Masonic Archæological Institute.

lit . The actual di gging is done by fellahin . The overseers are lieutenant Warren himself , Serjeant Births ( his second ) , and four non-commissioned officers of the Royal Engineers . Everything is traced , drawn , and an account of it sent home ; and , when a shaft , is abandoned , it is not till either circumstances have rendered it impossible to keep it open—such , for instance , as native opposition—or till it has shown itself completely exhausted .

I cannot find time to take you through tho shafts m detail , but must content myself with * reviewing the history of some of the more important of these . At the south-west corner of the Haram Area , and on the western side , is a projecting piece of masonry , which Dr . Robinson , some 25 years ago , pronounced to bo the spring of an arch . The former existence of this arch has been maintained by some aud denied b othersLieutenant Warren has letel

y . comp y cleared away all doubt about the matter by discovering the stones of the old arch themselves , and the opposite pier of the arch still in situ , only buried beneath the rubbish . The diagram shows you the actual results of his work . This requires a little expliiiiaticii . Vou will therefore remark that the present surface of the ground is 40 ft , above the old level ot the rock on which the pier is built , anclGOft . above tho rock which lay under

the arch itself . The fallen voussoirs of the arch , formed by Warren , lie upon a pavement . On digging through this pavement 20 ft . lower down was found the rock again , extending under the whole space of the arch ( -lift . ) to the foundations of the wall . But in the middle of the rock was founcPa canal , cut 12 ft . deep and 6 ft . wide , over which was lying also a stone of an arch . The inferencethereforeis clearlthat arch stood

, , y an here which was destroyed ; that debris began to fill up the valley and to cover the stones ; that a pavement was laid down to hide these ruins , and the arch was rebuilt ; that , at a subsequent siege , this arch also was destroyed ; that more ruins and debris piled themselves up , each year adding something , till the very memory of the stones hacl perished ; aud it was left for an English man to wrench from the ruins the secrets of the time b

gone y . It is further conjectured that this arch was not the last of a series of equally magnificent arches , extending across the valley ' Between Moriab and Zion ; but that it was the arch across the Ty ropcEon valley which led from Zion to the Temple ; that a ramp , or sloping road , ran up to the level of this arch from Mount Zion . The arch itself—small in comparison with some of the efforts of modern ineering—was a worth

eng y pendant to the great wall of the Temple with its span of 10 ft . audits height of 60 ft . Higher up the same well—the west—there is a certain arch orig inally discovered by Dr . Barclay , and subsequently explained by Lieutenant Warren . It is hidden underground , and is . difficult of access . Curiousto discover all that could bo heard of

this arch , Lieutenant Warren sank a shaft down the wall . Tho discoveries that he made are of tbe highest importance . They are however so difficult to explain that I again refer to Warrens own words : — " It is a most difficult place to describe for those who have not seen it , for many who went through it could hardly understand it . The best way I can think of describing it is by attempting to build it up from the beginning , as far as can be judged from

existing remains . " At some early period—I will leave those learned in history to determine the date—there appears to have existed , near the present causeway , some important buildings by the Haram Wall , but no communication with the Haram at its present level : r . vhen it was arranged to connect Mount Zion with Mount Moriah , these buildings appear to have been arched over from wall to walland then again arch upon arch was built until

, a sufficient height was obtained to give a sloping road from Zion to Moriah , at a height of 120 feet over the lowest part of the valley . At first this causeway was apparently only 20 feet wide , ancl fresh houses seem to have been built on either side . At some later period it was found necessary to widen the causeway , by adding another on the nether side , of a similar width , and again the old houses appear to have been built over ,

which may account for the different spaces of the arches running side by side . The causeway was thus about 40 feet wide , and reached to within 42 feet of the Haram Wall ; the intervening space being bridged over b y one handsome arch , which still exists , and is generally called Captain Wilson ' s . " As time rolled on , it seems that this upper causeway was insufficient , and a secret passage was made south of the causeway , and alongside of it ; this passage is about 12 feet

