its foundation being cleared away, another foundation was discovered under it, and running directly across the site of the tower, which appeared to be a continuation of the church wall, and which, at some period prior to the building of that tower, seemed to have extended considerably beyond it. Further, that these towers, sometimes at least, had a connexion with Christianity, is evident from the fact of some of them being built upon vaults belonging to the churches; and on more than one, in the north of Ireland, may be traced the figure of the cross. One instance of this may be seen on the keystone of the door of the tower at Donoghmore. On the other hand, in regard to the tower at Drumbo, it is evident that at some former time, very strong fires have been burned within that building, and the inside surface, towards the bottom, has the appearance of vitrification. Indeed it is a fact recorded in the _Down Survey_, p. 290, that the ground floors of many towers have been opened, where the ashes of burnt wood have been found, supposed by some antiquaries to be the remains of the perpetual fire once kept burning there in honour of the Sun. It is also recorded by Pennant, in his _View of Hindostan_, that the Pagodas, in the Circars, resembled the Round Towers, with tops pointed or truncated, and ornamented with a round ball to represent the Sun as an emblem of the deity of that temple. The idea of their being Christian penitentiaries seems at first sight to be whimsical; yet it is said that there are manuscripts in existence which prove it with respect to some of them. One of these manuscripts records the building of a tower at Kinath, in Cork County, in the year 1015; whilst the tower at Ardmore in Waterford has evidently been used as a belfry. An idea is started in the _Kilkenny Survey_, p. 632, that they are connected with pilgrimages; a pilgrimage being called _Turrish_ in Irish, as if in allusion to their Latin appellation of _Turris_. Of other facts connected with them, it may be recorded that at Tulloher in Kilkenny, where the tower is only 8 feet from the church, yet that edifice is of limestone, whilst the tower itself is of siliceous breccia.