244 DELPHI. 
Leaving the Monastery of Elias, we found a 
recess hewn in the rock, either for a sepulchre, 
Caverns, ^j, f^j, ^^-^ ornculcir cttve. The walls of the temple 
noticed at the monastery extend near to it. 
"Within this recess there are arched cavities 
upoa the right and left ; and there is one in th« 
front, lined with painted stucco, having two 
smaller cavities over it; and above the whole, 
a I'uWs htcid, very finely sculptured in the stone. 
Hard by, there is an alcove, or grotto, of a 
semicircular form, also hewn in the rock, with a 
seat all round the interior, finely cut out of the 
solid stone. When seated within this grotto, 
Plain of the view extends across the whole Coilon of the 
antient city of Delphi (before described as 
having a theatrical form, owing to the natural 
shape of this declivity of Parnassus), towards 
the Castalian Spring, and the Gymnasium in the 
entrance from Bceotia; looking down at the 
same time over the numerous terraces, rising 
one above another, whereon the city was built. 
Indeed, to have a faithful conception of what 
Delphi was, it is only necessary to imagine an 
antient theatre, with terraces of stone in the 
place of seats, rising one above the other, of 
sufficient width to admit of temples and other 
public buildings upon those semicircular ter- 
races; the Stadium being the uppermost struc- 
Delpki. 