wide and 14 feet high . It has a fine arch turned over it , and appears to have been used for bringing troops from the west of the city to the Temple : the lower part of it may also have been used for conveying water to the Temple . To the south of this passage other vaults exist , in one of which is a Masouic column , to which I , not being a Royal Arch Mason , am not able further to refer ; nor would it be proper in this meeting to enter more fully into detail respecting what it is believed to be . The street

from the Jaffa Gate now passes over this passage , and the houses are built over tho vaults on either side . Some suppose that this passage led from Herod ' s Palace to the Temple : howeverwhatever it may have been—it is very necessary that we should find out whence it comes , as it appears to be in connection with the first . wall of Jerusalem , though whether it comes from the Jaffa Gate , or the north-west angle of the city , is yet to be

discovered . Let us now turn to the south wall . This wall , of which a diagram is before you , must have been , when its whole surface was exposed , a stupendous piece of masonry . It is now 1 , 000 feet long ; it was formerly probably at least 200 feet high in its highest position . , Tou will observe from the diagram two points of interest . First tho way in which the wall was built across the valleyand secondly the fact that the masonry is uniforml

, y the same from the lowest point to where the modern masonry begins . It is needless to say that this is very inferior , the stones being smaller , of irregular size , and not so well put together . The chief points of interest connected with this wall are , besides tbe foundations aud lie of the rock , the tliree gates known as the Huldah , or double gate , the Triple Gate , ancl the Single Gate . Into the various points connected with these I have no time to enter . Let me read you , however , an account which Lieutenant

Warren gives of the discovery of a passage—only a small culvert—at the very lowest point of the valley : — " On Friday , having arrived at a depth of 79 feet , the men were breaking up a stone at the bottom of the shaft . Suddenly the ground gave way , down went the stone and the hammer , the men barely saving themselves . Tbey at once rushed up and told the Serjeant they had found the bottomless pit . I went downe to the spot ancl examined it , and in order that you may hav an idea of the extent of our work , I will give you a description of

onr descent . " The shaft mouth is on the south side of the Haram Wall , near the south-west angle , among the prickly pears ; beside it , to the east , lying against the Haram Wall , is a large mass of rubbish that has been brought up ; while over the mouth itself is a triangular gin with iron wheel attached , with guy for running up the excavated soil . Looking down the shaft , one sees that it is lined for the first 20 feet with frames 4 ft . 6 in . iu the clear ; further

down , the Haram "Willi and soil cut through is seen , and a man standing at what appears to be the bottom . An order is given to this man , who repeats it , and then faintly , is heard a sepulchral voice answering as it were from another world . Reaching down to the man who is visible is a 34-feet rope-ladder , and , on descending by it , one finds be is standing on a ledge which the ladder does not touch by four feet . This ledge is the top of a

wall running north and south and abutting ou the Haram Wall ; its east face just cuts the centre of the shaft , which has to be canted off about two feet towards the east , just where some large , loose stones jut out in tbe most disagreeable manner . Here five more frames bave been fixed to keep those stones steady . On peering down from this ledge , one sees the Haram Wall with its projecting courses until they are lost in the darkness below , observing , also , at the same lime that two sides of the shaft

are cut through the soil and are self-supporting . Now to descend tins second drop the ladder is again required ; accordingly , having told tho man at bottom to get under cover , it is lowered to the ledge , from whence it is found that it does not reach to the bottom by several feet . It is therefore lowered the required distance , ancl one has to reach it b y climbing down baud over hand for about twelve feet . On passing along , one notes the marvellous joints of the Haram Wall stones , and also , probably ,

gets a few blows on skull and knuekes from falling pebbles . Just on reaching the bottom , one recollects there is still a pit of unknown depth to be explored , and cautiously straddles across it . Then can be seen that one course in the Haram Wall , near the bottom , is cptite smooth all over , the stone being finely dressed , all other courses being only well dressed round the drafts ; one ' also sees two stout hoards tying against the Haram Wall , under which the men retire whenever an accidental shower of stones renders their position dangerous . One is now at a depth of 70 feet from the surface , and from here we com-