94 Mr. PETRIE'S Inquiry into the Origin and 



dleton, a member of the South Munster Society of Antiquaries, detailing the 

 results of excavations recently made under Mr. Black's direction within the 

 Round Tower of Brechin ; and, as these details not only very clearly exhibit 

 the writer's opinions on the hypothesis under consideration, but also contain 

 a very interesting account of the discoveries made on the occasion, I shall pre- 

 sent his letter to the reader, in full : 



"SCOTLAND, Brechin, \3tft April, 1842. 



" DEAR SIR, 



" The obstacles alluded to in my last letter having all been removed, Mr. M'Cosh 

 and I proceeded on this day week, Wednesday, 6th April, to excavate the interior of the round 

 Tower of Brechin. Sir James Carnegie, Baronet, of Southesque, our principal Heritor, taking an 

 active interest in our proceedings, and Patrick Chalmers, Esquire, of Auldbar, having volunteered 

 in the most handsome manner to pay all expenses, although unfortunately, from his bad state of 

 health, lie is unable to witness our proceedings, and has, in consequence of continued indisposition, 

 been obliged to resign the seat he held in Parliament for this district of Burghs, a circumstance 

 which has thrown this quarter into a fever of Politics, for it will be no easy matter to find a man 

 possessed of all Mr. Chalmers' qualifications to fill his room. 



" The round Tower of Brechin, you will recollect, has a doorway on the west side, the sill of 

 which is 6 feet 7 inches from the ground, and this doorway being filled up with stonework, our first 

 proceeding was to open it. 



" I went down on Wednesday morning at six o'clock (I wish to be minute) accompanied by 

 David Black, carpenter in Brechin, and James Jolly, mason in Brechin ; and these tradesmen in my 

 presence, carefully removed the stones which blocked up the doorway, leaving the arch free and un- 

 injured, and displaying a handsome entrance into the Tower. A set of wooden steps were then fitted, 

 to give access by the door, while precautions were adopted for shutting up the Tower, when the 

 workmen were not there, so as to prevent any person introducing modern antiques for our annoy- 

 ance. After removing some old wood, and other timber recently placed there by the church officers, 

 James Jolly was left alone, as the circle of the tower did not give scope for more workmen. He 

 then proceeded to dig amongst the loose earth, and has been so employed till to-day, being from time 

 to time visited by Mr. M'Cosh and me. Each shovelful, as dug up, was carefully sifted, and thrown 

 into a heap. The sifted earth when accumulated into a small heap, was then thrown out at the door 

 of the tower, and down to [the] wooden steps alluded to. After this the earth was put, by a spadeful 

 at a time, into a barrow, and wheeled to a corner of the churchyard. Here, again, the earth was 

 thrown by a shovel into a cart, and then driven away. By this repeated handling, I think it next to 

 impossible that any thing of the least consequence could have escaped observation. I directed 

 James Jolly to keep a regular journal of his proceedings ; and each evening when he gave up work, 

 he brought to the British Linen Company Bank Office, and left with the accountant, Mr. Robert 

 Lindsay, the articles found each day ; and Mr. Lindsay again labelled and marked the articles so 

 found. David Black the carpenter is Mr. M'Cosh's tradesman, a master workman and an individual 



