570 
ALTARS ON THE ROCKS. 
the Mithratic caves, the first tabernacles, without doubt, of the 
sacred fire. 
Not far from the altars, we began to ascend the mountain. 
Its face was steep and rugged, but still it was accessible without 
forcing us to the expedient by which we had mounted to the 
tombs. As we advanced we saw a small marble column, which had 
neither capital nor base, appearing where the heights break off 
to the west; and on gaining the highest point of the rocks, im¬ 
mediately over the perpendicular where the sepulchres are ex¬ 
cavated, we observed several large spots of different dimensions 
cut out of the level of the mountain, as if for the floors of rooms. 
The one of greatest space is a square of more than twenty feet; 
and on its surface we found three or four steps, elevated above 
each other in the manner of a pedestal to a throne, or an altar. 
It is just over the sepulchres, and probably was coeval with 
them. On that spot, when the royal personage was entombed 
beneath, the funeral sacrifices might have been performed. 
Indeed it bears a striking resemblance to the elevated platforms 
on the bas-relief of the tomb, where the Archimagus stands. 
Finding nothing more to detain us above, we descended to the 
lower ground, towards the north-west, in search of the inscrip¬ 
tions mentioned by Mr. Morier, but could not discover them. I 
observed nothing particular during this part of my ride, except¬ 
ing a few square holes of different sizes and depths, cut in the 
sides of the rocks. Every where else was wild, and as abandoned 
to nature as if the footsteps of man had never been there ; and as 
I turned round, to view the venerable scene again, before I put my 
horse to the spur to carry me back to my quarters, the wide ex¬ 
tended solitude of the mountain above, the tenantless and highly- 
wrought tombs in its bosom, with the gigantic figures at its base. 
