Recent Antiquarian Explorations. 39 



width. The doorway is 2 feet 3 inches high and 2 feet 6 inches 

 broad. There is a hole in the top closed by a stone, removable 

 at pleasure for ventilation. Outside is a pool of water, built 

 around the sides with stones, and filled with water to a depth of 

 4 feet 6 inches. Near to this is a well of fine spring water. Here 

 we have all the requirements of a Turkish bath. This may be 

 seen in the townland of Tyr Kane, within three miles of Maghera, 

 County Derry. It is not. now in use, but is called " the sweat 

 house," and its use is well known to the older people in the 

 neighbourhood, whilst the younger people don't know much 

 about it. In the County Tyrone these sweat houses have been 

 used up to twenty years ago. I will conclude by giving a copy 

 of a letter received from a gentleman in County Tyrone, which 

 gives a good deal of information on the use of these primitive 

 hot-air baths : — " Sweating-houses were common in this part of 

 the country up to fifty years ago ; from that time up to twenty 

 years ago they were wearing out of use. The last of them has 

 not been used for twenty years, and even the ruins of it have 

 now almost disappeared. Fifty years ago there was one in a 

 glen about a quarter of a mile from where the Altmore Chapel 

 now stands, to which the people came to get cured of pains for 

 several miles around. It was built of a round shape, 7 feet wide 

 in the clear, and 7 feet high, and covered over with large flags, 

 except a very small opening on the top. Only stones were used 

 in its construction, and the door was 4 feet high, and was closed 

 by a flag for the purpose. In this case it was heated by fires of 

 turf. When sufficiently hot the coals and ashes were removed, 

 and some cool thing, such as sods, rushes, or stones, put in for 

 the person or persons to stand upon. Then (when men) as many 

 as six or eight stripped off and went in, when all openings were 

 closed (except what afforded a little ventilation) by a person 

 outside who attended to this matter. When they could suffer 

 the heat no longer, the flag was removed, and they crept out 

 and plunged into a pool of water within a yard or two of the 

 sweating-house, where they washed, then got well dried, and put 

 on their clothes. In the case of women, they generally kept on 



