and restrict myself to general observations, such as I now submit
in detail as they occurred.
Ummebeda (the name given to the site of those ruins by the
natives) lies near a village called Scbarkie or Agrmie, between that
place and an isolated mountain, on which a copious spring of fresh
water is said to rise. The buildings are in such a state of delapida-
tion, that a plain observer, who forms an opinion only from what he
sees, and does not accommodate the object in application and conjecture
to preconceived notions of a particular structure which he is
to look for, and trace out, could scarcely, (I think) from these rude
heaps, and mouldered and disjointed walls, suggest the precise form
or original purpose of the building when first raised. Its materials
might suggest, that it was built in the rudest ages, and when the
Troglodytae* of these parts first left their caves, and in their first
attempt of building, took their scheme and plan of architecture
from their old mansions, heaping rock on rock, in imitation of the
dwelling places which nature had before furnished.
I ascertained the general bearings of the building by my compass,
and found the outward walls constructed with aspects facing the
four cardinal points, the aberration being only of twelve degrees,
and which might have occurred from variation of the needle. The
total circumference may be several hundred yards, and is to be
traced out and followed by the foundations of a wall, in most parts
visible, and which, from the masses remaining, appears to have been
very strong. The outward wall, in most places, has been thrown
down, and the materials carried away, and the interior ground has
been every where turned up, and dug, in search of treasure.
* Vide Herodot. edit. Wesseting, p. 284.
In the centre of this extensive area, are seen the remains of an
edifice, which perhaps may be regarded as the principal building,*
and to which all around may have been mere appendage, and
subordinate.
The northern part of this building stands on a native calcareous
rock, rising above the level of the general area, within the outer
walls, about eight feet. The height of the edifice appears to be
about twenty-seven feet; its width twenty-four, and its length ten
or twelve paces. The walls are six feet in thickness, the exterior of
which within and without is constructed of large free stones, filled
up in the interstice with small stones and lime. The ceiling is
formed by vast blocks of stone, wrought and fitted to stretch over
and cover the entire building. The breadth of each such mass of
stone is about four feet, and the depth or thickness three feet. One
of these stones of the roof has fallen in, and is broken ; the entire
southern wall of the building hath likewise tumbled, and the materials
have mostly been carried away. But the people have not been
able to remove the large fragments fallen from the roof, which their
ancestors were enabled to bring from the quarry, and to raise entire
to the summit of the edifice. Such are the vicissitudes of art, of
knowledge, and of human powers and means, as well as of human
happiness and fortunes!
The stones that have fallen, lie sunk, with their surface lower
than the base of the yet standing part of the building, and their
bottom almost on a level with the area of the great inclosure. The
appearance of these fallen stones of the southern wall, leads to a
conjecture, that this extremity of the original edifice had its floor
or base lower than that of the northern part. The entrances to this
*' Vide Note, Appendix, No. I.