46 NARRATÏVE OF A JOURNEV 



piece^ like a part of a cable, is seen appearing 

 and disappearing, and finally we firid it, after 

 working- up through the wliole edifice, throwing 

 a brancli wliich runs over the wholeedifice, and 

 shading the crown, wkh its numerous leaves^ 

 from all view or inspection of its shape. • 



li was not without reluctance I left these in- 

 teresting ruins ; and while I was survejing them 

 with mixed emotions of regret and pleasure^ it 

 was impossible to forbear ruminating on the 

 origin of edifices, so widelj different in their 

 stiie from v^hat we are taught to expect in these 

 countries at a remote Era, and so widelj differ- 

 ent from their present state. As it maj perhaps 

 assist some future enquirer^ it may not be amiss 

 here to notice some general remarks that occur 

 on this subject. 



J. — The walls of all these buildings have 

 been built without anj natural cement^ mortar, 

 bricks or anj of that rubbish that is usuallj 

 emplojed to fill up the interior of walls. 



2. — ^The stones appear to have been previous- 

 Ij cut and fitted to each other, perhaps in the 

 quarry, connected by small projections, mortic- 

 ed into the adjacent stonc. The stones are 

 dark-colored, excepting the whitish stone ob- 

 served in the southeni Tefiiple. 



