of natural bastion. Within the enclosure there were 19 horse-shoe shaped huts, each about 30 feet in diameter, with only one opening to the south-east, that is to say the backs of the houses were built against the north-west, or the quarter most exposed to high winds and snow

storms.

These were, as I have stated above, in all probability the habitations of the native Celts, who occupied the site during the encroachment of the Romans, and with whom, we have no doubt, a tough struggle took place, before the new comers obtained full possession of the beacon. The position, form, and regularity of these foundations do not denote them to be the work of barbarous hands,—of the poor cave-dwellers or of the earliest immigrants,―nor is it likely that any later invaders, such as the Danes or Saxons, tenanted this elevated and exposed spot. The Saxons were peaceably settled in the district, and the Danes, too, as previously explained. They may, however, have had an outpost or signal on the mountain, like the Romans. The peculiar horse-shoe form of the huts has not been observed elsewhere in this country, and they were apparently so built with a critical knowledge of such a design offering the best resistance to the prevailing wind. It is, however, also possible they were planned in the belief, that by adopting the horse-shoe shape of building, their houses would be secure against the attacks of enemies. This is an old Celtic superstition, which seems to have originated in the East, where the horse-shoe arch, as well as the circle,symbolical of the visible heavens,-prevailed in oriental architecture at an early period. Still, it may be assumed that they had something to do with the horse races once held on the summit, above alluded to, but there is no recollection or tradition among the inhabitants of the district that such has been the case, nor are they mentioned in connection with the subject by any of the old writers. Phillips gives a plan of the camp and huts, which shews a small tutelary spring on the west side, about 50 feet from the summit, called St. Anthony's Well.

I may further add, that Rauthmel, in his Antiquities of Overborough, (1824), seems to think the fortifications are of Roman origin, and gives the following reasons. "The word Ingleborough," he says, "signifies the same in the Saxon which the word Bremetonacæ [Overborough] signifies in the British tongue, namely, rocky-hill fire-station. Hence we learn that the Roman garrison at Overborough, erected a beacon, fire-house, or watch-tower upon the rocky hill of Ingleborough, and appointed watches or centinels there. These centinels, by their signals of fire, were to give notice and alarm the soldiers of the garrison upon their discovering the approach of the enemy. The use of beacons or watch-towers upon hills to alarm the country was an ancient custom, for we read of beacons in the Old Testament, and to confirm all, this beacon or

fire-house of the Romans has to this day its ruins upon Ingleborough, which is a remarkably rocky hill; and the Roman watch-tower is situate on that side of the summit of the hill which looks towards Overborough." There are some considerable remains of ancient earthworks and entrenchments near to the Lund Holme farm-house, about a mile to the west of Ingleton, which may have been a fort of the Roman Guard of Ingleborough, but I am inclined to think that both this and the camp at Yarlsber, to the east of the town, were outposts of the Danes prior to the Saxon secession.

We will now conclude our somewhat prolonged notice of Ingleborough with an account of the view from the top. There are not many mountains that command a wider panorama, although it must be confessed that this very distance destroys much of the sense of wildness and impressive ruggedness that belongs to more closely-encompassing peaks, such as one experiences from some lesser view-points around the heads of the Yore, Wharfe, and Swale. Turning to the west, the eye descries a wide expanse of sun-lighted sea, stretching from High Heysham and Morecambe on the south, to Arnside and Cartmell Fells northwards. Looking across the Bay directly westward, the smoke rising from the town of Barrow may be distinguished at a distance of 37 miles, and beyond is the Irish sea again, with the dim cone-shaped outline of the Isle of Man discernible when sufficiently clear. This is 90 miles off, and is the furthest point visible westward. It is impossible to determine the coast of Ireland, as some writers have imagined, although from Black Combe, and perhaps other points of considerable elevation on the west, the Wicklow and Mourne mountains are discernible. The intermediate area this way is occupied with many objects and features of interest. Warton Crag, above Carnforth, an old beacon-hill (which received the light from Ingleborough) and Lancaster Castle (18 miles) are plainly seen; also the valley of the Lune, with the beautifully wooded vale of Wenning, and the silvery, flowing Greta that runs to meet it, relieving by their aspects of verdure and surrounding cultivation, the wildernesses of fell and mountain beyond.

Deep at our feet dashes the picturesque, wild little beck through Chapel-le-Dale, but from our elevation, looking little more than a silver streak" frozen by distance," while on the farther side of the Dale rise the grey walls and miniature turrets of Twisleton Scars. Up again from these, but more to the north, gradually ascend the eastern flanks of Whernside, its long, green gable, the "roof" of Yorkshire, reared massively and majestically against the sky, and forming as it does a noble background to the wide undulating morass and plain that stretches between it and Cam Fell. Beyond it, northwards, we have Crag Hill and the County Stone, the long and lofty viaduct of the Settle and

