VOL. XXX.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 277 



bath and pavement, at the south side of the pavement, and at the west end of 

 both, there seemed to have been several vaults or cellars: for there were very 

 firm walls 23 inches thick, continued every way, whose foundations were as low 

 as that which supported the pavement; so that, to the depth of 6 feet, the 

 ground was filled with such rubbish as was taken out of the bath. The bricks 

 in this rubbish, which were all broken, had several degrees of thickness, from 

 3 inches to a little more than ] inch ; some had one of their sides waved, some 

 fretted, and others had roses on them well imitated; we found also two sorts of 

 channelled bricks, the one like a trough, the channel 3 inches broad, and as 

 many deep, the brick itself an inch and a half thick ; the other sort, had a 

 cylindrical channel ; so that when two were clapped together, they formed a 

 hollow cylinder of 3 inches diameter. These channelled bricks being all broken, 

 their length when whole is uncertain, as is the use they served to ; whether for 

 passages to convey water, or whether they were placed in the walls to distribute 

 heat throughout the building, as was usual in the ancient structures at Rome. 

 It is further observable, when the ground was opened the second time, that 

 from the south-west corner of the pavement, 5 feet lower than its surface, 

 there was discovered a large space, paved with brick, 11 inches broad, almost 

 one and a half thick, and 15 long; well paved, having two courses of this 

 brick. There was half a foot of mortar under the lower course, and about 

 an inch of mortar between the two courses ; these bricks also were perfectly 

 well made ; but on the under side of each, were two knobs, about the size of 

 half a walnut ; fixed on them perhaps to keep them steady, till the mortar they 

 were set in should dry. This paved place was searched 6 or 8 feet every way; 

 it was all over covered with a coat about 2 inches thick, of ashes and large coals 

 of wood ; on that lay confusedly large pieces of the rudus or coarse mortar 

 abovementioned, and lumps of the tesseras in all respects like those on the 

 pavement, and cemented as they were. There were also mingled with the 

 ashes many great iron nails, larger, but not quite so long, as those we call 

 double tens; some hooks for doors to swing on; several small pieces of earthen 

 ware; some like bits of urns; some of a fine yellow clay, some red, thin, 

 neatly wrought and adorned with flowers; and lastly part of a human skull, and 

 pieces of bones near it: which bones were not inclosed in any vessel, but lay 

 loose; they were discoloured, like those seen in urns; so that the body they 

 belonged to might perish by the same flames by which these buildings were 

 destroyed. There was no inscription found either on stone or brick, no statue 

 or other figure, excepting those on the bricks before-mentioned; neither were 

 there any coins met with there. But somewhat more than a furlong northwest 

 of these works, near 3 years since, in digging the foundations for a malt-house. 



