Ward & Lock's descriptive and pictorial guide to the Isle of Man ...

122 Guide to the Isle of Man.century. All that romaincd of the oak timbers of the roofof the cathedral were can-ied away in a terrific gale of windwhich broke over the island on the night of the 10th ofOctober, 1824. By a noticeable coincidence, a small vesselnamed the Peel Castle, belonging to Peel, was lost, the crew ofsix men perishing. We have already more than once noticedthe prevalence of a superstitious feeling among Manxmen,notwithstanding the prevalence of strong religious convictions,and another instance is said to be afforded by thefact that since that fatal night, when the last vestige of roofon Peel Castle was carried away and the smack was lost,nothing would induce the fishermen of Peel to name anothervessel the Peel Castle.Adjoining the cathedral are traces of the old episcopalpalace, especially of the hall generally styled the banquetinghall, 42 feet long by 20 feet wide. Near to it is the castlewell, discovered in 1874, having been choked up for abouttwo hundred years. Good Vv^ater is now obtained from it attimes of the year, and visitors may now enjoy refreshingalldraughts from the spring which supplied drink to the goodbishofps and the great Stanleys—when they could get nothingthey liked better. There is another well near the sally-port,but the water is not agreeable.To the west of the cathedral, at the foot of the RoundTower, are the walls of the Old Church of St. Patrick, ofclay schist with a little red sandstone in the arches. Thebuilding is of a very primitive character. On the west gablewas a little turret. The lower portion of the east windowhas been removed. (A vieio of the remains of this churchand of the Pound Toicer is given at the head of this chapter.)The Round Tower.The mysterious Round Tower is about fifty feet high, witha diameter at the base of five feet nine inches. Nearly sevenfeet above the ground is a door facing to the east, and nearthe summit are four square-headed apertures facing thecardinal points, and another opening towards the sea is lowerdown. The material of the tower is old red sandstone, andthe mortar used is extremely hard. In January, 1871, aportion of the west side fell down ;but it was restored, andthe structure is now in a very substantial condition. Antiquariesare not satisfied that this tower is to be associatedwith the round towers of Ireland, and one member of theCambrian Archajological Association has noticed various pai'-ticulars in which it differs from them, and has ventured anopinion that it was erected at some remote time as a land-