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Gentleman's Magazine 1853 part 1 p.128
There is an opening at the bottom, in one corner of the
building, having much the appearance of a conduit: it is
arched by a single stone, roughly marked with diamond
tooling. The course of this channel has not been examined.
The whole vault has evidently been provided with a covering.
In its western wall is a projecting ledge, which is shewn in
the woodcut; on this one or two courses of stones have
probably rested, stretching inwards. The top by this means
would be soon contracted that it might be covered over by
long flat stones; one suitable for the purpose, though
broken in two, lies on the spot.
On the western side of the central block of buildings is a
double range of barracks (B, C); each compartment is sixty
feet long and fifteen broad. The masonry is exceedingly
good, and evidently belongs to the first period. In the
centre of the range between the apartments a deep passage
runs (K), flagged at the bottom, and apparently
communicating with flues (N) beneath the rooms. This passage
shows five courses of masonry in situ. The outer
walls of these buildings have erections resembling
buttresses placed against them (I, I), and the same number,
eight, is appended to each. It is probable, however, that
they were not intended to strengthen the walls, but were
connected with the heating of the apartments, for a flue
goes under the floor from the centre of each bay. The floors
of the rooms consist of a doubleset of flagstones with an
intervening layer of clay between them. The floors are not
supported on pillars as is usually the case in hypocausts,
but upon dwarf walls; by this means the heated air would be
carried along the passages with some of the precision we see
manifested in the galleries of a coal mine. In one of the
bays formed by the projecting buttresses of this building
the cranium and several other bones of a man were found. The
remains of an archway (M) leading into one of the dwellings
(C) were discovered; it is probable that the other was
similarly provided.
There are indications that a range of houses (D), of the
same character as that which has now been described, stood
upon the eastern side of the central square.
In the via principalis, is another vault (H in the
plan), incroaching on
the line of the street. It is thirty feet long, eight broad,
and six deep. At the bottom of it was discovered a piece of
sculpture representing three nymphs bathing. Mr. Bruce asks
what can have been the object of so many pit-like chambers,
and pauses in deciding them to have been baths. But it is
difficult to conceive them constructed for any other
purpose, and this piece of sculpture, as well as the
inscription containing the word ballis (p.125), seem
to support this opinion.
Considerable discoveries have also been made at Housesteads
(Borcovicus) by Mr. Clayton, and at Burdoswald (Amboglanna),
by Mr. Potter,* both of which are described by Mr.
Bruce with new illustrations. One of the most interesting
features of the excavations at the latter place is the
doorway leading from the northern gate-
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