It would be highly desirable that a cork model should be taken of the
Castle of Mousa, as it cannot be well understood by a plan.

The Castle of Coningsburgh is thus described:--

"The castle is large, the outer walls standing on a pleasant ascent from
the river, but much overtopt by a high hill, on which the town stands,
situated at the head of a rich and magnificent vale, formed by an
amphitheatre of woody hills, in which flows the gentle Don. Near the
castle is a barrow, said to be Hengist's tomb. The entrance is flanked
to the left by a round tower, with a sloping base, and there are several
similar in the outer wall the entrance has piers of a gate, and on the
east side the ditch and bank are double and very steep. On the top of
the churchyard wall is a tombstone, on which are cut in high relief, two
ravens, or such-like birds. On the south side of the churchyard lies
an ancient stone, ridged like a coffin, on which is carved a man on
horseback; and another man with a shield encountering a vast winged
serpent, and a man bearing a shield behind him. It was probably one
of the rude crosses not uncommon in churchyards in this county. See it
engraved on the plate of crosses for this volume, plate 14. fig. 1. The
name of Coningsburgh, by which this castle goes in the old editions of
the Britannia, would lead one to suppose it the residence of the Saxon
kings. It afterwards belonged to King Harold. The Conqueror bestowed it
on William de Warren, with all its privileges and jurisdiction, which
are said to have extended over twenty-eight towns. At the corner of the
area, which is of an irregular form, stands the great tower, or keep,
placed on a small hill of its own dimensions, on which lies six vast
projecting buttresses, ascending in a steep direction to prop and
support the building, and continued upwards up the side as turrets. The
tower within forms a complete circle, twenty-one feet in diameter, the
walls fourteen feet thick. The ascent into the tower is by an exceeding
deep flight of steep steps, four feet and a half wide, on the south side
leading to a low doorway, over which is a circular arch crossed by a
great transom stone. Within this door is the staircase which ascends
straight through the thickness of the wall, not communicating with the
room on the first floor, in whose centre is the opening to the dungeon.
Neither of these lower rooms is lighted except from a hole in the floor
of the third story; the