PREFACE .
THIS little work owes its origin to a request made to the writer, on the occasion of the
" British Archaeological Association " holding their Congress at Hastings, that he would draw up some account of the Antiquities of the town. He felt that there were other gentlemen connected with the town more competent than himself from their archaeological researches to perform this duty - but, on their declining, he undertook the task . As the writer grew interested in his subject, the un-connected descriptions of some of our antiquities became gradually woven into a continuous account of our ancient port. On some points the writer differs from those who have preceded him ; and, although he is far from confident that his views are necessarily correct, yet he ventures to believe that they are fairly to be inferred from the existing data.
The paper was read in part at the Congress of the-
