to evince that the town, as regards arrangement of main streets, was of the same plan as at present, namely, four streets meeting in the form of a cross; that it contained buildings of large size and elegant architecture; and that villas of refined taste existed in its neighbourhood," pavements, columns, and hypocausts found at different periods of time are sufficient evidence. Urns, lachrymatories, coins, and other relics found at Kingsholm, a suburb, within our recollection a tract of verdant meadows, but now swarming with elegant villas, have led to the conclusion that the place of interment was on the north-west side of the city. On this side was the great Ermyn Street or main road from Londinium, the strait course of which may be seen from Birdlip, a hill about five miles distant from the present city, and its further course traced from Wotton, another suburb, through Kingsholm. It is probable that the cemetery of Glevum, like that of Pompeii, was on both sides of the road, because remains have been found all along the ancient line of way from Wotton to Kingsholm. Many of these remains have been already noticed by archæologists. The late G. W. Counsel, esq. not only collected every relic he could, but recorded their existence in his valuable little History of Gloucester, now out of print. At the last meeting of the Archæological Association at Gloucester, Thomas Niblet, esq. also drew attention to them, and we refer the reader to the transactions of that society for further information on the subject.

A few months since a field in Kingsholm, the property of Mr. Reynolds, an extensive iron-merchant of Gloucester, was excavated for building, and many additional proofs of the existence of the Glevum cemetery were brought to light. Unfortunately no systematic inquiry was made; indeed, nothing was generally known about them till a number of sculls and a skeleton of unusual dimensions attracted the attention of the public. Then we found, on inquiry, that several large urns of light red earthenware, coins, lamps, and "odd-looking bits of brass" had been turned up, but the workmen had mis

taken the urns for common flowerpots and smashed them without mercy, and the coins had been disposed of to various persons for tobacco and halfpence. But a few things had been preserved by the care of Mr. Reynolds and one or two better judges of their value. Among these we may first mention a small lamp, not of uncom mon though elegant shape, and sundry coins of the reigns of Vespasian, Claudius, Nero, and Augustus, and several medals apparently struck to commemorate some victory. We also saw the neck of an urn, the elegant shape of which made us regret the wanton destruction of the others, which we were assured by an intelligent builder stood more than a foot high. The lamp was of gilt bronze, and, strange to say, a portion of the delicate and minute suspending chain was attached to it.

It is probable that Kingsholm continued to be a burial-place for two centuries after the Roman period, as many Saxon remains have been found there, but the recent excavations have not disclosed any of importance. We may mention that the sculls were remarkably fine, one indeed of a development of which Brutus need not have been ashamed. The superiority

of their formation to those at the same time brought under our notice from the stone coffins at Llanthony priory was remarkably striking; but these matters are more the province of the phrenologist than the antiquary.

It is our firm opinion that were a careful and accurate watch kept by qualified persons over any excavations made in or near Gloucester much that is interesting would be discovered. It is satisfactory to see that public curiosity is excited on the subject, but this is not all required. If the relics found at different localities in and near the city were brought together they would form an interesting collection; and we hope that during the ensuing Great Agricultural Exhibition something will be done by the local antiquaries to prove to their visitors that Gloucester is entitled to attention for its ancient remains as well as for its modern prosperity.

J. CLARKE.

June 18.

MR. URBAN, I inclose a sketch of a stone now built into the south porch of Birstall church, Yorkshire, about seven miles from Leeds. It is in the inner side of the west wall, and I should suppose it to be a portion of a Norman cross or obeliscal monument, being ornamented with the scroll-work prevalent during that æra. If any different opinion be entertained by yourself or other antiquaries I should be glad to learn.

In the churchyard is a stone, mentioned by the late Mr. Scatcherd, in his History of Morley, as the pedestal of an ancient cross. It is octagonal, a circumstance which I rather incline to think would militate against its belonging to

a Norman cross; and yet I should be at a loss to know how else to identify it. It is much to be lamented so little now remains of these ancient crosses. Too often have they been destroyed in the most wanton spirit of mischief, to say nothing of the corroding nature of the stone of which they were frequently made. There is one in Ilkley churchyard in this neighbourhood, described and engraved in Whitaker's Craven, but of the figures on it little trace now remains. What is left at Birstall, is, however, probably from its present position, in a fair way of preservation; though unknown to antiquaries and unnoticed by Whitaker in his survey of the parish. C. J. ARMISTEAD.

Yours, &c.

GENT. MAG. VOL. XL.

