The Palestine Exploration Fund.

quire more detailed examination than Captain Wilson was able to give them . It would be most interesting to trace out the extent of the scarped rock which shows itself at the Serai , at the north-west angle of the Haram ,

and the continuation of the double souterrain under the Via Dolorosa . Excavations about the Golden Gateway would probably verify or disprove Mr . Fergusson ' s conjecture as to its object and character . There remains much to be done along

the west side of the Haram , especially north of Wilson's Arch , where the stream of running water was found but not traced . The covered aqueduct found at Robinsons ' s Arch has also to be trace , north and south . It would be interesting to

complete the investigations into the character of the buried part of the wall , and to endeavour to test the value of the conjecture which has been advanced that somewhere in the face of the Kedron Valley ,

deep buried in the debris , is to be found the tomb of David , of Solomon , and the tombs of the Kings of Judah . On the south , the hill of Ophel , which has yielded such great results , has not yet been

exhausted ; and it would be useful to trace the Valley of Tyropoeon , in the line pointed out by Bro . Lieut . Warren , to its junction with the Kedron . Turning to the Western Hill , it would no doubt be possible to recover the exact line of the ancient

wall along the brow of the Valley ofHannon , and there is much ground unoccupied by houses between the brow aud the wall of the modern city . Interesting discoveries might , no doubt , be made as to the general line of the first wall of

Josephus here ; and as regards the remainder of the ground , it would not be advisable to dig at random on the mere chance of coming on objects of interest . If possible , it would be important to ascertain the character of the substructures of the

" Ceenaculum . " Proceeding northwards , the most promising point seems to be the curious subterranean arched passage leading from Wilson's Arch in the direction of the Jaffa Gate . If followed out along its

course , it might bring us to the three famous towers of Herod , Hippicus , Pharclus , and Marianone , whose site is generrally looked for in this direction . This seems the most probable means of

recovering a starting-point , and consequently the course of the second wall of Josephus . This part of the city is so encumbered with buildings that

systematic excavation appears impracticable . We can only hope that some luck accident will put us on true scent , and that there may be persons on the spot ready to follow up the scent at once . The only open space , viz ., the Muristan , in this part of the city , has been already explored by Bro . Warren , and the result seems to be almost conclusive that

the second wall cannot have passed through it . North of the city walls , notwithstanding the great facilities offered to every inquirer , we are yet in want of a thoroughly complete and trustworthy examination to determine , once for all ' ,

whether the ancient city ever did extend beyond the line of the present northern wall . Aid , finally , there is the curious system of rock-hewn water passages in the Kedron Valley below the Bir Eyub , discovered by Bro . Warren , which

still have to be traced to their commencement , when funds are available for this purpose . Beyond Jerusalem itself our work may be said to have been only begun . The Executive Committee desire much to extend the operations of

the fund to the other objects set forth in the original prospectus if they can see their way to doing so without interfering with the progress , of the works at Jerusalem .

A plan has been laid before them for continuing the work which has been commenced by the Sinai Survey Fund , and completing the map of Palestine . It is proposed , if the sanction of the government can be obtained , to place the survey

( as it has been done in Sinai ) under the superintendence of the Director-General of the Ordnance Survey , the Palestine Exploration Fund undertaking to raise the necessary funds . By this means the cost of the survey would be very much

diminished , and the report and plans published free of all expense to the fund . The Executive Committe now have this proposal under their consideration . Some progress has been made in collecting

materials for a complete map of the country but we are advised that in order to complete the work thus begun , we ought to provide ourselves with a sufficient sum to enable us to push the work to a conclusion at one effort . Desultory efforts by

weak parties appear to be the most expensive in end . Then there were the other great cities , Jezreel , Samaria , Hebron , Masada , Gaza , Askelon , Kadesh-Naphtali , and round the lake of Tiberias , Bethshan , and Nazareth ; and to examine and excavate the site of Jericho , to determine which