MERGE TO GYRENE. 
425 
Goths or Vandals, when, after having given a short assent to the 
truth of this remark, we turned towards the mountain from which 
the water issued, and entering an excavated chamber which presented 
itself, began to examine its connexion with the stream. 
We found that a channel had been cut from this apartment far 
into the bowels of the rock, (at the height of about five feet from 
the level of the chamber,) along which the water flowed rapidly 
from the interior, and precipitated itself in a little cascade into a 
basin, formed to receive it, on a level with the floor of the apart- 
ment : from hence it passed out into the open space in front of the 
mountain. The channel forms a passage of about four feet in height, 
and is about three feet in breadth ; the sides and roof are flat, but 
the bed of the stream, which occupies the whole width of the 
passage, is worn into irregular forms by the strong and constant 
action of the water. 
We inquired of the Chaous how far the channel continued to 
wind into the heart of the rock, and what it eventually led to ; but 
he could only inform us that its length had never been ascertained, 
and that it was known to be the haunt of demons and fairies, as the 
Arabs of the place (he said) could testify! It would have been 
useless to assert our disbelief of this statement, that is, of the latter 
part of it ; and having satisfied ourselves by examining this myste- 
rious passage, as far as the day-light extended, and ascertaining that 
it continued still farther into the mountain, we determined to take 
an early opportunity of bringing lights and exploring it to the end, 
and proceeded to examine the other parts of the excavation. On 
31 