G

THE copious stream of bright and rapadly-flowing water which usually, after wet seasons, rises at the foot of the chalk balls to the south of Croydon, is known by the local name of "The Bourne." It commonly commences about the end of December, and continues till April or May, when it gradually disappears. In the season of 1852-3, as it began to flow at an earlier period than usual (November), so it flowed with unusual copiousness, and began to subside much sooner than commonly, and ceased altogether by the end of March.

I have endeavoured, by the aid of some of the old inhabitants of the parish, to ascertain the periods at which the Bourne flowed during the last forty years, and to contrast the outburst with the rainfall of the immediately preceding period. I am indebted to the obliging communication of R. Glaisher, esq. of the Royal Observatory of Greenwich, for the subjoined information as to the amount of rain which fell in each year since 1814. This will be found in the following table, which gives the year, the amount of rain in inches, and the flow of the Bourne, as accurately as I have been able to ascertain. Years. Rain. 1815 22.5 1816 30.1

We find, then, from this table, that whenever the rainfall in any one year was equal to about thirty inches, the Bourne made its appearance about the close of that year, or early in the ensuing; and that it flowed copiously whenever the fall was considerably above 30 inches-as in 1818 (33-4 inches); 1821 (34.5 inches); 1825 (36-3 inches); 1841 (33.3 inches); and in 1852 (34-2 inches).

The late Dr. Mitchell appears to have paid considerable attention to the natural history of these intermitting springs or streams, and in May 1830 he read a very interesting paper before the Geological Society, from which I have extracted the following passage, which has also been quoted in Brayley's History of Surrey :"In connection with the swallow-holes (of the river Mole), we may here notice the outbursts of water on the surface, which in some localities in Surrey are very remarkable. From what has been already advanced respecting the geological structure of the county, it will easily be understood how overpowering reservoirs of water may be formed in the lowermost strata of the chalk, and find an issue through the fissures of the rock. A beautiful stream of this kind occurs near Lewes, in Sussex, taking its rise in a chalk valley on the side of the Brighton road near Ashcombe, and flowing through the vale of Southover, into the river Ouse; it is called the Winterbourne Stream,' from its occurrence during the winter months, the valley where it has its source, ring the summer and autumn. In Surrey, and a great part of its bed, being dry duoutbursts of water from the chalk occur at the Bourne Mill near Farnham, near the church at Merstham, and at the spring near the church at Croydon. Occasional

being a connection between the appearance of the Bourne and the ill-health of the district evidently existed when Camden wrote. The author of the Britannia, who resided at Chiselhurst, about seven or eight miles from Croydon, observes, when speaking of this town (edition by Gibson, 1695, p. 159)," For the torrent that the vulgar affirm to rise here sometimes, and to presage derthe and pestilence, it seems hardly worth so much as the mentioning, tho perhaps it may have something of truth in it."

There is to this day an opinion very common amongst the labouring population of Croydon that the water of the Bourne is unwholesome, and equally common is the undefinable notion that "when the Bourne is out something will happen to Croydon."

It was noticed in the case of the epidemic which prevailed so extensively in Croydon, in the autumn of 1852 and winter of 1852 and 1853, that there was a remarkable parallel movement in the progress of the fever and the rise and fall of the Bourne water in the great porous gravel-bed on which the chief part of Croydon is built. The fever began to be marked about the 7th of October, 1852. About this day the water in the gravel began to rise. The fever continued to increase, and the Bourne water still rose in the soil, till about the first week in January 1853. Till this time the fever increased in malignancy; it attained its most fatal type about the last week of December; the Bourne water in the subsoil was now at nearly, if not quite, its maximum. About January 24, there was a sensible decrease in the water which saturated the subsoil; there was now a marked decrease in the number of the fever cases. About February 2, the Bourne water was subsiding at the rate of an inch per day. The fresh fever cases were now scarce.

It may not be uninstructive to endeavour to ascertain the rate of mortality in Croydon during those years in which the Bourne was out, with those in which it did not flow. It would certainly appear, from the number of burials at the old church of Croydon during the months of November, December, January, February, and March, in the two last Bournewater years, that the rate of mortality was

So that the burials at Croydon old church, in five months, on the two last occasions when the Bourne flowed, previous to 1852-53 (1840-41, and 1848-49), were more numerous by 22.5 per cent., and 31.7 per cent., than in the corresponding periods of the succeeding years. We may discern, then, as the flowing of the Bourne follows wet and unwholesome seasons, why pur ancestors, in more superstitious days than ours, not altogether without reason, fell into the error of regarding the phenomenon as the harbinger of public "woe."