THE CAVES IN ITS ROCK. 
601 
dation; but in all it appears to have been of much greater 
elevation than any part now remaining. From the point of its 
highest present level, rise the almost obliterated marks of a flight 
of steps leading to the door of a chamber hollowed in the solid 
rock above. We ascended; and entering, found it arched to a 
height of six feet; in width it was eight, in length ten. The walls 
and roof have been nicely cut with the chissel; but the entrance 
is small, being only four feet in height by three in width. It 
faces the east. The whole of the interior is thickly encrusted 
with the japan-like consolidated smoke, before described as having 
probably arisen from the concealed ever-burning light or lights 
of the followers of Zoroaster. There being no niches in this ex¬ 
cavation, for lamps, the flame which produced the smoke here, 
must have been in the centre of the cell, therefore could only be 
some single mass of fire. On the outside of the passage into this 
gloomy recess, another flight of steps is visible, which conducts 
quite to the top of the rock. Thither we mounted also, and 
found a square hollow dug into its surface, and rendered of 
deeper dimensions by an elevated border of masonry. It ap¬ 
pears to have been a reservoir for water. From the side of this 
sort of tank, a kind of rough way leads along the summit of the 
rock towards its north-western brow; and in a part of its natural 
projection to the south-east, a narrow opening has been hewn, 
overlooking the most precipitous and highest steep of the hill. 
This extraordinary point of commanding view, situated almost 
as inaccessibly as if in the clouds, has been closed in by a door; 
the large hole for its immense pivot, as well as similar ones on 
each side in the rock for a cross-beam, being quite evident. 
From the secure nature of its position, it is difficult to assign a 
reason for a door in that situation. The hill is so steep and 
VOL. II. 4 H 
