Travels in Georgia, Persia, Armenia, ancient Babylonia, &c&c: during the years 1817, 1818, 1819, and 1820 . rther on therocky ledge, we entered a second in no way different fromthe one just described. We next visited those more to thenorth; and found them rather lower down in the mountainthan those on the southern brow. Their ancient mode ofapproach seems to have been by a broad and magnificent flightof steps ; and, on the whole, that range appears of most superbdesign ; but the tomb to the extreme right is the only one thathas a pediment; its portal is hewn with superior care, and re-mains le
Travels in Georgia, Persia, Armenia, ancient Babylonia, &c&c: during the years 1817, 1818, 1819, and 1820 . rther on therocky ledge, we entered a second in no way different fromthe one just described. We next visited those more to thenorth; and found them rather lower down in the mountainthan those on the southern brow. Their ancient mode ofapproach seems to have been by a broad and magnificent flightof steps ; and, on the whole, that range appears of most superbdesign ; but the tomb to the extreme right is the only one thathas a pediment; its portal is hewn with superior care, and re-mains less injured than we found the others. Its interioralso is by much the most spacious; but the faces of all the tombsare so lamentably mutilated, it is impossible to conjecture eventhe style of their ornaments. However, some way down on thedeclivity of the hill, several fragments of stone, similar to thatof the rock, are to be found, carved like parts of friezes andarchitraves ; and it is not improbable that they may have assistedin forming into temple-like porticos, the fronts of these AT AMASSIA. 7II One of the rocky promontories, yet higher upon the same sideof the river with the fortress, contains two more tombs, butdug lower in the altitude of the mountain than those we lastexamined in the fortress rock. One is considerably nearer theplain, and on the sides of its entrance evident traces of archi-tectural decorations remain. Two more appear low in themountain slope just above the city, on the opposite side of theriver to that of the fortress-hill, from the commanding brow ofwhich I was enabled to make these more distant completed the number that I saw, near and from afar; thetime of their construction can only be guessed at, by the com-parison of facts ; but their whole plan proves their origin farbefore the era of Christianity, when so many of its persecuteddisciples were forced to seek refuge in natural caves, or subter-raneous asylums
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