197 



supposition falls to the ground ; neither do the Furghu appear to be 

 circular buildings, the peculiar character of the Irish tower. 



Among the Mongul tribes the temples are generally constructed 

 of wood, the high altar for incense being outside, near the great 

 door of entrance ; and not far from this a tower, surrounded at top 

 by a balcony, the ascent to which is by a flight of steps ; from this 

 eminence the time of public worship is announced by wind instru- 

 ments. When the people are assembled, the priest is invited to 

 attend, by two musicians in the balcony, who blow the great spiral 

 trumpets in slow and solemn tones.* These towers are more a-kin 

 to the Mahomedan minarets than to the towers of Ireland, and are 

 therefore mentioned chiefly for the remarkable circumstance of 

 trumpets being so applied, and of those trumpets being spiral, as 

 were the ancient Irish. 



The ruins of Madshari, an ancient Tartar city, contain a number 

 of towers of various shapes, round, octagon, and square, from 

 twenty-four feet in height to sixty ; — they are of small diameter, and 

 are arched and pointed at top ; the circular bear so great a likeness 

 to the round Persian towers that they might be mistaken for them.-^ 

 No tradition concerning them appears to exist. 



A lofty tower presents itself also on the right bank of the river 

 Terec, close to an Ingushian village. It is conical in the roof, 

 built of very white stone, and, like those of Ireland, had no door at 

 the bottom, but a large oblong aperture about twelve feet above the 

 level of the ground ; the surrounding village is built of wood, j: In 

 this part of the Caucasus conical towers are described to be of 

 frequent occurrence, so as even to form a distinguished feature in 



* Klaprotli's Travels in the Caucasus, pp. 96 — 112. 

 t Ibid. p. 227. 

 t Ibid. p. 368. 



