40;j 



chamber the floor was flat, and strewed with pebbles, but con- 

 tained nothing possessing interest, except a huge clay orna- 

 mented pipe, the shank of which was as thick as a man's fore- 

 finger. The passage then proceeded in a southern direction, 

 keeping in a line with the place at the north where the passage 

 was first discovered. 



♦' At a distance of about twenty feet south of the first 

 chamber was found another circular chamber about six feet 

 in diameter and eight feet in height, having a very singular 

 floor. As I was not present when these chambers were opened 

 and broken up, I cannot vouch for what I am now going to 

 describe, but the workmen all agreed in a description to the 

 following effect : 



" This chamber was surrounded by seats or stone benches 

 placed against the walls, from which the floor descended in a 

 concave manner to a point in the middle (thus making the 

 bottom of a like shape to the roof of the chamber), and these 

 benches formed steps down to the point in the centre. 



" The passage then proceeded still southward for four or 

 six feet, at which place further progress seemed denied by a 

 huge flag placed on its edge across the passage, and firmly set 

 in on either side. This, however, seems to have aroused the 

 inquisitiveness of the workmen, and was soon broken through ; 

 but all beyond was mystery; for the passage, though still con- 

 tinued southward, was not covered with flags, and was com- 

 pletely choked with clay and small stones. I presume that 

 this was in reality the proper entrance to the chambers, and 

 that it had centuries ago been opened by destructive hands, 

 and carelessly filled up when their object was accomplished. 



" All the large flags and other stones which had formed the 

 passage and chambers were thrown up, and broken by the iron 

 hammers of the workmen to make draining stones ; and when 

 I arrived on the spot nothing was visible but about 100 

 tons of stones, the trench and holes marking where the 

 passages and chambers had once been. However, I got some 



