Chap. IV. OF ANCIENT BUILDINGS. 219 



most places it is only about 9 inches in thick- 

 ness, but in some phices 12 or even more 

 inches. In Fig. 11, it is given as 20 inches, 

 but this section was drawn by Mr. Joyce 

 before his attention was particularly called to 

 this subject. The land enclosed within the 

 old walls is described as sloping slightly to 

 the south ; but there are parts which, accord- 

 ing to Mr. Joyce, are nearly level, and it 

 appears that the mould is here generally 

 thicker than elsewhere. The surface slopes 

 in other pajts from west to east, and Mr. Joyce 

 describes one floor as covered at the western 

 end by rubbish and mould to a thickness 

 of 28^ inches, and at the eastern end by a 

 thickness of only 11^ inches. A very slight 

 slope suffices to cause recent castings to flow 

 downwards during heavy rain, and thus much 

 earth will ultimately reach the neighbouring 

 rills and streams and be carried away. By 

 this means, the absence of very thick beds of 

 mould over these ancient ruins may, as I 

 believe, be explained. Moreover most of the 

 land here has iong been ploughed, and this 

 would greatly aid the washing away of the 

 finer earth during rainy weather. 



