our large entrances, all arched over: 
m entering, it is very similar to 
assing under the arch of a bridge; 
this hall is certainly capable of con~ 
aining more than two thousand 
ople. Underneath this building 
here are vaults, or cells, which go 
ound the whole; there is a stair- 
Case on each side of the hall, leading 
down to the vaults; I went with my 
companions down one of these stair- 
cases, each carrying a light: we 
found it very difficult to enter the 
vaults, not having more than eighteen 
inches in height at the bottom of the 
Stair-case, and were obliged to creep 
down flat upon the rubbish before 
we could enter. » We found the 
vaults, or cells, were about fifteen 
feet in height. The door-ways be- 
tween the several cells are very 
small ; from the surface of the earih 
to the bottom of these vaults is at 
f least forty feet perpencicular: we 
could not prevail on any of our 
}servants or the Bedouins, to ac- 
company us down ioio the vaults. 
It does not appear there has ever 
been the least ray of hyot in any of 
these cells; and the air being so 
much confined, I felt some incon- 
venience. On entering these borrid 
gloomy cells, I was fearful we might 
meet with some ravenous beast, as 
this country abounds with wild 
beasts of prey of almost every 
description ; to guard against them, 
1 took a double-barrelled gun down 
with me; however, I met with no- 
thing but foxes, which appeared to 
be numerous, and even here, at so 
great a depth, burrow amongst the 
rubbish at the bottom of the cells. 
The cieling of the cells is covered 
with bats of a large size, which, 
when disturbed, flew about the cells 
and sometimes struck with consi- 
derable force against our heads, and 
ALN TQ Ui Tel E:s: 
995 
if the greatest care had not been 
taken, they would soon have put out 
the candles ; we took down with usa 
dark lanthorn, to prevent any acci- 
dent of this kind: without proper 
precaution, it might have been 
attended with ‘very. serious Conse~ 
quences, not having the least ray of 
light, it would have been very 
difficult to have found our way oye 
again. In one of the smallest cells 
I fired my gun, to try what effect it 
would have in such a confined plage, 
so far below the surface of the earths 
though the gun was very well charged. 
it had little effect; and was scarce 
heard by the people at the top; it 
seemed to rarify the air-a little in 
the cell, and make it more tolerables 
All the walls and cieling in these 
vaults are quite. black, as if occas 
sioned by smokey yet it does not stain 
the hand. 
About two miles north from the 
citadel, is a very fine stream of fresh 
water; over the valley through 
which this stream runs, is the 
greatest range of arches in the Care 
tbagenian aqueduct. The whole of 
the surrounding country appears to 
have been once cultivated; and [ 
have no doubt it would still yield 
abundant crops with very little 
trouble ; at preset there is not the 
least @itivation for a great many 
miles, except among the ruins of 
Udena, and no fixed habitation 
nearer than Tunis. Such is the 
present degraded staie of what was 
formerly considered one of the most 
fertile countries in the world. 
There were a few Bedouin tents 
in the neighbourhood. The Bedouins 
appeared to be almost half-starved, 
and were very happy to accept of 
any part of our victuals that we 
chose to give them, and were very 
ready to fetch us fresh water. There 
352 are 
4 
