointed out. The public too, who have been so many years contemplating on this line of stations, not laid down by Antoninus, or Richard, will gladly be led out of error through the medium of your Magazine. and strong from nature. But lest my readers should suppose that this station may be found in another situation, I must inform him that there is none besides to the east of Exeter which will answer to this distance. The word Mor, from the Welsh, has been rendered Sca; and hence Seaton, has been stated to be the place, though nearly twenty-two miles from Exeter, and without sufficient remains to claim the name of a station. But according to Gale, Mur is the general reading. Let it however be Mor or Mur, Moridunum is not derived from this language, nor is Scaton a translation of this name. The letter M is often changed to V; Maridunum in Wales, now Car-Marthen, or Cær-Marden, has been changed by the Welsh to CarVyrdhin: and Tor, Var, Bor, Bur, &c. have frequently in old names been rendered Border, from the roots er, or, and ur, border. The Saxons translated Mor by Hem, which is also border. Dunum they rendered berry; and hence Hembury was the Saxon translation of Moridunum. I have seldom, Mr. Editor, attended to the measure of the line of road from one place to another, or to the measuring for the import of these words; but I shall just mention, that Seaton will not suit any distance in the Itinerary; on the contrary, Hembury Fort, by the way of Shaftesbury, over the hills by Neroche, will be found at the distance stated by them from Dorches ter, as well as at the exact distance from Exeter. So far, Mr. Editor, have we proved that Hembury fort is Moridunum; and so far are we further beholden for truth, by comparing our old names with Saxon translations, hitherto generally neglected. But independent of these particulars, we have still a more important proof of this place being Meridunum. Maridunun in Wales, is now called Caer-Marthen or Caer-Marden; and a manor of land under Hembury fort, and the land on which the fort stands, are at this present time named I must observe then, that the distance of Moridunum from Isca Dunmoniorum is fifteen Roman miles, both in Richard and Antoninus; and this distance seems to have been unaccountably overlooked by antiquaries. Both authors agreeing in this, the rule in such cases is to conclude that they are both right as to distance. I shall therefore enquire where a station lay which will answer to fiteen miles east of Exeter. Hembury Fort, then, on Black-Down near Ho. niton, is exactly fifteen Roman miles from this city; and the old road between Isca Dunnioniorum, and Moridunum, viewed from the fort, ran by the way of Broad Clest Heath, in a straight line in old writings, Cox Pitt Manor and Morden.* Having settled this point so as to preclude all dispute on the subject, I will now follow the Iter and Commentary, The site of Exeter is not doubted. The road from Honiton is said "to be visibly pointing to Exeter, as well as from Exeter to Totnes." I have already described the direct old road from Moridunum to Exeter, which is not the common road from Honiton; I will not say that another might not be used from Hembury Fort to Exeter. Durio Amne," is said to be "on the Dart." Totness, with no very ancient visible remains, may have been the place supposed in the Comment; but we have on the border of the Dart, in Hole parish, near Ashburton, another Hembury fort, with remains which may point out a station. Tamara is on the Tamer; authors suppose at Tamerton Foliot. Voluba comes next, and is stated to be "on the Fawy." But Fawy implies a small stream, from its diminutive ending in y; and Vol in Voluba, Foluba, or Faluba, implies, I shall prove, Stream. The ending of this last word relates to the stream, or is term for land. If it relate to the stream, it must be an augment, and the same as Ube in the Danou, or Danube; but this stream cannot be dignified by the adjective Great, nor can it be diminished by Ube, into the term little, which we find in the Fury. It will therefore be the Vol, Fol, or Fal, or the Stream: and Uba will be derived from A, rising ground or bill, pronounced Au, as Abury is also written Aubury. Au is also changed to Av, and this to Ab in various instances: and this further to Ub or Up, as at Ubley, called also Upton. I might carry such changes much further, and bring appropriate authorities; but these are enough for this letter. Uba was there. fore the Hill on the Fal or Stream, and not on the Fawy or little Stream. Cenia comes next in the Itinerary, and is stated to be on the Fal: and here all our authors have shown their great inattention, in supposing that this word means a Mouth, or a Stream. From An or En, water, with c prefixed, which is *Hist. Devon. vol. 2. Here some confusion takes place, the road from Seaton to Exeter is not by way of Honiton; nor is Honiton in the road from Hembury Fort to Exeter. supposed to imply enclosure, is derived the Gaelic term Can, Cen, Kan, or Ken, a lake. Ia is said by General Vallancey to imply