587 



marks of the long-continued action of fire upon its surface. 

 At each of the corners there was a small square turret ; one 

 of these is represented as still existing when this drawing 

 was made, but evidently of a much more modern construc- 

 tion than the rest of the building. At foot of the drawing 

 we find the following inscription : ' Fecit Trueva Alumnus 

 Academice ex Civitate portus Brigantini, anno 1797.' 



" An external winding staircase led to the top, and per- 

 mitted ingress to its internal apartments, through the small 

 apertures still existing in the tower. A small square but- 

 tress at each corner, portions of which were in existence 

 when this drawing was made, seems to have supported the 

 stair or external winding passage at the angles ; and the 

 groove in the masonry still shews the position which such 

 originally occupied. We read of a similar mode of access 

 being employed on the exterior of the celebrated Pharos at 

 Alexandria, probably for the purpose of carrying up the 

 fuel, which was used to light the beacon that was placed at 

 top. 



" The mode of construction of this Tower is decidedly an- 

 tique, although the general architecture and stone-work does 

 not point out a period older than that of the Romans; and 

 the masonry, composed of stones of comparatively small size, 

 is cemented together by a lime-concrete, similar to that known 

 to have been employed, if not introduced, by this people. 

 The height of the Tower, from the base to the rotunda at 

 the top, was 82 royal Spanish feet, and the rotundo itself 

 was 11 more, making in all about 132 feet English. It was 

 31 feet broad on each side, and in the interior were two 

 walls crossing in the centre, each 4^ feet in thickness. The 

 Tower was divided into chambers or compartments by three 

 stone floors, originally without any apertures in them, so that 

 these apartments could only have been entered from without. 

 The outer winding stair having been removed at some pe- 

 riod long pi'ior to the date to which we now refer, apertures 



