Many caravansaries, however, have not the ac commodation of stables. the cattle being allowed to range in the open area, and hence has arisen an opinion warmly espoused by many learned writers and supported by a venerable tradition, that our Lord was born in an adjoining shed, or probably in a subterranean cave, like the grotto that is sometimes connected with the fountain of the place. The most complete establishments have very excellent stables in covered avenues, which extend behind the ranges of apartments—that is, between the back walls of these ranges of build ings and the external wall. of the khan, and the entrance to it is by a covered passage at one of the corners of the quadrangle. The stable is on a level with the court, and consequently below the level of the buildings, by the height of the platform on which they stand. Nevertheless, this platform is allowed to project behind into the stable, so as to form a bench, to which the horses' heads are turned, and on which they can, if they like, rest the nose-bag of haircloth, from which they eat, to enable them to reach the bottom when its contents get low. It also often happens
that not only this bench exists in the stable, but also recesses corresponding to those in front of the apartments, and formed by the side walls which divide the rooms, being allowed to project behind into the stable, just as the projection of the same walls into the great area forms the re cesses in front. These recesses in the stable or the bench, if there are no recesses, furnish ac commodation to the servants and others who have charge of the beasts, and when persons find on their arrival that the apartments usually appro priated to travelers are already occupied. they are glad to find accommodation in the stable, particu larly when the nights are cold or the season in clement. It is evident, then, from this descrip tion, that the part of the stable called 'the man ger.' could not reasonably have been other than one of those recesses, or at least a portion of the bench which we have mentioned, as affording ac commodation to travelers under certain circum stances.