Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 29.djvu/482

404 time present similar typical peculiarities, we may conclude, I think, that speaking generally, each race or tribe worked out its own inventions and its own forms of implements, and did not receive them by transmission from any other people.

"Whilst fully admitting that progress is a very prominent feature of pre-historic times, I still think that the progress was for the most part independent and original, and that we might consequently reasonably expect to find breaks in the continuity of development such as now appear to exist between the Palæolithic and the Neolithic Periods. Nevertheless, it is both a cheering belief and a sound scientific opinion that 'the culture-history of mankind is probably not the history of a course of degeneration, or even of equal oscillations to and fro, but of a movement which, in spite of frequent pauses and relapses, has, on the whole, been forward; and there has been from age to age a growth in man's power over Nature, which no degrading influences have been able permanently to check."

A vote of thanks was presented to Mr. Stevens for his able discourse.

This was the day for the Silchester and Basingstoke excursion. The ordinary train, leaving Southampton at 8.45 a.m., conveyed a considerable party to Basingstoke, where a special train was in attendance on the Great Western Railway, to convey them to a point of the line nearest to Silchester. This was near a road which crossed the railway by "Jackdaws' Bridge"; and here carriages were to have been in attendance. By some error, however, many of the conveyances did not arrive till a large number of persons had walked a considerable part of the distance, though they were afterwards gladly used, as the weather became broken, and it rained heavily when the party arrived at the East gate of the Roman Calleva. After a short delay on account of the weather, the Rev. J. G. Joyce conducted his followers to the Amphitheatre outside the city, and discussed its special characteristics. Returning to the East gate, the perambulation of the city was made in a direction South-west to the South gate of the city, from which a good general view of the enclosure was obtained. Along the whole distance the walls are more or less perfect. They seem to have been about 16 ft. high, by about 9 ft. thick, set on massive "footings," and formed of courses of large flints, placed in a rough herring-bone fashion, with layers of stone slabs as bonding courses, at intervals of about 2 ft. The flints seem to have been set dry, and the hot mortar of lime, sand, and pounded tile poured in a fluid state among them. In some places the lower portions of the wall have suffered much by spoliation, the upper courses grimly standing out with picturesque effect The whole circuit is rather more than a mile and a half. Returning to the East gate, Mr. Joyce was able to show the sill upon which the massive portal had turned, and which had been discovered by the Ordnance surveyors within the last few mouths. The weather again interfered with the proceedings, and then time had arrived for luncheon. This was provided in a tent, which was well supplied with refreshments, and after due acknowledgments had been voted to his Grace the Duke of Wellington, for his great liberality in continuing the excavations of that