127
KEFR  LATA.
The  sepulchral  caves  vary  in  their  sizes  and  construction;  the
entrance  is  generally  through  a  low  door,  sometimes  ornamented
by  short  pilasters,  into  a  vaulted  room  cut  in  the  rock,  the  size  of
which  varies  from  six  to  fifteen  feet  in  length,  and  from  four  to  ten
feet  in  breadth  ;  the  height  of  the  vault  is  about  six  feet  ;  but  sometimes ¬
  the  cave  terminates  in  a  flat  roof.  They  all  contain  coffins,  or
receptacles  for  the  dead  ;  in  the  smaller  chambers  there  is  a  coffin
in  each  of  the  three  sides  :  the  larger  contain  four  or  six  coffins,  two
opposite  the  entrance,  and  one  on  each  side,  or  two  on  each  of  the
three  sides  :  the  coffins  in  general  are  very  rudely  formed.  Some  of
the  natural  caverns  contain  also  artificial  receptacles  for  the  dead,
similar  to  those  already  described  ;  I  have  seen  many  of  these  caverns ¬
  in  different  parts  of  Syria.  The  south  side  of  the  village  being
less  rocky,  there  are  neither  caves  nor  coffins  on  that  side.  On  the
east  side  I  counted  twenty-one  coffins,  and  five  sepulchral  caves  ;
of  the  former,  fourteen  are  within  a  very  small  space  ;  the  greater
part  of  them  are  single,  but  in  some  places  they  have  been  formed
in  pairs,  upon  the  same  level,  and  almost  touching  each  other.
Crossing  to  the  N.  side  of  the  valley  of  Kefr  Lata,  I  met  with  à
long  wall  built  with  large  blocks  of  stone  ;  to  the  north  of  it  is  an
oblong  square,  thirty-seven  paces  in  length,  and  twenty-seven
breadth,  cut  out  of  the  rock  ;  in  its  walls  are  several  niches.  In
the  middle  of  it  is  a  large  coffin,  with  the  remains  of  a  wall  which
had  enclosed  it.  To  the  E.  of  this  is  a  similar  square,  but  of
smaller  dimensions.  I  counted  in  this  neighbourhood  twenty  coffins ¬
  and  four  sepulchral  caves,  besides  several  open  niches  very
neatly  wrought  in  the  side  of  the  mountain,  containing  recesses
for  the  dead.
Returning  towards  the  village  I  passed  the  source  of  the  rivulet ¬
  which  waters  the  valley.  Over  it  stands  an  ancient  building,
which  consists  of  a  vaulted  roof  supported  by  four  short  columns,
in  a  very  bad  heavy  style  ;  it  is  about  thirteen  feet  in  height.  A