so　passed；　and　then　suddenly　I　became　aware　that　we
  were　once　more　in　the　open　air。　I　could　see　the　light
  through　my　bandage　and　feel　freshness　on　my　face。　A
  few　more　and　the　caravan　halted；　and　I　heard　Billali
  order　Ustane　to　remove　her　bandage　and　undo　ours。
  Without　waiting　for　her　attentions　I　got　the　knot　of
  mine　loose；　and　looked　out。
  As　I　anticipated；　we　had　passed　right　through　the
  precipice；　and　were　now　on　the　farther　side；　and
  immediately　beneath　its　beetling　face。　The　first　thing
  I　noticed　was　that　the　cliff　was　not　nearly　so　high
  here；　not　so　high　I　should　say　by　five　hundred　feet；
  which　proved　that　the　bed　of　the　lake；　or　rather　of
  the　vast　ancient　crater　in　which　we　stood；　was　much
  above　the　level　of　the　surrounding　plain。　For　the
  rest；　we　found　ourselves　in　a　huge　rock…surrounded
  cup；　not　unlike　that　of　the　first　place　where　we　had
  sojourned；　only　ten　times　the　size。　Indeed；　I　could
  only　just　make　out　the　frowning　line　of　the　opposite
  cliffs。　A　great　portion　of　the　plain　thus　enclosed　by
  nature　was　cultivated；　and　fenced　in　with　walls　of
  stone　placed　there　to　keep　the　cattle　and　goats；　of
  which　there　were　large　herds　about；　from　breaking　into
  the　gardens。　Here　and　there　rose　great　grass　mounds；
  and　some　miles　away　towards　the　centre　I　thought　that
  I　could　see　the　outline　of　colossal　ruins。　I　had　no
  time　to　observe　anything　more　at　the　moment；　for　we
  were　instantly　surrounded　by　crowds　of　Amahagger；
  similar　in　every　particular　to　those　with　whom　we　were
  already　familiar；　who；　though　they　spoke　little；
  pressed　round　us　so　closely　as　to　obscure　the　view　to
  a　person　lying　in　a　hammock。　Then　all　of　a　sudden　a
  number　of　armed　men　arranged　in　companies；　and
  marshalled　by　officers　who　held　ivory　wands　in　their
  hands；　came　running　swiftly　towards　us；　having；　so　far
  as　I　could　make　out；　emerged　from　the　face　of　the
  precipice　like　ants　from　their　burrows。　These　men；　as
  well　as　their　officers；　were　all　robed　in　addition　to
  the　usual　leopard　skin；　and；　as　I　gathered；　formed　the
  bodyguard　of　_i_　She　_i_　herself。
  Their　leader　advanced　to　Billali；　saluted　him　by
  placing　his　ivory　wand　transversely　across　his
  forehead；　and　then　asked　some　question　which　I　could
  not　catch；　and　Billali　having　answered　him；　the　whole
  regiment　turned　and　marched　along　the　side　of　the
  cliff；　our　cavalcade　of　litters　following　in　their
  track。　After　going　thus　for　about　half　a　mile　we
  halted　once　more　in　front　of　the　mouth　of　a　tremendous
  cave；　measuring　about　sixty　feet　in　height　by　eighty
  wide；　and　here　Billali　descended　finally；　and
  requested　Job　and　myself　to　do　the　same。　Leo；　of
  course；　was　far　too　ill　to　do　anything　of　the　sort。　I
  did　so；　and　we　entered　the　great　cave；　into　which　the
  light　of　the　setting　sun　penetrated　for　some　distance；
  while　beyond　the　reach　of　the　light　it　was　faintly
  illuminated　with　lamps　which　seemed　to　me　to　stretch
  away　for　an　almost　immeasurable　distance；　like　the
  gaslights　of　an　empty　London　street。　The　first　thing
