master. The globe, guarded by the serpent head of the Agathodæmon, adorns the architrave; and on the cornice there is a winged orb, much dilapidated.

CLXXIV. Upon entering the chamber, which is in a high state of preservation, you imagine yourself in a kind of miniature Egyptian pantheon, all the greater gods of Egypt being sculptured on the walls, all in movement, engaged in some grand procession, probably conducting the deceased mortal to the foot of Osiris's throne: Chemmis orthophallus, Ammon, Phthah, Thoth, Anubis, Osiris, and Isis suckling the boy Horus, who, though the goddess is represented standing, with her right arm thrown about his neck, is still tall enough to reach the breast. On the head of Isis, who greatly resembles the Indian goddess Bhavani, is a globe resting between the horns of the young moon, to imply, perhaps, that her generative influence embraces and fertilises the whole earth. Among the figures on the northern wall we remark the same mortal whom we discover without; unmitred as before, and appearing to be leading a young child into the presence of Osiris, whose face is turned graciously towards him.

CLXXV. From this chapel we proceeded to walk round the mountain, which is scarped on all sides into steep and almost inaccessible cliffs, in search of some ravine or fissure by which we might ascend its lofty summit, where, as we conjectured from information received at Cairo, there existed a spacious

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TANK EXCAVATED IN THE ROCK.

tank excavated in the rock. Finding at length a break in the precipice, we succeeded in making our way, through chasms and narrow crevices, up the almost perpendicular acclivity of the mountain, and, arriving at the top, which commands a view of prodigious extent over the desert and the valley of the Nile, discovered the reservoir, which had evidently been wrought with the greatest care. It was about twenty-two feet in length, by sixteen in breadth; the depth we could not ascertain, since it was in a great measure filled up with rubbish; but it probably descended to the level of the river, and was thence supplied with water. No doubt there formerly stood on this impregnable height some castle or fortress for the use of whose occupants this well or reservoir was intended; though of such a building no trace now remains. But from the hollow sound which the rock in many places returned to our footsteps, it seems probable that it contains within its bowels many tombs or sepulchral excavations, the entrances to which have not yet been discovered.

CLXXVI. Descending from thence to the valley, and skirting in a southerly direction round the hill, we discovered a group of Roman bassi-rilievi, sculptured on a kind of sunken tablet, in the rock, about twenty-five feet from the ground, consisting of three human figures, of which the central one, colossal and seated, may probably represent Jupiter, whose figure is much obliterated; but its head appears to be surmounted by the globe of the sun or moon. On either

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side of this Deity is a male figure curbing a fiery horse; and these have been thought greatly to resemble the group of Castor and Pollux at Rome. Whether they be intended for those two sons of Leda or not, they have stars over their heads, and are dressed in short armour, with a kind of tippet on the breast and shoulders, rather in the Egyptian style. The heads and fore parts of the horses are executed in a bold and vigorous manner, but the hinder parts are concealed by the bodies of their masters.

CLXXVII. From this group, with which we concluded our examination of the Necropolis of Achoris, we descended by a rocky flight of steps to the plain, and, following the pretty rural pathway leading along the foot of the Bird Mountains, directed our course towards Minieh. The heat during the whole of this day, Christmas-day, was quite as great as during very warm summers in Europe, but had no enervating effect. Skylarks and butterflies on the wing, fields enamelled with bright wild-flowers, eagles and falcons wheeling aloft among the stupendous precipices, and foxes and jackals basking in the sun at their foot, were circumstances at variance with our ideas of winter, which, in fact, was now over for us. There were a great many large caverns in the base of the mountains, which smelled like the dens of wild beasts, and were thickly strewed with bones. As we walked along, Monro brought down from a great height a small brown eagle, which fell like a clod among the rocks, and measured, when his wings were

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BREADTH OF THE NILE.

expanded, at least five feet. At the foot of this desolate range, we ate our noon-day meal; biscuits, Arab cakes, and a few hard eggs;-water was a luxury beyond our reach;-yet no London alderman enjoyed his Christmas dinner better so keen and unceremonious were our appetites. On the way to Minich, we passed by a ruined village, picturesquely situated on the slope of a rocky hill; and, after a walk of several leagues, reached our boats a little before dark, when Suleiman met us with the welcome intelligence that dinner was ready.

Wednesday, Dec. 26. Sheikh Abadé. CLXXVIII. The wind, which had yesterday shifted round to the north, still continuing fair, we rose before the sun, in order to leave Minieh early; but were desirous, before our departure, to examine the appearance of the city, which, according to some writers, occupies the site of the ancient Cynopolis. The Nile, in front of Minieh, has been described by one traveller as broad, by another as narrow; and their disagreement has been regarded as a proof that the relations of travellers are not to be relied on. But the stream is here divided by a low sandy island, and when this is concealed by the waters, the channel is of a magnificent breadth; but when the Nile shrinks within its banks, and falls below a certain level, the island reappears, and diminishes the grandeur of the river; and if at this season the observer should confine his view to the branch next to Minieh, its breadth would not be extraordinary. The sand-bank

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is at present visible; but rising very little above the level of the river, and being covered in many places with a thin veil of water distributed in small ponds, it might very easily be overlooked, as it does not sensibly interrupt the uniformity of the surface line.

CLXXIX. On entering the town we found it was as yet too early even for the Arabs to be abroad; very few persons being in the streets, but such as were returning from their morning devotions in the mosques, to which I had heard the voice of the muezzin inviting them long before day. Even the bazăr, which is large, neat, and peculiarly clean, was destitute of all signs of activity, excepting two or three women with baskets of nice fresh bread, forty cakes of which were here sold for a piastre, two of which, with tea or coffee, would be a breakfast for a man. Eggs we also found at the rate of forty for a piastre; and three bottles and a half of new milk for twenty paras, or about one penny farthing. In all these towns the coffee-houses, where dancing girls are invariably found, appear to be constantly open. The dwellings of such devout persons as have performed the pilgrimage to Mekka are generally covered with a kind of white stucco, upon which, for I know not what reason, fishes and different kinds of monsters are represented; and among others, I observed a figure which Suleiman assured me was intended for a crocodile ; but to render the spectator quite certain of this, it would have been necessary to write the name below. The city of Minieh contains several mosques, straight