Peel.' They are of frequent occurrence in Galloway,2 and indeed there are many similar tumuli of unknown antiquity in different parts of Scotland, bearing the same name to this day. As I can not find the appellation of Peel given to any place in Man before the Scottish conquest of the Island, I am of opinion that it was first applied by these conquerors solely to the mound in question; although it has since been extended not only to St. Patrick's Isle, but also to the village on the adjoining mainland, then called Halland Towne.3 In the parishes of Onchan, Patrick, and German, respectively, there is an estate called Ballaquayle, which evidently derived its name from being, "A court or place where justice or judgment was administered." Sir John Stanley held a court on the hill of Reneurling, in 1422; and Henry Byron, as the king's lieutenant, held a court on the top of Cronk Urleigh, in 1429. But the most celebrated eminence in the Island is Cronk Keeillown, now called the Tynwald Hill, which stands upon the lawn called St. John's green, near the church of that name, three miles from Peel, on the main road to Douglas. This ancient mound is of a circular form. It was formerly surrounded by a wall about a hundred yards in circumference. The approach to the top is by a flight of steps, directly facing the ancient 1 Jamieson's Scottish Dictionary, Edinburgh, 1818. 2 "I have observed several green hillocks, one on the west side of the river Bladnoch, another at the Kirk of Mochrum, another at the Place of Myrton, and one near the house of Balgreggan, in the parish of Stoneykirk, all of which have trenches about them, and have been all artificial."-Symson's Description of Galloway, written A.D. 1684, printed at Edinburgh, 1823, p. 94. 3 Lex Scripta, p. 5. That is "The Hill of the Eagle." Which signifies "The Hill of St. John's Church." chapel of St. John's, to which there is a spacious road of approach from the foot of the mound. There are three circular grass seats or benches below the summit, which are regularly advanced three feet above each other.The circumference of the lowest is about eighty yards; there is a proportionable diminution of the circumference and width of the two higher; the diameter of the top is six feet. From its great antiquity, and the many historical events with which its name is associated, the Tynwald Hill must always be considered an interesting object.' In the year 1229, a great battle was fought at the Tynwald Hill, which decided the contest between Reginald and Olave, the sons of king Goddard, for the crown of Man; and in 1238, Dugal, Maol Mhuise, and Joseph, deputies of king Harold, were slain there, in a contest with Lauchlan, the king's viceroy; but it derives its principal celebrity from being the place where the laws of the Island have been promulgated from an unknown period of antiquity." Various opinions have been entertained and different conjectures hazarded regarding the true etymology of its name. At first view, this might seem of little moment; but when it is considered that investigations of this nature enable us to trace the antiquity of places with more certainty than could otherwise be obtained, it certainly becomes an object of importance. Many persons will be aware that thing, in Scandinavian, means an assembly of the deputies of the people. Wald is an old Saxon word, 1 According to Grose, the Moat of Urr, in Galloway, "greatly resembles the Tinewald, in the Isle of Man." "When Galloway was an independant state, this was where the reguli or petty kings of that district held their councils and promulgated new laws. It was also their seat of judgment, where their doomsters or judges tried capital offences. The Tinewald is appropriated to the same uses.”—Antiquities of Scotland, London, edition 1797, vol. ii, p. 183. See, also, Nimmo's History of Stirlingshire. 2 Chronicles of the Kings of Man, ap. Camden's Britannica. signifying a woody place; we have, therefore, the compound word Thingwald, expressing in the original signification,-"The court in the wood." By the Tynwald Hill in Man is now understood "the judicial hill." There can be no doubt that this court was of ancient British origin; although such was not confined to the capital of the Sodorenses. The barons of the Western Isles held courts on a hill top, called Cnoc-an-eric, or "the hill of pleading," long after the Norwegian authority had ceased to be acknowledged there.3 Tingwald seems equivalent to the Saxon Husting. It is a Court of Leet or Baron, settling all matters in dispute between the Lord and his tenantry; a general assize 1 Chalmers's Caledonia, vol. iii, p. 118. 2 The word Tinwald, yet retained in many parts of Scotland, signifies Vallis Negotii, and is applied to those artificial mounds which were, in ancient times, assigned to the inhabitants for holding their Comitia.-Sir Walter Scott, ap. Peveril of the Peak, chap. v, note ii.