land, settlement, &c. Cenia therefore, or the Lake Settlement, must be on Richard's Cenius, or Lake; denominated from its widely-extended waters, and from the Kenwyn falling into it at Truro; and not on the Fal or Stream which gave not name to Ptolomy's Cenion, or Great Lake. I have now corrected this part of the sixteenth Iter, which was, Mr. Editor, given according to our best writers; but which I have proved erroneous. I think no more blame can be attached to the writer I have commented upon than to others; for he has followed our authorities: I must therefore thank him for his labour in giving us this new edition; and again recommend this valuable remain of our countryman to all lovers of our his. tory. Further, as the ending of Voluba is the same as Rutubiæ, or Rutupiæ, I will beg leave to speak of this last word, of which so much has been written without giving any satisfaction. Camden derives Rutupia from Rhydtufith, a sandy ford; and in this Sommer agrees with him. Battely first says, that our Rutupia was always named Rutubi Portus by Orosius and Bede; and as there was a Rutubi Portus in Gaul, he supposes ours derived from it: but here he stops, and by not enquiring from whence this last was derived, he has explained nothing by it. He next states, that the name came from Rutubus, a tyrant who held a hill on the Seine; but neither in this does he shew from whence this Rutubus had his name. He then states, "that Thanet was called by the Britons Inis Ruhin, or Ruithina: Khuo, in their language, he says, signifies 66 to roar," which Camden understands of the porpusses on the coast; but he rather applies it to the waves which break on the shore. "If (says he) we compound the word Rhuo with tywyn, which signifies a shore, it gives a derivation of the name exactly suitable to the description of Lucan, lib. vi.” he continues, “the opinion of an unpublished author, namely, that the Rutupian coast is so called from Rupes a rock; or from Rutini, a people of Gaul, now Bologne;" which affinity of the Gaelic Rutini and our Ruputini, seems to be confirmed by Mallebranche, who says of the Ruthini, "all that part of the coast which lies between Calais and Dunkirk, our seamen eyen now call Ruther. Add I shall add, to to this, that the sea-coast of Kent was say, means a rotten shore." Regulbium, he derives from Rhag before, and Gwylpha watching; or from Rhag and Goleu. The first compound he renders, " the former watch-tower;" the second, "the former light, or lighthouse." Richborough has been said little of in explanation, but Sumner derives it from Hricge Dorsun, which I shall prove inapplicable. For the ancient situation of this haven, I must refer to the historians of Kent, Rut, rot, or rod, as in Rutland and other places, implies a road; which word may be understood for ships to lie in, or for travelling upon. I have explained ub and up. Kuthen, means the road land. Rutupia was an haven, with two entrances or roads, and on each of these entrances a hill: the haven having two roads, and a bill on each of these entrances; and rut being road, and up or ub hill, the plural word Rutupia or Rutubie, became the name of these hill roads: and not originally the name of two cities, as imagined by our authors. In after times, it appears that these hills were built upon, and castles and other habitations were erected, which took names from their situations. Rutupiæ being a common name for the two ports of this haven, it will follow that their particular names (as fortresses and towns took denominations from situations) were nearly the same; and that they were only varied by synonymes to distinguish them from each other; and what, might be added, would be to point out their differing features. Accordingly, Rich in Richborough, from Reic or Reik, implies a reach or road; and Borough the same as Up, to wit, Hill. But herein, Borough is a name which implies great hill; Richborough will therefore mean the Great Hill Road. In like manner, Reg or Rec in Regulbium, or Reculver, from the same word Reic, will imply a reach or road: Ul is a synonyme of Up, and may mean Hill, by my last letter. The root of the sylJable Bium is Um or Am, and these are frequently rendered in old names Ham, which is also border or point. Ver in Reculver, is also border or point; and hence Regulbium or Reculver, will imply the Hill-roud Point; and from the MONTHLY MAG. No. 200, purport of these words, it should seem, that the hill at Reculver was not of such magnitude as that at Rutubis, or Richborough; nor might Richborough be so much of a point of land as Rcculver. But Rutubis was also called by Tacitus Trutulum. Archdeacon Battely supposes, from the Trouts in the harbor, "where, (says he) to adopt the words of Alain de Lisle, the trout entering the sali-water, is baptised in the sea, and assumes the name of sulmon." I have already shewn that rut is road; and in various instances, Mr. Lhuyd shews that T is only a prefix, and is often omitted in the beginning of words. But let us suppose that T' means, as authors suppose, inclosed; trut