Page:Palestine Exploration Fund - Quarterly Statement for 1894.djvu/214

174 B, C, D, and E. It will be thus seen that we have not sunk a single shaft which has not had some bearing, direct or indirect, on the question of the walls. A clue will probably appear before long. At any rate, we can attempt to follow the counterscarp beyond the point K, although, from the nature of the ground, houses, &c., this will be difficult.

With the exception of the Jewish pottery turned up in shaft J, the objects found seem to be Roman. A couple of dozen coins have turned up which I have not had time yet to clean and identify. Roman glass and potsherds abound. One whole lamp was found; also fragments of iron and bronze, the latter including an adjustment for hanging up a lamp, probably. We have exhumed great quantities of stone, to the delight of the owners of the land, who also rejoice in the new cistern we are clearing out, the Sheikhs of Neby Daûd, who were naturally somewhat suspicious at first, but have grown friendly. At sunset a dozen of their people are usually hanging about the works.

Our workmen, at present, number only 15, but they are most competent and energetic. Two of them worked with Sir Charles Warren, as boys, here and at the Jericho Tells. Our carpenter, who makes the mining frames, also worked for him. The ever-faithful Yusif presides over the labourers with his usual efficiency. Our tents are pitched within a few yards of the work. This certainly has its advantages, but it is like living in one's office—one never gets away from the work. As a rule I am here the whole of the day. Sometimes after dinner I get a stroll to the town, unless I am tired enough to go at once to bed. Ibrahim Effendi's tents are on the terrace below. The position is a glorious one, with the ground sloping down steeply to the Valley of Hinnom. I can look out from my tent and see the Mount of Olives and the ever-changing Mountains of Moab. The weather is very changeable. We have had in the fortnight quiet days of burning heat, boisterous days of fierce winds, days of simply charming weather, and one day of real cold. The nights are always delightful, except when the winds pull the tents about. My duties are varied, including laying out and constantly superintending the work, writing my reports, attending to our simple commissariat, with the daily accounts, and keeping things generally smooth, which is a strain on one's patience and diplomacy. When I hear the railway whistle, the military band, and the many bells, I confess to rebellious longings for the genuine camp-life of my beloved Philistia. There is something illogical in camping just outside a city.

Mr. Schick takes a friendly interest in the work, and his two visits have been of much profit to me. He advises me to search for signs of an outer wall. He kindly promises assistance when I come to my detailed plans. The work attracts numerous visitors. While very pleasant, this is, of course, a tax on one's time, especially when they appear towards the end of the day when one is supposed to have earned a little rest. We were honoured the first Saturday by a visit from three Consuls, the English, Russian, and Austrian. The work begins soon after five and ends at half-past six; the men stop for half an hour for