422 Mr. PETRIE'S Inquiry into the Origin and 



on the lintel of the doorway of St. Fechin's great church at Fore, and those of 

 other doorways of the same period. The east window, which is the only one in the 

 building, is semicircular-headed, and is but one foot high, and six inches wide. 

 The altar still remains, and is covered with offerings, such as nails, buttons, and 

 shells, but chiefly fishing hooks, the most characteristic tributes of the calling of 

 the votaries. On the east side of the chapel is an ancient stone sepulchre, like a 

 pagan kistvaen, composed of large mica slates, with a cover of limestone. The 

 stones at the ends are rudely sculptured with ornamental crosses and a human 

 figure, and the covering slab was also carved, and probably was inscribed with the 

 name of the Saint for whom the tomb was designed, but its surface is now much 

 effaced ; and as this sepulchre appears to have been made at the same time as the 

 chapel, it seems probable that it is the tomb of the original founder of this reli- 

 gious establishment. The chapel is surrounded by a wall, allowing a passage of 

 four feet between them ; and from this, a covered passage, about fifteen feet long, 

 by three feet wide, leads to a cell, which was probably the abbot's habitation. 

 This cell, which is nearly circular and dome-roofed, is internally seven feet by 

 six, and eight high. It is built, like those in Aran, without cement, and with 

 much rude art. On the east side there is a larger cell, externally round, but 

 internally a square of nine feet, and seven feet six inches in height. Could this 

 have been a refectory? The doorways in these cells are two feet four inches 

 in width, and but three feet six inches in height. On the other side of the 

 chapel are a number of smaller cells, which were only large enough to contain 

 each a single person. They are but six feet long, three feet wide, and four 

 feet high, and most of them are now covered with rubbish. These formed a 

 Laura, like the habitations of the Egyptian ascetics. There is also a covered 

 gallery, or passage, twenty-four feet long, four, feet wide, and four feet six inches 

 high, and its entrance doorway is but two feet three inches square. The 

 use of this it is difficult to conjecture. Could it have been a storehouse for 

 provisions? 



" The monastery is surrounded by an uncemented stone wall, nearly circular, 

 enclosing an area of one hundred and eight feet in diameter. The entrance into 

 this enclosure is at the south-east side, and from it leads a stone passage, twenty- 

 one feet in length, and three in width. At each side of this entrance, and out- 

 side the great circular wall, were circular buildings, probably intended for the 



