kiss it, and, prostrating themselves before it, offer up their
adoration. This, you are told, is the stone on which the body of our
Lord was washed and anointed, and prepared for the tomb.

Turning to the left, we came to a round stone let into the pavement,
with a canopy of ornamental iron-work over it Here the Virgin Mary is
said to have stood when the body of our Saviour was taken down from the
cross.

Leaving this, we entered the circular space immediately under the great
dome, which is about eighty feet in diameter, and is surrounded by
eighteen large square piers, which support the front of a broad gallery.
Formerly this circular gallery was supported by white marble pillars:
but the church was burnt down about twenty years ago, through the
negligence of a drunken Greek monk, who set a light to some parts of the
woodwork, and then endeavoured to put out the flames by throwing aqua
vitae upon them, which he mistook for water.

The Chapel of the Sepulchre stands under the centre of the dome. It is a
small oblong house of stone, rounded at one end, where there is an altar
for the Coptic and Abyssinian Christians. At the other end it is
square, and has a platform of marble in front, which is ascended by a
flight of steps, and has a low parapet wall and a seat on each side. The
chapel contains two rooms. Taking off our shoes and turbans, we entered
a low narrow door, and went into a chamber, in the centre of which
stands a block of polished marble. On this stone sat the angel who
announced the blessed tidings of the resurrection.

From this room, which has a small round window on each side, we passed
through another low door into the inner chamber, which contains the Holy
Sepulchre itself, which, however, is not visible, being concealed by an
altar of white marble. It is said to be a long narrow excavation like a
grave or the interior of a sarcophagus hewed out of the rock just
beneath the level of the ground. Six rows of lamps of silver gilt,
twelve in each row, hang from the ceiling, and are kept perpetually
burning. The tomb occupies nearly one-half of the sepulchral chamber,
and extends from one end of it to the other on the right side of the
door as you enter; a space of three feet wide and rather more than six
feet long in front of it being all that remains for the accommodation of
the pilgrims, so that not more than three or four can be admitted at a
time.

Leaving this hallowed spot, we were conducted fir