Masonic Archæolog Ical Institute.

"The substructure , now used as a tank , is 63 ft . from north to south , and 57 ft . from east to west , thus being nearly square . Its northern wall is 23 ft . Gin . from the south side of the Birket Israil ( traditional Pool of Bethesda ) . It consists of nine rectangular bays formed by four piers , cruciform on plan , equidistant from each other and from the walls , from which spring arches . The arches between the piers , and between the two northern piers and wallsare stilted or pointed ; those from the

, two southern piers in the walls appear to be flying buttresses , unless the remainder of these arches are concealed behind the east , west , and south walls of the substructure . " The dimensions of the arches' end piers all vary somewhat , which may arise from the thick coat of plaster which exists up to the top of tiie arches—that is , to about 14 ft . above the floor of the tank . These arches support nothing ; they merely

strengthen the piers and resist any lateral thrust against the side walls . " The whole of the substructure is covered in by vaults intersecting in groins over the bays j surface-ribs ( of cut stone ) are thrown over from the piers to the sides , the remainder of the arches being composed of rag-work . The vaults are pointed ; the springing of the vault surface-ribs is 14 ft . above the floor of the substructure , and the cement does not reach higher than

that point . The vaults from springing to crown are also about 14 ft . in height , giving a total of 2 Slt . from the floor to the crown . ~' 'In the south wall is a staircase leading tip to the surface of the Haram , which I understand has been open within memory . Near the bottom of the steps is a shaft leading up to the entrance , and in the centre bay is an opening leading up to another entrance . There is no appearance of an open continuation of these vaults in any direction . There is an opening on the northern side about 2 ft . in height , and lft . wide , on a level

with the top of the cement , which lets in light , aud on examining the pool Birket Israil I find a grating in the south wall ( 2 f .. square ) exactly opposite the opening in the substructure , and which undoubtedly communicates with it , but whether directly through the thickness of the wall , or whether through another chamber in the wall , has yet to be determined . Through this opening any superfluous water in the substructure would flow into the Birket Israil . The impression that I had got into

a church still remains on my mind , I do not exactly know why ; the vaults are so unlike any known tanks in Jerusalem , and so very different from the substructures at the south-east angle of the Haram Area . I cannot believe su . h a structure as this was briilfc merely for a tank , and if it was simply to support the present surface of the Haram , then there is probably more of it to be found to south and east . " We were altogether three hours iu the water measuringand

, I measured everything X could get at . - ' The vaults look small when compared to the Birket Israil -in section , but then the Birket is really an enormous reservoir , nearly 100 ft . deep . ^ "The large stones I found huddled together at the bottom in the water are , I think , evidence of the roof having once fallen in aud been replaced . The next is of much greater importance : —

" On Saturday I went over to Haram Area to see if I could trace any resemblance between the plan of Dr . Lightfoot and the present form of the ground . On passing by the northern edge of ' the Mosque of Omar platform I saw that the earth had been lately disturbed at the foot of the eastern steps , and on asking the sheikh of the mosque about it , he said that after the heavy rains , three days before , the ground had given way , and ¦ that they had found an entrance to substructions as large as those at the south-east angle .

"I suggested to him that the hole had been badly filled in , and that it would probably give way again . This morning we went early to the Haram Area , and happened to come upon ¦ this place just a few minutes after the hole had opened a second time ; we went down into it and made an examination . "It is a soutemiin , running east and west in the line of the northern edge of the mosque platform ( see plan ); it consists of an arched passage of 18 ft . with bays to the south of 12 ft

span , . by 17 ft ., arched over ; the piers between being 3 ft . 6 in . thick . The southern side of these bays is scarped rock , and on it the wall supporting the northern edge of the mosque platform is built . "Portions of the pier are also scarped from the rock , which appears to shelvo down rapidly to the north , so that if the earth iind these vaults were removed , the northern end of the mosque

platform would present the appearance of a perpendicularly scarped rock , with excresences on its face 3 ft . Gin . thick , 12 ft . apart , and projecting about Oft . " The vault was examined for about 70 ft . east and west , and four bays were surveyed ; the crown of the arch of the vault and also of the bays is about two feet below the surface of the ground , which is then about Sit . below the level of the mosque platform ; the distance from crown to springing of the arches is

9 ft . 6 in ., those arches of the bays being perpendicular to and forming groins with that of the vault , The arch over the vault has a span of 18 ft .. but it is not semicircular ; it appears rather to have a parabolic curve , while the arches over the bays are decided pointed ( spans from 12 ft . to 13 ft . ) " The voussoirs of the arches are small , presenting about loin , by 4 in . on the soffit . " On the northern side of the vault I could see no appearance

of rock except in one place for about 5 ft ., where there is either rock or a large stone , the top of which is about 10 ft . below the springing ; the northern portions of the piers are also of masonry , but from their centres to their southern ends they are cleanly scarped from the rocks just as is the southern end of the bays . " The masonry in the walls is of very miscellaneous character , in some cases large and small square stonesand in some places

, coarse rubble . On the northern side of the vault are two passages about 2 ft . wide and 6 ft . high , which are blocked up after about Sft . ; they have the appearance of being in connection with other vaults to the north , they are roofed over with stone slabs . " To east and west the souterrain is blocked up with , rubbish , fallen in from above ; but it appears to extend in both directions , though towards the west there is an indication of a portion of

the arch having given way . " To the south the rock rises to about the springing of the ftrches , that is to say , to about 12 ft . from the surface of the ground , or to about lSft . below tiie mosque platform ; above the rocks the ends of the bays are filled in with coarse rubble , and it is doubtful whether they extend beneath the mosque platform . " In the eastern bay there is an arched doorway or

communication , which is filled up with coarse rubble . " The souterrain has no appearance of having been constructed for a tank , there is not a sign of plaster about , and the rook appears to have been scarped for view . It differs in most respects from the tanks in the Haram area , and was apparently built for the purpose of raising up the Haram area to a general level ; the arches appear to be Saracenic . For several months I have been seeking an opportunity to examine the ground on the

northern side of the mosque platform near the western steps , as I am convinced there are vaults there ( from the hollow sound of the ground ) , and my impression now is that the souterrain just discovered extends all along the northern end of the platform . I do not see that this souterrain supports the position of the Temple obtained by the application of Dr . Lightfoot ' s plan to the existing plan , as sent home by this mail . " It may with reason be claimed by one party as the ditch on

the northern wall of the Temple , and by the other as the northern ditch of Antouia . "It , however , limits the space on which the Temple could have stood , and as other knowledge is gained it may become a strong point in settling the matter . " P . S . —The scarped rock was onl y visible to a depth of 12 ft ., but there was no indication of any termination . " I will not weary you with longer details of the work . Let

us briefly sum up the results of the excavations so far as they have gone . We have arrived at the following facts . The modern city is in somo part 3 60 ft . to 90 ft . above the level of the ancient city . The rubbish forming this mass of debris contains little to interest the antiquarian beyond a few fragments of pottery . Of these I am in a position to show you a few specimens , chiefly interesting , it must be owned , from the

associations of the place in which they were found . Round the Haram Area we have learned that the foundations of the wall stood on the solid rock ; that the courses of masonry are as beautifully burnished and the stones as finely chiselled at the foundations as above ,- that these stones are precisely the same in appearance as those at the wailing place of the Jews ; that arches spanned the Tyropcoan valley ; that aqueducts , cisterns , and chambers were cut out of the rock at the expense of enormous expense , labour , and with great skill and finish ; that the fortifications of Jerusalem consisted , in addition to what was