498 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



still more solemn occasions, the bells were sounded by swinging them 

 round and round by hand, and by means of the cross-bar placed on the 

 axis of suspension, the weight of the bell being counterbalanced above 

 the axis so that they could tui'n freely. Thus the three methods of 

 sounding the bells of the church prevailed at Comillas during my stay 

 there from 1855 to 1862, and probably prevails there at present. I 

 am unable to speak as regards the neighbouring towns of St. Yincente 

 de la Barquera in the west, and Torre la Yega in the east, but it is 

 hardly likely that the custom should be confined to Potes and to 

 Comillas in the province. In any case, having regard to the very 

 conservative habits of the Spaniards in many respects, it is to be 

 presumed that the custom is a survival of the last and previous 

 centuries. One of the interesting points in the matter is the Spanish 

 term for the sound of a bell, or, as we would say, the "ringing" 

 of a bell : — " Tocar la campana " is to " soiind the bell," and " tocar" 

 is explained, in Lopes and Bensley's "Spanish and English Diet." 

 (1899) as "to touch" ; to play on a musical instrument" ; "to toll or 

 ring a bell." " Al toque de campana," at the sound of bell. " Toque" 

 is explained " touch," ringing of bells, blow given to anything; " Al 

 toque de tambor," " at the beat of drum." It would seem, therefore, 

 that the Spanish word for the sound of bell implies percussion^ and would 

 lead to the presumption that formerly, or until the full development of 

 the Spanish language, the bells were usually struck rather than 

 " pulled." It is interesting to compare these terms with the latin words 

 mentioned as used by Columba, and mentioned in Ledwich's " Irish 

 Antiquities," p, 160. "About the middle of the sixth century," 

 Columba says to one of his attendants, " Cloccam-pulsa " ; ("Yita S. 

 Scot," p. 65), evidently " pulsa " fairly corresponds to the Spanish 

 " Toca," and might be translated, " strike the beU." In order to strike 

 the bell access must be had to it either from a floor or from an exterior 

 point. At Potes the access, as stated, is through the roof, implying a 

 ladder or staircase leading thereto. At Comillas the tower-floor being 

 at the height of the bells, or nearly so, secured the necessary facility. In 

 the absence of a tower with staircase or ladders, it is therefore evident 

 that the access must be by a ladder or steps applied to the exterior or 

 interior face of the western waU where the bells are hung. Hence 

 there is a ground for connecting the staircase or steps presented by the 

 Abbey Chui'ch of Howth exteriorly to the western wall, and which lead 

 to a platform at about 5 feet to 6 feet below the level of the bell 

 openings, with the rude arrangement of Potes " ayuntamiento," and of 

 presuming that the beUs were in this case played as at ComiUas. This 