-Tingwall in Shetland, and Dingwall in Ross-shire, with Tinwald in Dumfriesshire, have the same meaning as Tynwald in Man.-Macculloch's Description of the Western Isles, vol. iii, p. 246. Thing signifies, in the ancient language of the North, to speak, and hence a popular assembly is called Althing. The general convocation of the nobles is called Alls-herjar-things. The national diet of Norway still retains the name of Stor-thing, or great assembly; its two divisions are the Sag-thing, or upper chamber, and the Odels-thing, or lower chamber.-Pulgrave, vol. i, cap. iii; ap. Scandinavia, by Crichton, vol. i, cap. iv. * Appendix, Note ii, "Danish Tingwall Courts." 3 Macqueen's Dissertations on the Government of the Western Isles, edition 1774, ap. Feltham, p. 144. "There were in this land," says the learned antiquary quoted below, "about one hundred superior kings of the British blood, who governed successively, yet notwithstanding, there were under them divers other princes that had the title of kings also, though they served and did belong to the superior kings, that was, to the king of Alban or Prydyn, or Scotland, the king of Kymbery or Wales, the king of Guneydd or Venedotia. And the same laws and government were used in the dominion of every prince as was in the dominions of the superior kings. And every inferior king had to execute the law on all transgressors that offended in his dominion; but when he could not attend in person, he appointed a deputy. The highest degree was a Brenin or Teyen, who had his Egnat Komot or County Judge and two Rhingill or Sergeants. All these assembled at a mound cast up for the purpose, upon which was placed the judgment seat, so as the King or Brenin, when seated in it, might have his back to the sun or weather. Some of these mounds were square and some round, but both round and square were called Gorseddevy Dadle, that is the mount of pleading.' These Gorsedde are yet seen in our country and ever will if they be not taken down by men's hands."-Toland's History of the Druids, London, edition 1726, pp. 191, 203. where all suits respecting property are adjudged; a general court of gaol delivery, in which all criminal prosecutions are determined. Thus every affair respecting the public is openly transacted in the view of the people; yet with profound silence and all possible decorum.' The fortifications of the Island fall next under our notice. The fortlets or beacon stations are generally raised on the summits of hills or places difficult of access, and are similar to the strengths of the first people, which are still to be seen in various parts of Scotland and Ireland. They were probably the only safeguards of the aboriginal inhabitants, many centuries before the invasion of any foreign people; such was Cronk-narrai-shage, "the hill of the watch by day," a commanding eminence near Lhen Mooar; that on Jurby Point is called Cronk Mooar; the next in the line is on the heights above Orrisdale; and there are several others along the coast to Peel Castle, and thence southward by the watch-hill of Knockaloe, and eastward by some cronks in the neighbourhood of St. John's. In Kirk Christ Rushen, there are several apparently connected with the large mound called "The Fairy Hill," and communicating with the interior, which are so situated as to complete the chain from north to south. Some of these bear evident marks of fire having been frequently kindled on them. On the west side of Mount Murray there is another fortlet of the first people, three hundred and sixty feet in circumference. It is surrounded by a rampart and fosse; the outer ditch being twenty-four feet wide. On the peninsula of Langness, there is another specimen of these ancient defensive stations. The rock, on which it stands, is somewhat higher than the neighbouring shore and is insulated by the highest spring tides only. From 1 Lord Coke's 4th Institute, cap. xix; Willis's History of Cathedrals, vol. i, p. 369. the beach on the land side, is cut in the rocks a flight of steps, which leads to the top in a winding manner. The ruins of old buildings may still be traced in the neighbourhood. Above Port Greenock, on the opposite side of the bay, are two old fortifications, which were probably used as posts of observation. In the records of the Duchy of Lancaster, the adjoining lands are called Torkilstadt, supposed to be derived from the celebrated sea-king Torkel. The highest point of South Barrule is enclosed by the ruins of a wall of most unusual magnitude. It seems to have consisted of a perpendicular face, externally banked up with earth, so as to give it at present the form of a mound. It encloses a space of one hundred and fifty yards in diameter, forming an irregular circle from the nature of the ground. On the steepest and most inaccessible side of the hill, the wall is weak; but on the north side, where the ascent is easy, the base of the ruin is nine yards in thickness. Castleward, one of the most entire remains of a Nor |