320 THE HOLY LAND. 
CHAP, centuries have wrought in its topography 
■ may perhaps be ascertained. The features of 
Nature continue the same, although works of 
art have been done away : the beautiful Gate of 
the Temple is no more; but. Silods fomitain 
haply flows, and Kedron sometimes murmurs in 
the Valley of /eAo5Gfp/i<2^'. 
It was this resolve, and the determination of 
using our own eyes, instead of peering through 
the spectacles of priests, that led to the dis- 
covery of antiquities undescribed by any author : 
and -marvellous it is, considering their magni- 
tude, and the scrutinizing inquiry which has 
been so often directed to every object of the 
place, that these antiquities have hitherto 
escaped noticed It is possible that their posi- 
tion, and their inscriptions, may serve to throw 
new light upon the situation of Sign, and the 
topography of the antient city. This, however, 
will be a subject for the investigation of future 
travellers. We must content ourselves with 
(I)"Torrens hie est verc) nomine, quum asstivo tempore Humen 
esse desinat, et vallis nomen habeat, adeoque sicco pede transeatur." 
Relandi Pal. lUust. torn. I. j). 294. Ul. i. cap. 45. 
(2) Perhaps ^a/jcfys alludes to them in his brief notice of " diver sr 
Sepulchres" H^c. following his description of Aceldama. See-p. 187. 
Lmd. 1637. 
