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Barnard Castle. These ruins present a fine remnant of antiquity, and were formerly the baronial residence of the Baliols, ancestors of Baliol King of Scotland (as De Brus of Gisborough, was also ancestor of Bruce King of Scotland, and of the present Queen Victoria, through marriage with the Stuarts) who came over to England with William the Conqueror.

Gainford is a lovely village on the banks of the Tees, not far from Rokeby, the seat of the late J.B.S. Morritt, Esq. The beautiful scenery in this neighbourhood has been immortalized by the pen of Sir Walter Scott, Bart.

Dinsdale Spa is well-known, and has formed the subject of many ingenious dissertations.

The celebrated Duke of Marlborough, Conqueror of Blenheim, and ancestor of the Marquis of Blandford, is here alluded to.

The Marchioness of Londonderry's father, Sir Henry Vane Tempest, was highly popular in the County of Durham. “In his regular attendance to parliamentary duties, he was always to be found at his post: and the wants and wishes of the county were attended to, and forwarded to the utmost of his power and abilities. He enjoyed the unbounded confidence of his constituents, and he was never shackled by any pledge or promise as to the line of conduct he should pursue; they were satisfied he never would deviate from the right path, when he followed the dictates of his own heart! He never spoke in the House of Commons, nor at public meetings in the County, except he felt decply interested in the subject of debate, when, such was the noble energy of his delivery and masculine strength of his language, he governed the fixed attention of his auditors, and carried irresistible conviction to the mind.” Sharp's Hartlepool, p., 84.

The Lord Viscount Castlereagh, prime minister to George IV. during the domestic troubles that ensued after the termination of the war in 1815.

The Marquis of Londonderry gained immortal honour by his gallantry at the battle of Waterloo, and obtained the especial commendation of the Duke of Wellington for his distinguished valour. The noble Marquis is familiarly designated in the army as the British Murat.

Eston Nab is a celebrated rocky height in Cleveland, and a famous landmark for vessels navigating the Tees. During the late war, a Beacon was erected on it by the late Thomas Jackson, Esq., of Lackenby, and there yet remains a strong and durable castellated edifice, which may have been used for a similar purpose. The property on which the tumuli were opened, belongs to the ancient family of Stapylton, of Myton Hall, by whom the author was granted full liberty to excavate, for the purpose more particularly of illustrating his forthcoming work, “The History and Antiquities of Cleveland.”

“This Camp occupies the highest part of an extensive insulated hill with an abrupt precipice on the North West; and the Camp is formed by a simicircular trench, each end of which terminates at the brink of the precipice, the edge of which is the diameter of the circle, and the only defence of the Camp on that side. As the form of the Camp has not been dictated by necessity, we may infer that it has been originally a British work; yet from the strength and beauty of the trench and gates, I am disposed to think that it has been subsequently occupied and improved by the Romans.” Young's History of Whitby Vol. II, p., 689. The tumuli were about a stone's-throw from this ancient encampment.

The first tumulus opened consisted of an immense mass of stones, carpeted over with heath, whilst a few feet beneath the surface lay a huge slab of rude, unpolished freestone, 7ft. 4in, long, and about 4ft. broad, in the cavity beneath which, no doubt had reposed the colossal remains of some ancient British chieftain, this tumulus being essentially British, and perhaps long anterior to the Christian era.

Were I to follow the Rev. Mr. Graves in his fanciful conjecture, that Eston Nab is the famous Badon Hill, I might by a small additional prurience of imagination, pronounce this tumulus to be the tomb of King Arthur. The late Sir John Stevenson Hall has however bestowed that honour on Freeborough Hill—

The Bards in those days were only second in dignity to the Druid priests, and their obsequies were attended by their brethren, who chanted songs of lamentation over their remains, and commemorated their virtues.

“In front is the mouth of the River Tees, the winding course of which may be traced many miles towards its source in the West, beyond which the hills above Richmond, and some of the most elevated mountains in Lancashire, Westmoreland and Cumberland, with the Cheviot Hills in Scotland, are visible; while nearer at hand a great extent of Coast to the East and North, and the principal part of the County of Durham, with villages and farm-houses interposed may be distinctly seen. Roseberry Topping with the range of Cleveland hills and the heights of Blackamoor, appear in the south.” Graves' History of Cleveland, p. 448.

On opening the urn in the presence of our party, consisting of the Rev. J. Charnock, Rev. J. Holme, T. C. Wilkinson, Esq., of Newall Hall, John Jackson, Esq., of Lackenby, John Jackson, Esq., Stokesley, and several gentlemen, from Stockton-on-Tees, we found the bones, consisting of three acetabuli, several patellœ, a large portion of the scapula, a zygomatic process, the upper part of the tibia, and numerous ribs, finger bones, pieces of skull, and teeth, in a remarkable state of preservation. There was a sufficient quantity to fill several large bottles, one of which the author presented to the Rev. Dr. Young, of Whitby, and the rest to different Museums.

The urn, which is of baked clay, presents a fine specimen of antiquity, and is perfect except in one small portion broken off by the spade of a workman. Its largest circumference is 40 inches, and its height about 17 inches. It was completely filled with human bones, overlaid with a small deposit of earth, and the reason why the bones and urn were so complete, seems to have arisen from the circumstance of their being entirely protected from the rain and weather, by a large shield-formed stone, laid over the mouth of the urn. This stone was curiously carved inside, and will prove very interesting to the Antiquarian.

Referring to the numerous tumuli in the neighbourhood.

“Park-wood,” formerly a deer-park to Gisborough Priory, and afterwards of the Chaloner family.

The party consisted of about thirty ladies and gentlemen from Stockton-on-Tees.

The lovely grotto where we dined is termed “Lady Elizabeth's bower,” being a favorite retreat of lady Elizabeth Lowther, and commands a fine view of the sea and surrounding country. On this occasion it was kindly granted to our party by the Lowther family.

The noble Turner Charity at Kirkleatham is here alluded to.

The Earl of Eglintoun presided, and Professor Wilson, Editor of Blackwood's Magazine, occupied the Vice Chair,—a delightful union of nobility of rank and aristocracy of talent. A better selection than Professor Wilson could not have been made,—kindred with Burns in passion, genius, enthusiasm, and nobility of nature.