a guide, in company with a troop of his pupils, and, according to the
story, the whole party lost their way and perished miserably.

There are several spacious halls among these underground galleries, the
roof of one being supported by a line of many fluted columns wrought out
of the solid rock, just as they stand. Here it is supposed that
religious or pagan ceremonies of some sort took place. A solid stone,
which might have served as a rude altar or place of sacrifice, was found
in the centre of the hall referred to. Portions of these catacombs have
been walled up in modern times, since a second party of visitors became
lost in them. Along the sides of the passages there are occasionally
excavations which seem to have been used for sleeping purposes, or
possibly for burial nooks, wherein the bodies were hermetically sealed
after death. There are places also which appear as if designed for
baking ovens; indeed, there are many special arrangements of so peculiar
a character that it is difficult to imagine their several uses. The
origin of the catacombs and their real design are lost in antiquity, but
they are known to have existed in the days of Roman sovereignty here,
that is, over two thousand years ago. They may have served both as tombs
and as hiding-places. The primitive Christians are believed to have fled
to them for refuge, and are thought to have used them also as tombs, and
yet if they ever contained any mural appointments they must have been
long since removed. There is nothing in these subterranean passages now
but the mouldering stones and an atmosphere of an earth-impregnated
character, suggestive of humanity turned to dust. Upon the whole, one
cannot but rejoice at leaving these damp, gloomy, mysterious passages
far behind.

It suggests itself to the visitor that the large amount of rock which
must have been removed in the formation of this Subterranean City was
used for building purposes upon the surface of the island. Probably
Citta Vecchia itself, so near at hand, is largely composed of the
natural stone thus procured. A double purpose may thus have been
served,--the obtaining of means for building substantial habitations
above ground, and the forming of sepulchral avenues for tombs,
hiding-places, or for secret rites, either pagan or Christian. There
were times when Christians were compelled to worship here in secret.

Near the entrance to the catacombs is the Grotto of St. Paul, over which
an unpr