Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 2.djvu/232

 2r4 A History of Art in Sardinia and Jud^a. side Is covered by HIttite characters in cameo, divided by raised bars in three parallel lines. The plain is traversed by a bank, which may cover a stone wall foundation ; the superstructure, undoubtedly of crude bricks, has long disappeared. Mr. Ramsay heard from the natives of multitudinous old ruins in the neighbourhood ; his time, however, was too short to allow him to verify the report. But we may be sure that a general survey would yield fruitful results. Nine miles on the north of Bey-Sheher (ancient Caralis, Caralitis) are the springs of Eflatoun, also called Plato's Fountain. Hamil- ton was the first to visit the monument, which he describes as ''very curious and very ancient, built on the side of a circular hollow in the limestone, round which numerous fresh-water springs rise in great abundance, forming a small lake, from whence a con- siderable stream flows rapidly into the lake of Bey-Sheher" (Fig. 356). His views with respect to the monument precisely coincide with ours.^ During my campaign in Galatia, I was unable to extend my investigations so far afield ; but ever since I have lost no opportunity of calling the attention of travellers bound for Asia Minor, to Hamilton's remarkable passage. Unfortunately, Eflatoun lies outside the usual road taken by travellers ; so that very few have sufficient time or money at their disposal to under- take so long a detour. Mr. Ramsay, with Sir Charles Wilson, paid a flying visit to the ruins ; and his drawing, which he was good enough to communicate to me, bears visible signs of hurry, and is not more explicit than Hamilton's. I had well-nigh given up all hope of being able to procure efficient information on the sub- ject, when I received a letter, accompanied by a number of capital drawings done in sepia, from Dr. Maryan Sokolowski, which I forthwith published in the Revue Archdologique?' Since then photographs of the monument have been most kindly forwarded to me by Mr. John Haynes, taken in 1884, during the "Wolfe Expedition to Asia Minor," of which he formed part.^ In the ^ Hamilton, Researches, torn. ii. pp. 350-351. Nobody seems to know, or have cared to inquire, how this spring came to be called *' Plato's " Fountain. ^ Revue Arch., 3® serie, tom. v. pp. 257-264; Plates XI., XII. ^ See "Preliminary Report of an Archaeological Journey made in Asia Minor, 1884," by M. Sterrett. The report has been published by the Archse.-American Institute, which has recently founded the Arch se. -American School at Athens, of which M. Sterrett is a member. With regard to the "Wolfe Expedition to Babylonia," undertaken before that of 1884, read the account which appeared in the Revue Arch., 3 s^rie, tom. viii. by M. Menant.