268 THE OLIVE LEAF. CHAP. 



the power of very rapidly consuming the dead bodies 

 buried in it ; and a part of the Campo Santo at Pisa, 

 and of the crypt of the Capuchin Church at Rome, 

 was formed of this sacred soil. It was even brought 

 as far as Scotland; for a cargo of it intended for 

 the old burying-place at Kilmun on the Clyde was 

 wrecked off the shore, and gave in consequence to 

 this romantic arm of the Frith the name of the Holy 

 Loch. 



As in ancient Rome, the broken pottery in the 

 neighbourhood of Jerusalem was pounded into dust 

 in order to be mixed with lime as a cement for 

 building purposes. Much of the durability of the 

 older structures is to be attributed to this cement. 

 It was especially adapted for lining the inside of 

 large underground artificial cisterns, which belonged 

 to every dwelling, and collected the rain-water from 

 the surface drainage, and stored it for use during 

 the year. Many of these cisterns are of very ancient 

 date, and are still in a fine state of preservation, 

 although every other trace of man's work has perished 

 in the places where they occur. The numerous aque- 

 ducts of the country, which belonged to an extensive 

 and singularly thorough system of irrigation, were also 

 plastered and made water-tight by this peculiar mortar. 

 It has the valuable property of the Roman pozzolana, of 

 hardening under water, becoming as firm and durable as 

 the native rock to which it adheres. There are num- 

 erous specimens still in existence, between three and 

 four thousand years old, upon which it would be as 



