[F91r]

[text excised]

Ancient encampments & tumuli.— E. de Beaumont advance adduces the present state of many ancient encampments & tumuli, & of old ploughed fields, as evidence that the surface of the same undergoes hardly any denudation degradation. But it does not appear that he ever examined the thickness of the mould & turf over different parts of this surfaces objects such old remains. He relies chiefly on indirect but apparently trustworthy evidence that the slopes of the old encampments embankments are the same as they originally were; and it is that he could

[Earthworms, p. 290: "Ancient encampments and tumuli.—É. de Beaumont adduces the present state of many ancient encampments and tumuli and of old ploughed fields, as evidence that the surface of the land undergoes hardly any degradation. But it does not appear that he ever examined the thickness of the mould over different parts of such old remains. He relies chiefly on indirect, but apparently trustworthy, evidence that the slopes of the old embankments are the same as they originally were; and it is obvious that he could know nothing about their original heights."]