Author Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1857 edition. Excerpt:...dark firm clay. The outline of the blade of the instrument by which the clay had been (originally) removed, still remained M CHAPTER X. FURTHER EXPLORATIONS--EXCITEMENT OF A SOLDIER--COLOSSAL MARBLE STATUES--RECENT RESEARCHES OF THE RUSSIANS--OPENING OF A SEPULCHRAL CHAMBER--INTERESTING DISCOVERY--OPENING OF OTHER CATACOMBS--THEIR CONTENTS. We now sought out other ground, and selected a smooth level space which never, apparently, had been turned over, distant about one hundred yards from that we had last worked on. In this, perpendicular descents were formed. Ten feet from the surface, we reached the same lamina of rock which had been struck upon in the last work described. Here we found a tomb neatly hewn out in the rock, covered by a flag, the skeleton resting on the clay beneath, with a glass cup placed at the head. Our attention was attracted to another artificial opening in the rock, somewhat similar to, but on a much smaller scale than the large descent which we had just abandoned. On clearing the surface, we found that the rock here was hewn out three feet in width and fourteen in length; the intervening space being filled with sand, similar in all respects to the other, into which the exploring rod penetrated with ease. Fifteen feet of this sand being removed, we came upon the skeleton of a horse; a few feet further down the end of an upright stone, the breadth of the shaft, was exposed. Fatigued with working in the shaft, I had seated myself above, cautioning the workmen to let me know as soon as they arrived at anything remarkable. A soldier of Her Majesty's 71st Eegiment (Highlanders) who happened to be on the spot and was eagerly inspecting the work, suddenly rushed up to where I sat, and respectfully saluting me, said, with an effort...