dhalac. 
already past that hour, and we had not nearly finished our obser- 
vations; so we dined at two; at half past three Captain Court took 
sights, and at four went down to the mausoleum, to take a set 
of bearings from its summit, while in the mean time I examined 
the inside, in the centre of which was the tomb, covered by two 
pieces of coloured Indian chintz spread on a wooden frame. We 
extended our walk, by going round to the southern mosque, in 
which is a rough inscription. The architecture is tolerably regular, 
and the arch of the dome well formed. We then looked into five 
more cisterns, one of which differed from all the others, in having 
the roof supported by five pillars, though it was not so large as 
some we had seen in the morning. Its dimensions, which were 
taken by a man whom we let down by the log4ine, were as follows ; 
its longest diameter twenty-four feet, its shortest twenty- two ; the 
pillars six feet in circumference, and six feet distant from each other, 
but at unequal distances from the wall, some two feet, some four 
feet ; they were somewhat thicker at top, but had no regular 
capitals. The depth of the tank was thirteen feet, and the whole was 
covered with chunam. The birds seen this day were white-breasted 
crows, vultures, kites, pelicans, small birds of the sparrow kind, 
water-wagtails, the abou hannes of Bruce, and which is called so by 
the natives here, ring- doves, and a bird of an iron-brown colour, 
about the size of a pigeon. Thermometer as yesterday. 
January 9.— We departed early in the morning from Dhalac-el- 
Kibeer, having procured asses for all our people, and camels for the 
baggage. On parting we gave a piece of blue cloth to the Sheik- 
el-Belled, a dollar to Abou-el-Heimen's tomb, and another to my 
friend the Sheik of the mosque, and distributed some tobacco to 
