THE MUJELIBE. 
343 
pulled out a quantity of marble, and afterwards a coffin of 
mulberry wood, containing a human body inclosed in a tight 
wrapper, and apparently partially covered with bitumen; which 
mortal remains crumbled into dust soon after exposure to the 
air. This account, together with its appearing the most favour¬ 
able spot to ascertain something of the original plan of the 
whole, induced me to set twelve men to work, to open a passage 
into this sardaub, from above. They dug into a shaft, or hollow 
pier, 60 feet square, lined with fine brick, laid in bitumen, and 
filled up with earth. In this they found a brass spike, some 
earthen vessels, (one of which was very thin, and had the re¬ 
mains of fine white varnish on the outside ;) and a beam of date- 
tree wood. On the third day’s work, they made their way into 
the opening, and discovered a narrow passage nearly ten feet 
high, half filled with rubbish, flat on the top, and exhibiting 
both burnt and unburnt bricks ; the former with inscriptions on 
them ; and the latter, as usual, laid with a layer of reeds between 
every row, except in one or two courses near the bottom, where 
they were cemented with bitumen, to conceal the unburnt brick, 
of which the body of the building was principally composed. 
Fronting it is another passage, or rather a continuation of the 
same, to the eastward; in which direction it probably extends 
to a considerable distance, perhaps even all along the northern 
front of the Mujelibe ; but it was choked up with earth, and in 
digging out which 1 discovered, near the top, a wooden coffin 
containing a skeleton in high preservation. Under the lid of 
the coffin was a round pebble; attached to the coffin, on the 
outside, a brass bird; and inside, an ornament of the same 
material, which had, apparently, been suspended to some part 
of the skeleton. These, could any doubt remain, place the an- 
