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partitions, to suit the conyenience of the buiklers, the whole formed 

 a series of rather comfortable rooms, or houses. At some points, 

 where the upper rocks did not project quite far enough for a roof, 

 an open balcony was left. The back walls of the houses — the 

 natural rock — had on them many groups of hieroglyphics ; and 

 further along, where there was no roof-rock at all, the vertical faces 

 had been inscribed with seeming great care. Some of the sheltered 

 groups were painted in various dull colors, but most of them were 

 chiselled. 



Fig. I gives a chiseled group. It is easy to see that these are de- 

 signs of no low order. Considering their great age, their exposure, 

 many of the delicate touches must be obliterated. Suppose we cut 

 a figure in the bark of a tree with careful accuracy. After many 

 years we return and are astonished when we gaze on the distorted 

 shape. Can it be the same symbol that long before was carved 

 with such skillful delineation? The Shinumo cut his design in 





Fig. n. 



stone ; could he return and review his work now, might he not 

 also be astonished at its different and blotted appearance ? As the 

 tree grew, so the stone was eroded ; several years in the first case, 

 several hundred in the second. 



