386 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITITTION, 1953 



An examination of the beam holes by Jolm H. Benson, of Newport, and 

 myself revealed considerable remains of two kinds of mortar inside, 

 an early type of the same kind as the lime mortar common to the 

 wliole building, and a later type, differing slightly in appearance, 

 lying over the early mortar here and there. It seemed possible — 

 especially in beam hole 2 — to distinguish impressions of beams in 

 both mortars, early and late, which suggests two sets of beams at 

 different periods, i. e., possible evidence of a restoration of the build- 

 ing at some time. The floor must have been horizontal, of a thick 

 layer of concrete resting upon boards laid over the beams, and made 

 fireproof below. 



The first-floor chamber in the tower had a height of about 2.25 m. 

 Its ceiling was borne by four heavy beams, of which the ends rested 

 in beam holes (9-12). The level of the ceiling is clearly indicated 

 by a fairly wide ledge running round the inside wall at about 

 the height of the upper edge of the beam holes (see pi. 7, upper). 



The fireplace (see pi. 5, upper) is an open recess in the wall 

 above pillar 3, that is, in the east side. Running upward from the 

 two rear corners of the fireplace are two flues which, describing a 

 slight bend, pass up inside the wall and emerge just under the upper 

 edge of the tower (see fig. 6) where a projecting stone is placed 

 over each of the two holes. 



Near the fireplace, going clockwise, we find the niches 1-2. About 

 0.50 m. from niche 2 is window 2, double splayed and surmounted by a 

 lintel. About 1.50 m. from this window is niche 3 and above it a hori- 

 zontal, fairly deep slot about 2 m. long, which Rowe already considered 

 to have been intended to take a table top. This slot and niche 3 are 

 shown in plate 5, lower. Mr. Holand considers that the table, if it 

 was one, must have been an altar table, and niche 3 below it "a cavity 

 for the reception of sacred relics." (See his "America : 1355-1364," 

 p.79etseq., 1946.) 



Then follows the largest window in the tower. No. 3 (see pi. 4, lower, 

 and pi. 6). It is doubly splayed and surmounted by a flat relieving 

 arch of the same kind as that over the fireplace, with no keystone. It 

 has a lintel over part of it. This window 3 is regarded by Holand 

 (op. cit., p. 47) as the main entrance to the tower, accessible from the 

 outside only by ladder or wooden stairway. It is probable that this 

 was so. 



About 0.75 m. from the upper north corner of window 3 is a rectan- 

 gular cavity with traces of plaster, niche 4. About 1 m. above the 

 same corner of window 3 is beam hole 11 (seen on the right in pi. 7, 

 upper), and about 1.40 m. from it beam hole 12. Directly north, 

 exactly above pillar 1, there are neither niches nor windows, but a 

 little distance from there is a small rectangular opening, window 4, 

 shown in plate 7, lower. The jambs of this opening are straight, not 



