(most probably an altar), in the middle of the nave, as also were some annual doles of bread, until the stone was removed, within the memory of persons recently living.

At what exact period, and by whose ministry the Danes of Wensleydale were converted to Christianity, is uncertain, but it was not long after their settlement. Ancient stone crosses of the character held by all antiquaries to be Danish, exist in the vicinity, and fragments of others have been dug up in various churchyards, amongst which I may name Thornton Steward, a manor belonging to the Dane Gospatrick. The district continued principally in Danish occupancy down to the Conquest, as Domesday Survey sufficiently attests. With other memorials, Danebi, or Danby-super-Yore, reminds us of them, whilst south of Middleham Castle are the remains of a fort, commonly called William's Hill, which probably was a residence of the powerful Ghilpatrick. The modern name looks very like one of those absurd corruptions we so frequently encounter. On Aysgarth Moor, which is now enclosed, may be seen a circular encampment, probably Danish. (1)

(1) The occupation of a country by any people is commonly attested in ages afterwards by traces of their language. The peculiar dialect spoken in Wensleydale, and some of the adjacent dales, which is nearly unintelligible to a southern Englishman, abounds in words of Danish derivation. Whitaker, in his elaborate "History of Craven," notices this fact, and laments "that the Danish dialect, having been spoken by a people almost wholly illiterate, was seldom committed to writing; but it may be very nearly identified with the Islandic," He gives a few specimens, taken from the Dale's speech, which I here transcribe Barf, Berg, vel Biarg, saxum Beck, a rivulet, Becknr. Dale, Dalur. Dub, a deep pool in a river or elsewhere, and Dib, a deep valley, Dyb. Isl. Cove, a cave or hollow rock, Cofa. Fors, or Force, a waterfall, Foss. Fell, a mountain, Fell. Fleet, a flat bog, Floot. Gnipe, the rocky summit of a hill, Gnypa. Gill, Gully, the narrow course of a stream, Gill, hiatus montium. Groof, an hollow, in the earth, Groof. Haugh, or Howe, an hillock, Haughur, tumulus. Ing, a meadow, Ing, pratum, Dan, Lin, a waterfall, Lind, aqua scaturiens. Rayse, an heap of stones, Reysa, erigere. Lache, a boggy depression in the moors, Laag, vallis. Moor and Moss, a spongy piece of ground, Moor, gen Moos, Stank, a boggy piece of ground, Staen idem. Scar, or Scaur, Skier, scopulus. Scrogg, Shrogg, a stunted wood, Skoogur, sylva. Tarn, a lake, Tiorn, idem. Wath and With, often used in composition as Langwith, Deerwith, &c., a ford. 'Vad. These instances, it will be seen, are selected from substantives of place