will then, appropri ately enough, imply the inclosed road, as the island of Thanet lay in its mouth. Of the letter S, Dr. Harris, on Isaiah, says, "that it is sometimes of little signification or use, other than to facilitate the pronunciation of some who could not well get their words out of their mouths without the use, and indeed the help, of it." Perhaps this T may have been considered by Tacitus as such another letter. Rutubis has been supposed to have been on an island, from the appearances of the lands around it; but I do not recognise this from any name which I have mentioned. Further, in the name Copstreet,* nothing can be inferred more than a village on the head or hill road; and Cooper-street, nearly in a line with this last towards Rutupis, meant a village on the border of the heud roud: and in these, there is no intimation of an island on which this head stood. The word rut being road or way; and ub or up, having been used for high, as well as hill, in the names of Iluces, a Rutupian robber, mentioned by Ausonius, implies, I conceive, a highway robber; and not, as usually understood, a robber who had gained his appellation from this town. Again, the Romans buried their dead by the sides of highways; and the same author, mentioning his uncle Contentus, intimates, that he was buried on the high way border, and not, as generally conceived, in the vicimity of this city. On the propriety of these opinions, I must leave you, Mr. Editor, to judge. A. B. For the Monthly Magazine. BARANGERS, or CURLED LAME-SKINS, BARAN is the word used in Russia to signify sheep, and any kind of sheep-skins are thence called Barangers; but of those which are properly thus styled, in other countries, we meet with two sorts, the genuine and the counterfeit. The former, which are held even in Russia in great estimation, and form a valuable article of trade, fetch a very high price; the latter, though they are dyed in the most skilful manner, and the imitation so excellently performed, as to render the difference scarcely distinguishable, are however much inferior both in value and quality. Judges note, as distinctive marks, their colour, and the perfectness and neatness of the curl of the wool. These sheep generally constitute a considerable part of the inland trade of Russia, particularly in the government in Catherinoslav, and in the Crimm or government of Taurida. It is not at all extraordinary in these countries, to see them both in summer and winter, feeding in flocks of more than a thousand; and only when the winter is very severe, which seldom happens, or when the weather is particularly tempestuous, they are driven into inclosures called koshari. They are shorn once during the spring, but the wool of the sheep in the government of Catherinoslav, is neither so fine nor so soft as of those in Taurida, the causes of which perhaps are, that the climate of the last-mentioned government is the mildest, and that the sheep lamb during the winter, when the coldness of the season is of great consequence to the young and tender wool, pro The Calmucks and Tartars are peculiarly skilful in rendering the wool bushy and curicd; their mode of ceeding being nearly as follows: As soon as the lamb is yeaned, it is sowed up in a piece of coarse linen, wetted once every day with warm water, and after that gently rubbed in various directions with the palm of the hand; this being continued for about four weeks, at the end of that period the fleece is inspected, and if not completely cured, the operation is repeated. In Ukraine, the lambs are cut out of the sheep, and treated in the very same manner. The grey skins are more valuable than any other, so that at Rechetilofaka, a little city where the best are to be found, each grey baranger, though only a few inches in length, is worth three or four rubles. The barangers of the Crimm are so finely curled, that it is hardly possible to lay hold of the curls with the fingers. Lambs cut out of the sheep at a certain period, have skins covered with very short wool, but particularly smooth, and as glossy as satin, of which the black are preferred. The Polish colonics in the county of Selmigsnaky, under the government Irkutzk, keep a great number of a Mongot breed, not bigger than our common sheep, but with very bushy tails, among which there are plenty of lambs, whose wool is fine and curled, and their skins are generally sold to the Chinese at a much higher rate than those of the lambs of the Calmucks and Buchares. The Poles likewise sow up new-yeaned lambs in a piece of strong linen, wetting them with warm water, and leaving them in this condition from two to four weeks with their mothers, until the wool is sufficiently curled; and when this degree of perfection is attained, the lambs are immediately killed. There are two kinds of sheep in the Crimm and government of Catherinoslav; the one was brought from Russia, and does not succeed well, and is only kept for the flesh, yet the same breed produces in the Ukraine very good wool, and grows to a greater size: the other comes from Moldavia and Wallachia; their tails are long and broad, and often so heavy that small wheeled carriages must be fastened under them, in order to give the fatter sheep some ease in moving about. Here these sheep are called Woloskiza Owzi, and in the Crimm, Tschontagh: their native country is Caramania, and therefore they were formerly named Probatonla Caramania. genuity and success, he shews, that the ruined forests of Europe have laid the foundation of the greatest part of the nosses in that quarter of the globe. On this foundation nature builds her work. An endless succession of aquatic plants rushing up with rapidity over the surface of these ruined forests, has furnished the materials of which all peat-moss is - composed. So that the substance is entirely composed either of ligneous or aquatic plants, or of both. Of this there can be no doubt, after perusing these essays. In order to establish this point, a learned and curious account is given of the an cient forests of the north of Europe, in order to shew that they were abundant, and the reasons of this, and to point out the means by which they were destroyed, and by whoin. From this account it is clearly established, that these ruined forests furnished materials for the formation of peat-moss. The leaves and seeds, and twigs and bark and roots of trees, being all blended together in a morass, became a soil fit for the growth of a variety of aquatic plants. By this means, this morass being filled up cutirely with this accumulation of vegetable matter, has been consolidated into peat But as that substance differs in its chemical qualities from these recent vegetables, of which it is composed, the next object of the Rev. doctor is to shew: 11. The changes which these materials must have undergone in the lapse of ages. With this view he gives an inter esting chemical discussion on the different changes ahich both animal and vegetable matter undergo in different medicines. From this view of the subject it appears, that the same materials which furnish vegetable mould when exposed to the atmosphere, are con verted into moss when immersed in water, especially if that water be stagnant, and possessed of an antiseptic quality, and placed in a low and nearly equable temperature. On account of these peculiar circumstances, these vegetables do not undergo the putrid fermentation of course, they contain the original elementary principles of which they were composed." The carbon and hydrogen, the phosphorus and tannin, the gallic and other vegetable acids, the metallic, and other particles of this vegetable matter, being all deposited in these circumstances, furnish the materials of all peat-moss. As a proof of this, these materials or elementary principles, may still be detected in that substance. If so, peatmoss is nearly homogeneous to coal, and other bituminous matter. The author's object is therefore to shew: III. That there is an obvious alliance between peat moss and all the varieties of bitumen, whether liquid, solid, or aëriform. With this view, a vast variety of facts are stated to shew that similar, traces of vegetable matter, such as the trunks, branches, fruits, and leaves, of trees, and sometimes of aquatic plants, are detected in coal and jet, as in peat-moss. When all these facts are carefully collated together, little doubt can remain as to the vege table origin of all these substances; more especially when it is added, that peat-moss, which is obviously and altogether composed of vegetable matter, may, by compression in combination with certain chemical agents, be converted into a substance that cannot be distinguished either by its colour, consistency, or qualities, from coal. There are besides many reasons to conclude that coal, at one period of its formation, has been in a soft and pulpy state, like peat-moss. If so, compression alone would consolidate it; and all coal, wherever it has been discovered, has certainly been subjected to compression. Above all, as these substances all yield, on chemical analysis, nearly the same elementary principles, and in the same order, and sometimes in the same proportion, and as they are sometimes found in alternate layers, one above or below the other, there can be little doubt that they are nearly homogeneous, and all of vegetable origin. But naptha, petroleum, mineral pitch, and all the varieties of liquid bitumens, may be extracted from each of these substances, by distillation. If there fore the latter be of vegetable origin, there can be little doubt that the former may all be traced to the same source, And there is the strongest probability, that as all the solid bitumens are formed of the elementary principles of vegetable matter, so all the liquid bitumens are evolved from them by a process similar to distillation on a large scale, in the vast laboratory of nature. But if all these substances bear so near an alliance to each other, it may be expected that they will all be possessed of similar qualities. The Rev. doctor therefore proceeds: IV. To point out the quali |