CATACOMBS OF NECROPOLIS. 391 
side, and a fifth at its extremity towards the chap. 
south-east. From hence, penetrating towards ' ■ y. ^ 
the ivest, we passed through another forced 
aperture, which conducted us into a square 
chamber without any receptacles for dead 
bodies ; thence, pursuing a south-ivestern course, 
we persevered in effecting a passage, over 
heaps of sand, from one chamber to another, 
admiring everywhere the same extraordinary 
effects of labour and ingenuity, until we found 
ourselves bewildered with so many passages, 
that our clue of thread became of more import- 
ance than we at first believed it would prove to 
be. At last we reached the stately antecham- 
ber of the principal sepulchre, which had every 
appearance of being intended for a regal repo- 
sitory. It was of a circular form^ surmounted 
by a beautiful dome, hewn out of the rock, with 
exquisite perfection, and the purest simplicity of 
workmanship. In a few of the chambers we 
observed pilasters, resembling, in their style of 
architecture, the Doric, with architraves, as in 
some of the most antient sepulchres near to Jeru- 
salem ; but they were all integral parts of the 
solid rock. The dome covering the circular 
(2) See D of the annexed Plan. 