  that　I　noticed　was　that　the　walls　were　covered　with
  sculptures　in　bas…relief；　of　a　sort；　pictorially
  speaking；　similar　to　those　that　I　have　described　upon
  the　vaseslove…scenes　principally；　then　hunting…
  pictures；　pictures　of　executions；　and　the　torture　of
  criminals　by　the　placing　of　a　presumably　red…hot　pot
  upon　the　head；　showing　whence　our　hosts　had　derived
  this　pleasant　practice。　There　were　very　few　battle…
  pieces；　though　many　of　duels；　and　men　running　and
  wrestling；　and　from　this　fact　I　am　led　to　believe　that
  this　people　was　not　much　subject　to　attack　by　exterior
  foes；　either　on　account　of　the　isolation　of　their
  position　or　because　of　their　great　strength。　Between
  the　pictures　were　columns　of　stone　characters　of　a
  formation　absolutely　new　to　me：　at　any　rate；　they　were
  neither　Greek；　nor　Egyptian；　nor　Hebrew；　nor　Assyrian…
  …that　I　am　sure　of。　They　looked　more　like　Chinese
  writings　than　any　other　that　I　am　acquainted　with。
  Near　to　the　entrance　of　the　cave　both　pictures　and
  writings　were　worn　away；　but　farther　in　they　were　in
  many　cases　absolutely　fresh　and　perfect　as　the　day　on
  which　the　sculptor　had　ceased　work　upon　them。
  The　regiment　of　guards　did　not　come　farther　than　the
  entrance　to　the　cave；　where　they　formed　up　to　let　us
  pass　through。　On　entering　the　place　itself　we　were；
  however；　met　by　a　man　robed　in　white；　who　bowed
  humbly；　but　said　nothing；　which；　as　it　afterwards
  appeared　that　he　was　a　deaf　mute；　was　not　very
  wonderful。
  Running　at　right　angles　to　the　great　cave；　at　a
  distance　of　some　twenty　feet　from　the　entrance；　was　a
  smaller　cave　or　wide　gallery；　that　was　pierced　into
  the　rock　both　to　the　right　and　to　the　left　of　the　main
  cavern。　In　front　of　the　gallery　to　our　left　stood　two
  guards；　from　which　circumstance　I　argued　that　it　was
  the　entrance　to　the　apartments　of　_i_　She　_i_　herself。
  The　mouth　of　the　right…hand　gallery　was　unguarded；　and
  along　it　the　mute　indicated　that　we　were　to　proceed。
  Walking　a　few　yards　down　this　passage；　which　was
  lighted　with　lamps；　we　came　to　the　entrance　to　a
  chamber　having　a　curtain　made　of　some　grass　material；
  not　unlike　a　Zanzibar　mat　in　appearance；　hung　over　the
  doorway。
  This　the　mute　drew　back　with　another　profound
  obeisance；　and　led　the　way　into　a　good…sized
  apartment；　hewn；　of　course；　out　of　the　solid　rock；
  but；　to　my　great　delight；　lighted　by　means　of　a　shaft
  pierced　in　the　face　of　the　precipice。　In　this　room　was
  a　stone　bedstead；　pots　full　of　water　for　washing；　and
  beautifully　tanned　leopard　skins　to　serve　as　blankets。
  Here　we　left　Leo；　who　was　still　sleeping　heavily；　and
  with　him　stopped　Ustane。　I　noticed　that　the　mute　gave
  her　a　very　sharp　look；　as　much　as　to　say；　〃Who　are
  you；　and　by　whose　orders　do　you　come　here？〃　Then　he
  conducted　us　to　another　similar　room　which　Job　took；
  and　then　to　two　more　that　were　respectively　occupied
  by　Billali　and　myself。
  CHAPTER　XII
  〃SHE〃
  THE　first　care　of　Job　and　myself；　after　seeing　to　Leo；
  was　to　wash　ourselves　and　put　on　clean　clothing；　for
