104 "" antiquities in Scotland. March 2t. 



to be mentioned. No human being could live in 

 such northern climates without making use of fires^ 

 almost continually ; and if ever a fire was used in 

 these structures, it must evidently have been lighted 

 in the centre of the circular area. In this case the 

 smoke must have filled the whole internal area, es- 

 pecially if it had been covered in with a roof, as it 

 invariably does every other hut of a similar construc- 

 tion ; and if the area had been constantly filled with 

 smoke, it must not only have been thus rendered totally 

 dark, but the smoke must also have tinged the stones, 

 not only on the concave surface of the building, 

 but also in every part of the galleries in the wall, into 

 which it must have had free accefs ; but though I 

 looked with the utmost care into every cranny, no 

 vestiges of smoke or soot were discoverable anj 

 where. In vain would it be urged that the rain and 

 "weather, in the course of several ages, during which 

 these towers have stood unoccupied, might have 

 waflied off the «ffects of the smoke. We have no 

 proof that a stone, once thoroughly so tinged, can 

 -ever be waflied quite clean, but many proofs that 

 exposure to the weather will not do it in many ages. 

 Here, however, there are many crannies to which no 

 rain has ever had accefs ; and in the narrow galleries 

 at top, no human art could have been employed ever 

 to wipe away the clods of soot that must have been 

 formed in that situation ; but since not the smallest 

 particle of any thing resembling soot can there be 

 discovered, we must conclude, that fires could not 

 have been there generally employed , and of course 

 that no human being could ever have occupjjed 

 these as a habitation. 



To be continued^ 



