606 Sir R: Ker Porter's Travels in Georgia) Persia, Armenia, §¢.' 
shape of the corners, o¥ that time has 
worn this so, I do not'pretend ‘to say. 
Towards the bottom; Where it meets the 
Joose dust and ‘scattered’ fragments, it 
has mouldered® away’ in’ ‘an inward 
sloping direttibn, giving this'angle of the 
Mujelibé the singular effect of an ap- 
pending watch-tower.. ‘The decay at 
tlie base, andthe form in consequence, 
are obviously wrought by the casualties 
of weather; indcéd, ali the parts of this 
huge fabric have been terribly torn by 
‘the rain, which here seems to fall with 
the body and force of water-spouts ; the 
eastern face, in particular, is worn into 
a deep channel, nearly from the top to 
the bottom. However, all these depre- 
dations of the elements, bave only acted 
or this pile like the wrinkles on a buman 
face, marking the advance of years, with- 
out absolutely breaking the ‘general 
lineaments. ‘The sun-dried bricks, and 
mode of fixing them, differ in no respect 
in Mujelibé, from the method T had ob- 
‘served in’ most other massy fabrics 
‘throughout the general ruins; namely, 
the mixture of broken straw or reeds 
with the mud used as cement; also the 
fayers of perfect reeds between the hori- 
zoutal- courses of the bricks. In many 
of the other structares, the courses were 
of unequal heights, which these reed 
strata marked; but here, the straw line 
ran its unbroken length between the 
‘ranges of eyery single brick course. 
From the general appearance of this 
piece of ruin, I scarcely think that its 
solid elevation ‘has ever been much 
higher than it stands at present. I have 
no doubt’of its having been a ground- 
work, or magnificent raised platform, 
‘(like that of Persepolis, though there it 
‘was of the native rock ;) to ‘sustain 
“habitable buildings » of ‘consequence. 
‘The whole’ of ihe existing’ mass’ bears 
that'afhiit y with thoselalready deseribed, 
“as to'Idad'uS to'conclude, it must’ have 
heen superficéd from the base to the sum- 
mit with “the ‘ustial ‘firé-burnt bricks ; 
where ‘lofty battlements “of the ‘saitie 
“would inclose the edifices its amplearea 
‘had beet! platined’to’eontain! “Phat'it 
“has been oceupiéd’ by various buildings, 
is sufficiently proyed' by the frasments of 
such, covering ‘the whole wide surface. 
Several ‘deep “eXcavation’ have’ ‘beén 
“made, in’ different’ pla&es! into the’ sidés 
of -the mound 5 ‘sonie, probably, by ‘the 
“wearing of the seasons, according tothe 
‘effects described above ; but many others 
have been’ dug’ by ‘the rapacity ‘of the 
‘ Turks, tearing up its bowels in''search 
of hidden’ treastre, ''Sevéf:l penetrate 
very far ito the body of the ‘stracture, 
making angtilar tu¥ningss atid some, it 
is likely, have never yet beer explured, 
tlie wild “bedsts' of ‘the desert Nitcially 
keeping guard’ over ‘them. Tw “short; 
these ‘souteraing, over which tlie”ehati- 
bers’ of majesty ‘may have been’spredd, 
are‘now ‘thé refuge of jackalls'and other 
savage animals.” The iionths' of their 
entrancés are'sttewéed with the bones’of 
sheep and’ goats; and ‘the loathsonte 
smell that issues from’ mjost’of them is 
sufficient warning not\'to’ proceed into 
the den. However, itito somé f" those 
which exhibited thé fewest Of tieve’ sig- 
nals, I ventured to'go'a ViltleWay.!'""T 
found the rceds'in “its sides as pliable 
and fresh as‘if théy ‘liad been gathered 
yesterday. From ‘amongst thei’ pro- 
jected a huge bean’ Of date-tree, nearly 
in a state of détay, ‘Phe Wall of one 
side of this passage; as ‘fay'as I’ weiit 
down, is formed’ of burnt ‘brick inter- 
mixed ‘with sundried) and evidently 
constructed ‘in ‘haste, ‘being’ merely a 
front of mortar and eastial bricks; put to- 
gether without ‘regular arrangemeit + 
trom which may be condlided, that the 
bodies found here had not’ been ‘dépo- 
sited in a spot’ originally’ jitended for 
that purpose. BPR HOMRAL. OF 
In traversing the summit ‘of the 
Mujelibé, T observed, on’a spot abot 
twenty feet lower than its highest’ point, 
a great portion of erect building} simodth 
and well finished ; another similar piece 
of wall joined it, forming, tégettier,’ an 
angle that seemed part’ of some former 
chamber in the solid’ body” of ‘the’ pile. 
‘Between these walls, loose fragments 
had either fallen’ in; or been east’ there 
purposely; bnt confused as ‘they ‘were, 
the irregular heaps were bout together 
‘with ‘mortar. ot fat distant from ‘this 
angular remains, and towards the western 
end, a sort of circular lump of brick- 
‘Work, tapering towards ‘the 46p, rises 
froma deep bed’ of rubbish In’ this 
‘fragment, each 'stratam of mortar is four 
“inches and a half’ thick, while the inter- 
“mediate! courses ‘of: brick are’ ese 
broken’ pieées, thrown together without 
‘the ‘smallest ‘care } but! the bardiiess 6f 
“the? ‘tass? is inconceivable. ° From’ its 
“lower extremity being so deéply*buiiéd 
im dast and rubbish, T cowld not inspeet 
it te'any depth. "The whole surface of 
“this ivreetlar, cliff-topped ‘ruiti, “is eo- 
ivered with the remnants of its fornier’sa- 
“perstructure, bat I was unable to get 
i event lone brick entire; 'to bring away! A 
“stamp 
