Then we scrambled over rugged rocks and through thickets of thorns and thistles till we came to a large recess in a steep white cliff. It was like a room, entirely open on one side, about eleven feet in hight, ten feet deep, and fourteen feet wide. It was, to all appearance, a natural excavation which had been partially squared by human art. In some places the ceiling looked as if it had once been coated with rough cement. The white walls were rather damp, and were garnished with maiden-hair of the finest kind I had ever seen, and many plants which love the shade were flourishing there. Out of every crevice some delicate leaf or tendril crept. This cave was no doubt formerly inhabited by human beings; kings, priests, and prophets of old may have lodged here.
Skander had climbed higher up the hill, and now called to us, saying, "I have found a wonderful place up here come and see." With difficulty we followed, and found him stretched flat on his face, peering into a dark opening, about one foot high and six feet broad, close to the ground; he said it was like a large fox-hole. I could not possibly enter this cave, but I stopped and looked in, and could see that there were some ancient sepulchers within; I counted four. They were, I believe, cut in the solid rock, and were ornamented with bold, effective moldings and bosses. This place seems to be worthy of careful exploration. The entrance is likely soon to be quite concealed by the stones and débris falling from above, and the tangled masses of vegetation near it. There is no tradition connected with it, and it is on that account, perhaps,that it is so rarely pointed out to travelers.
We mounted and rode homeward, looking toward the south-east corner of the Holy City. The sunlight was gleaming on the terraces just below it, and it tinged with an emerald luster the fields of barley there. On the right, above En Rogel, the ruins of Siloam appeared, and we could just see Absalom's Pillar.[1] As we rode round the
- ↑ It is this view which the lamented Mr. Sedden painted so faithfully. The picture is in the South Kensington Museum.
