38 Recent Antiquarian Explorations. 



that are well known in the locality we stumbled almost over a 

 building quite new to us. On inquiry we ascertained that it was 

 a sweat house, and that it is still in use. Two weeks before our 

 visit it had been used by four old women, who had taken a bath 

 in it together. This primitive structure is situated in the town- 

 land of Legeelan, on the farm of a man called Hugh MacHugh. 

 It is built of stone, beehive shaped, and measures 4 feet by 4 feet 

 6 inches inside, and 5 feet 6 inches high. The entrance is by 

 a small doorway 2 feet high and 1 foot 9 inches wide. Those 

 who enter have, consequently, to creep in on all fours. When 

 the bath is going to be used (for a hot-air bath it is, the primi- 

 tive type of our present Turkish baths, which would be more 

 correctly designated Irish hot-air baths), the interior is heated 

 by a large fire of turf being kindled inside and allowed to burn 

 out. The ashes are then raked out and the floor swept clean. 

 As soon as it is sufficiently cool to enter a green sod is placed 

 inside for each person who enters either to sit or stand upon, 

 and an attendant puts a sack or other covering across the door. 

 Those who are inside soon commence to perspire, and no doubt 

 this result is achieved quite as successfully as in our Turkish 

 bath. After remaining inside from half an hour to an hour the 

 patients, if we may call them so, usually take a plunge into a pool 

 of water to cool, after which they rub well, and dress. We were 

 astonished beyond measure at this revelation, as we ascertained 

 that it was always used for rheumatic pains or to cure rheumatism 

 in its various forms. On further inquiry we ascertained that 

 there is another bathhouse of a similar kind in the townland 

 of Toam, about two and a half miles distant, and that it is still 

 used for the same purpose. Having made inquiries in various parts 

 of Ulster since then, I have had further information. Within 

 three miles of Maghera, County Derry, there is a fine example 

 of a sweating-house of a much more ancient type than that 

 already described. This County Derry example is built like 

 the Rath caves, without mortar, and roofed across with flat flag- 

 stones, and it is oblong in shape. It measures inside from the 

 entrance of the door 1 1 feet in extreme length, and 3 feet in 



