Page 231 - Records of Bahrain (2)(ii)_Neat

Topography and archaeology, 1878-1879
557
116. Thinking and hoping that from its sizo, as well as misled by the other
one, that I had slightly
teen into, the mound
ipiglit cover tho ruins of
a small ciroulor temple,
and not tlioao of a tomb,
'vo began work at tho
top and ccntro cutting,
down several yards deep
steps.*
116. Finding liow-
ovor nothing but a ring
of largo 6toncs, I left tho
top and began work
\ again a few feet abovo
^\tho base, running a cut-
into the mound and
fgL^taking care to retain tho
Err^-rrsa'ino line cast and west
guided by my previous
experience of the lie of
the smaller tomb, and
also by having remarked a depression or shallow channel from the top to the
bottom of tho mound in this direction. Hero on going in a few feet our pro­
gress was blocked by enormous stones which appeared, on removal, to form
part of a cyclopcian circular containing wall. Ono of these blocks of lime­
stone, which we had to break up with tho crow bars to remove, measured
roughly over six feet long, by three feet six broad, by eighteen inches deep.
117. Tho height of this wall abovo the ground level of my tunnel was about
t Bom. of tho 0011,10* block* on tho other i.r*. jovrm or eight foot, which would make it at
looundt (ulrcndy noticed) aro of sandstone, and have least 10 feet high from tllO level Of tllO
eround Tho blocks used wore of rough
border limcslono, or at Any rnto did not tliiuk Hint llOWn lmiC8tonO,t Unequal in 817.0 and
it kos worth while to do ao. unmortarcd.
118. Ou breaking through tho wall I almost at once found myself in a
passago or gallery, about six feet broad, and gradually narrowing (as I found
afterwards) to five feet tlirco inches at tho inner cud.
119. Tho walls on either side were of rough, unmortarcd, and carelessly
fitted limestones varying in size, and sloped pyramidally upwards from the
encircling wall of blocks, and also slightly outwards from thoir base.
120. I picked my way along botween these containing walls, romoving tho
earth as I went, as also blowing down tho mass of hard flint limestone, and con-
crcto soil from abovo us, thus gradually filliug up tho passago behind us as wo
proceeded.
121. This increased the labor enormously, and was I boliovo unnecessary
from tho compactness of tho mass, tho relative small sizo of our gallery, and tho
outward slopo of tho walls, which gave a good sound thrust to tho arch wo left
over us; but not boing an enginoor I could not risk it, and onco having blown
in a portion of our roof, it was ipso facto necessary to contmuo to do so, ns tho
earth was thoroughly loosened and weakened by tho shook of this first explosion
The necessity howover might have become more apparent when wo carno
innor wall, for hero gunpowdor had to ho used.
-.a
Boil, &0. Wo had not rcoognizcd at first that we woro attacking a stout wa .
10