—As J. F. F. has repeated Blomefield's account of these curious pits (commonly known as Grimes Graves, in Weeting parish, Norfolk), it is right to add some more recent information respecting them. An investigation was made there last month, by digging a trench through the middle of a pit, and at the depth of about three feet an oval fire-place of flints was discovered, containing numerous bones of oxen, &c. One of the smaller pits was then similarly treated, and we found the same proofs of habitation. No stone implements were discovered, but further researches may bring some to light. Blomefield's statement that it is a Danish camp is quite without foundation, and his "form of a quincunx," in which he supposed the pits to be, could have existed only in his own imagination, stimulated by the learned labours of Sir Thomas Browne. There can be no doubt now that they were dwellings of the British, similar to the pits on the coast at Weybourne. That Grime was a Danish leader, "Præpositus," &c., is also open to doubt. When so many British earthworks are designated by this name, what is more likely than that the Saxons, not knowing whose hands had erected them, superstitiously ascribed them to the grim spirit, the Devil?—whence Grimsdyke, the Devil's ditch, &c. Neither this opinion, however, nor Mr. Guest's (a "boundary") seems applicable to a Hundred, as Grimeshoo, unless as being so full of Grime's operations.
C. R. M.
Junius and the Quarterly Review again (Vol. v., p. 225.).
—I confess that I could draw quite a different conclusion from that of CAROLUS CURSITOR respecting Junius's single misspelt mention of Lord Lyttleton's name. If, as the reviewer argues (supposing I remember the article correctly), the Hon. Thomas Lyttleton only once mentioned his father, in order to prevent public attention settling on himself as the author of Junius's Letters, it seems to me to be in unison with such artifice, that he should have purposely made a slight error in spelling the name. But is the writer, and not the printer, responsible for this blunder?
ALFRED GATTY.
Ink (Vol. v., p. 151.).
—A learned Cambridge professor, who has been a V.P.R.S., once related to me the following anecdote, in reference to the celebrated and most practical philosopher, the late Dr. Wollaston. In the rooms of the Royal Society the Doctor chanced to mention that he could not, for the life of him, discover the composition of the rich black pigment used by the ancient Egyptians in their inscriptions on the mummy cases. He had analysed it over and over again, and invariably found animal matter present. How was this? "Why," observed a member, to the grievous annoyance of the somewhat self-opinioned Doctor, "they used the ink of the (Sepia officinalis) cuttle-fish." This most remarkable excretion is of the deepest black hue; and that it retains its peculiar qualities unimpaired, even after being buried beneath the chalk formation of this earth of our's for unnumbered periods, is proved in the case of the well-known fossil ink of Dean Buckland. I know not whether or no this will answer the Query of MR. W. SPARROW SIMPSON, B.A.
COWGILL.
Maps of Africa (Vol. v., p. 236.).
—AJAX is informed that the best map of Morocco that has probably appeared is given in the volume of the Exploration Scientifique de l'Algérie, entitled "L'Empire de Maroc par Berbrugger." An excellent map of Algeria by R. H. Dufour, is published at a moderate price by Longuet, 8. Rue de la Paix, Paris. The date on my copy is 1850; it forms one of a series of maps issued by the same parties, and forming an Atlas of Algeria. I add from the Leipzig Catalogue (1849, viertes Heft) the title of a work which may assist AJAX in his labours. Though I have not examined the work myself, I know it to be of some repute. The author now forms one of the mission for exploring Central Africa: