“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. They at once rushed up and told the sergeant they had found the bottomless pit. I went down to the spot and examined it, and, in order that you may have an idea of the extent of our work, I will give you a description of our 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 feet 6 inches in the clear; farther down, the Haram Wall 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 he is standing on a ledge which the ladder does not touch by 4 feet. This ledge is the top of a wall running north and south and abutting on the Haram Wall; its east face just cuts the centre of the shaft, which has to be canted off about 2 feet towards the east, just where some large, loose stones jut out in the most disagreeable manner. Here five more frames have been fixed to keep these 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 time, that two sides of the shaft are cut through the soil and are self-supporting. Now to descend this second drop the ladder is again required; accordingly, having told the 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, and one has to reach it by climbing down hand over hand for about 12 feet. On passing along, one notes the marvellous joints of the Haram Wall stones, and also, probably, gets a few blows on skull and knuckles 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 quite smooth all over, the stone being finely dressed, all other courses being only well dressed round the drafts; one also sees two stout boards lying against the Haram Wall, under which the men retire whenever an accidental shower of stones renders their position dangerous. One is