358 Mr. PETEIE'S Inquiry into the Origin and 



have usually a circular, projecting base, consisting of one, two, or three steps, 

 or plinths, and are finished at the top with a conical roof of stone, which, fre- 

 quently, as there is every reason to believe, terminated with a cross formed of 

 a single stone. The wall, towards the base, is never less than three feet in 

 thickness, but is usually more, and occasionally five feet, being always in ac- 

 cordance with the general proportions of the building. In the interior they 

 are divided into stories, varying in number from four to eight, as the height of 

 the Tower permitted, and usually about twelve fee tin height. These stories are 

 marked either by projecting belts of stone, set-offs or ledges, or holes in the wall 

 to receive joists, on which rested the floors, which were almost always of wood. 

 In the uppermost of these stories the wall is perforated by two, four, five, six, 

 or eight apertures, but most usually four, which sometimes face the cardinal 

 points, and sometimes not. The lowest story, or rather its place, is sometimes 

 composed of solid masonry, and when not so, it has never any aperture to light 

 it. In the second story the wall is usually perforated by the entrance doorway, 

 which is generally from eight to thirty feet from the ground, and only large 

 enough to admit a single person at a time. The intermediate stories are each 

 lighted by a single aperture, placed variously, and usually of very small size, 

 though in several instances, that directly over the doorway is of a size little 

 less than that of the doorway, and would appear to be intended as a second 

 entrance. 



In their masonic construction they present a considerable variety : but 

 the generality of them are built in that kind of careful masonry called spawled 

 rubble, in which small stones, shaped by the hammer, in default of suitable 

 stones at hand, are placed in every interstice of the larger stones, so that very 

 little mortar appears to be intermixed in the body of the wall ; and thus the out- 

 side of spawled masonry, especially, presents an almost uninterrupted surface 

 of stone, supplementary splinters being carefully inserted in the joints of the 

 undried wall. Such, also, is the style of masonry of the most ancient churches ; 

 but it should be added that, in the interior of the walls of both, grouting is 

 abundantly used. In some instances, however, the Towers present a surface of 

 ashlar masonry, but rarely laid in courses perfectly regular, both externally 

 and internally, though more usually on the exterior only ; and, in a few instances, 

 the lower portion of the Towers exhibit less of regularity than the upper parts. 