  what　we　were　wearing　had　not　been　changed　since　the
  loss　of　the　dhow。　Fortunately；　as　I　think　that　I　have
  said；　by　far　the　greater　part　of　our　personal　baggage
  had　been　packed　into　the　whaleboat；　and　was　therefore
  savedand　brought　hither　by　the　bearersalthough　all
  the　stores　laid　in　by　us　for　barter　and　presents　to
  the　natives　were　lost。　Nearly　all　our　clothing　was
  made　of　a　well…shrunk　and　very　strong　gray　flannel；
  and　excellent　I　found　it　for　travelling　in　these
  places；　because　though　a　Norfolk　jacket；　shirt；　and
  pair　of　trousers　of　it　only　weighed　about　four　pounds；
  a　great　consideration　in　a　tropical　country；　where
  every　extra　ounce　tells　on　the　wearer；　it　was　warm；
  and　offered　a　good　resistance　to　the　rays　of　the　sun；
  and；　best　of　all；　to　chills；　which　are　so　apt　to
  result　from　sudden　changes　of　temperature。
  Never　shall　I　forget　the　comfort　of　the　〃wash　and
  brush…up；〃　and　of　those　clean　flannels。　The　only　thing
  that　was　wanting　to　complete　my　joy　was　a　cake　of
  soap；　of　which　we　had　none。
  Afterwards　I　discovered　that　the　Amahagger；　who　do　not
  reckon　dirt　among　their　many　disagreeable　qualities；
  use　a　kind　of　burned　earth　for　washing　purposes；
  which；　though　unpleasant　to　the　touch　till　one　gets
  accustomed　to　it；　forms　a　very　fair　substitute　for
  soap。
  By　the　time　that　I　was　dressed；　and　had　combed　and
  trimmed　my　black　beard；　the　previous　condition　of
  which　was　certainly　sufficiently　unkempt　to　give
  weight　to　Billali's　appellation　for　me；　the　〃Baboon；〃
  I　began　to　feel　most　uncommonly　hungry。　Therefore　I
  was　by　no　means　sorry　when；　without　the　slightest
  preparatory　sound　or　warning；　the　curtain　over　the
  entrance　to　my　cave　was　flung　aside；　and　another　mute；
  a　young　girl　this　time；　announced　to　me　by　signs　that
  I　could　not　misunderstandthat　is；　by　opening　her
  mouth　and　pointing　down　itthat　there　was　something
  ready　to　eat。　Accordingly　I　followed　her　into　the　next
  chamber；　which　we　had　not　yet　entered；　where　I　found
  Job；　who　had　also；　to　his　great　embarrassment；　been
  conducted　thither　by　a　fair　mute。　Job　had　never　got
  over　the　advances　the　former　lady　had　made　towards
  him；　and　suspected　every　girl　who　came　near　to　him　of
  similar　designs。
  〃These　young　parties　have　a　way　of　looking　at　one；
  sir；〃　he　would　say；　apologetically；　〃which　I　don't
  call　respectable。〃
  This　chamber　was　twice　the　size　of　the　sleeping…caves；
  and　I　saw　at　once　that　it　had　originally　served　as　a
  refectory；　and　also　probably　as　an　embalming…room　for
  the　Priests　of　the　Dead；　for　I　may　as　well　say　at　once
  that　these　hollowed…out　caves　were　nothing　more　nor
  less　than　vast　catacombs；　in　which　for　tens　of　ages
  the　mortal　remains　of　the　great　extinct　race　whose
  monuments　surrounded　us　had　been　first　preserved；　with
  an　art　and　a　completeness　that　has　never　since　been
  equalled；　and　then　hidden　away　for　all　time。　On　each
  side　of　this　particular　rock…chamber　was　a　long　and
  solid　stone　table；　about　three　feet　wide　by　three　feet
  six　in　height；　hewn　out　of　the　living　rock；　of　which
  it　had