Carlisle railway at Ribblehead, and Rise Hill, below which runs the grand old road to Dent. Further behind is the picturesque high boss of Baugh Fell, the Howgill Fells grouped above Sedbergh, and some of the Lake mountains, including Coniston Old Man, Black Combe, and the two Langdales, Helvellyn, Skiddaw, and beyond Fairfield, the peering summit of Scafell Pike (3210 feet), the loftiest of all the English mountains. The array of hills in this direction is very fine, but a very clear atmosphere is essential to discriminate and identify, with the aid of a good map, the numerous points named. Northwards, but nearer at hand, rise Wold and Widdale Fells, abutting on the desolate tracts of Blea Moor, and on the right Cam Fell, Dodd Fell, Wether Fell, and the Wensleydale hills, including the isolated summit of Addleborough, are conspicuous. Eastward, soars the straight-backed edge of Fountains Fell, with the whole of Penyghent towering proudly out of Ribblesdale to the north of it, and looking so near as to seem almost within a giant's stride. Far behind, again, rises Great Whernside above higher Nidderdale, and Buckden Gable, with Ryeloaf peering up between the Malham Moors and the white road coming down from High Side to Settle. Southward are the hills and fells of Lancashire, including the Bowland Knotts, the mammoth bulk of Pendle, and Longridge, as far as the estuary of the Ribble. Housman (A.D. 1810) says that "the blue mountains of Wales strike the eye as the farthest terrestrial object," and Wm. Howson (1850), brother of Dean Howson, of Chester, confirms the opinion by observing that "in the far distance may be distinguished the Flintshire Hills and the Great Ormes Head." Allen (1830) also says that Snowdon is "clearly visible." Although in the clearest weather we have been unable to verify these important declarations, nor have we found the person who could, yet from the open character of the country in the direction indicated there is no reason why, under exceptional conditions of the atmosphere, the Welsh peaks should not be discerned. The distance from Ingleborough in a bee-line to the Great Ormes Head is 88 miles, and to Snowdon 110 miles. I may add, however, that Allen's statement is undoubtedly borrowed, and the "blue mountains of Wales" assumption by Housman receives no better credential than his own admission, to the effect that "a thick fog on the top of the mountain" prevented him from having the pleasure of seeing them, or even of ascending the mountain at all! His words are, apparently a copy of those of Hutton, who in his Tour to the Caves (A.D. 1781) remarks of the view that "the blue mountains in Wales terminated our further progress, after we had traced out the winding of the coast all the way from Lancaster, by Preston, and Liverpool." The atmosphere in those days must have been less commonly obscured by haze than is the case now, owing to the growth of the smoky pall

Q

of commerce in South Lancashire. Charles Kingsley climbed the grand old summit on the evening of July 5th, 1858, he being then the guest of Mr. Morrison, at Malham Tarn House,-and in one of his letters he writes: "Last night we went up Ingleborough, and saw the whole world to the west, the Lake mountains, and the western sea, beyond Lancaster and Morecambe Bay, for miles ! There was a cap on Scawfell, forty miles away, which has ended in heavy rain to-day."

There is an old saying, which is also said to be a true one:

"If Ingleborough has got a cap,

Warton Crag will have a sap."

By "sap" is meant a heavy downpour of rain. Warton Crag, as before observed, was anciently the next beacon to Ingleborough.

On the memorable night of Her Majesty's Jubilee, June 21st, 1887, a huge bonfire was kindled on Ingleborough, the illumination of which I was able to descry from Rawdon Billing, to the west of Leeds, a visual distance of 40 miles. About twelve tons of material were used for the fire, including a cask of paraffin, and it is stated by those who witnessed the conflagration from the summit that upwards of 60 fires were discernible upon the tops of the higher hills, and extended from Skiddaw and Saddleback on the north, to Pendle Hill and the Lancashire Penines southwards. The night, as will be remembered, was remarkably fine and clear, and before sunset it was possible even from Ingleborough to descry vessels at sea.

CHAPTER XXII.

IN CHAPEL-LE-DALE.

A remarkable dale-A Yorkshire Wonderland-Storrs Caves-Erratic BouldersIngleton "granite "-God's Bridge-The capital of Ingleton Fells - Interesting little chapel-Hurtle and Gingle Pots-Weathercote Cave-Turner and Westall -Douk Caves-Barefoot Wives' Hole - Mere Gill-Tatham Wife Hole-Up Whernside-Extraordinary caverns-Gatekirk, Bruntscar, Homeshaw, and Ivescar Caves-Scar Fall-Irruptions of the Scots-Discovery of coins-Rare plants-The Ice Age in Yorkshire-Stone circle- Sepulchral cairns.

T is, perhaps, no exaggeration to affirm that the romantic and highly-interesting stretch of country between Ingleton and Ribblehead, a length of six miles, contains a larger number of natural wonders than is to be found in any area of similar extent in England. Mountains and waterfalls; cliffs and chasms; caves and swallow-holes, of remarkable and unique design; cairns, tumuli, and other pre-historic antiquities; fine sweeps of dale scenery, with their diverse rock-relics of the Great Ice Age; and a rare profusion of natural history objects besides, make this altogether one of the most entertaining excursions we have to describe. This little dale is, indeed, one of the wonders of Yorkshire.

The direct carriage-road to Ribblehead, which may be continued forward by the mountain-road into Wensleydale, runs between ranges of magnificent grey and white scars, terraced on either side of the valley at an altitude above the river of 600-1000 feet; those on the left, under Whernside, being called the Twisleton Scars, and those on the right, under Ingleborough, the Raven Scars. These imposing flanks of Mountain Limestone are rent and furrowed with numerous watercourses, some of which find their way by secret passages underground, to emerge again and discharge their limpid currents into the main stream below. The road from Ingleton to Chapel-le-dale (4 miles), or as it was anciently called Wise or Wease Dale* (A.S., wiese, a meadow), is pretty level, 700-800 feet, but beyond the Chapel Houses it rises, and at Ribblehead reaches an altitude of nearly 700 feet. Formerly there was part corn grown about Chapel-le-Dale, and the land having been early reclaimed,

* In the old Ordnance Map I find a portion of the road marked Bouch Dale. This is evidently a local innovation from the name of the lord of the manor last century.