beyond the Cataracts. Various names of French generals and officers follow, and near them is engraved the name of Denon, as also those of a variety of travellers.

In the first court of the temple is a great rock of granite, perhaps twelve feet by ten, covered with hieroglyphics, which were copied by Mr. Wilkinson. He said he was never more disappointed than with regard to them. We saw the portico by moonlight, half lighted, and the dark sanctuaries in the back ground. On Saturday, we were measuring the temple. Over the door, a little to the south of the great propyleon, is an inscription.

Besides the inscription over the entrance; numerous hieroglyphics are at the sides, nearly on the same level. The half to the left of the door, is about fifteen inches shorter than the other. A wall comes upon it, but on cutting out the stone, we found no more hieroglyphics. Part of the one jutting out was, within, unfinished.

Sunday 24th. View from the top of the propyleon. The sun coming over the hills of the crumbled granite. In the quiet of the morning we for the first time heard the sound of the distant cataracts. The island of Philae is picturesque, with its small trees, its rocks, and temple. This island is surrounded by mountains of granite. The river winds calmly among them, and the reflection of the rocks, the ruins, and the palms, forms one of the most picturesque views which we had yet seen

in Africa. The Egyptian hieroglyphic, the Greek inscription, the Christian cross, all have flourished and decayed, and even the Mohammedans, who last occupied it, have left it in a ruinous state. Fragments of ruins and sculpture, cast into the stream; the granite rocks heaped on one another, some of them covered with hieroglyphics, seem like the relics of an earlier world, whose inhabitants have passed away, and left their unknown language upon them. The banks of the river, left dry, are turned into a garden. To the north and east on the edge of the desert, are two villages. The Nile disappears southward to the left, between two hills. We looked for the last time on this scene, the most distant which we were to behold. What vast countries lie beyond, the names of which are still unknown! Nubia and Abyssinia have been explored, but of others no information has been gained, except the rumours, too often confirmed, that such and such a traveller has perished, thus adding to the long list of brave men, who have fallen victims to their ambition.

We quitted Philae in a crazy boat, rowed by two Nubian boys, intending to proceed as far as practicable, and then walk to the cataracts. In rowing down, we were much amused by an extempore song which the boys made upon us and our dresses, loading us with every epithet of extravagant praise, in the hope of being repaid with backshish, at the end of their labour. We

landed a short distance above the cataract, and were conducted by some fourteen or fifteen Arab boys, to see the contrivance for catching fish.

The place was a sort of labyrinth, the entrance of which being stopped, some twenty people went in to catch fish, but could not succeed. These stations are sold for from twenty to forty piastres each. A little further down is the second great rapid, which is more considerable than the first. The reader must not figure to himself the cataracts of the Nile as resembling the falls of Niagara. Those who expect to find a fall of great importance will be much deceived, as there is not a perpendicular descent of ten feet, in any part of them. The river is intersected for three or four miles, by an immense number of small islands, formed by granite rocks, and the stream, thus impeded, naturally forms itself into strong currents, and in several places the water decends an inclined plane with great rapidity. This occurring in three or four instances, forms what is called by the sounding title of the cataracts of the Nile.

It was a fine sight to see the boys plunging down. Eight of them at once plunged from above the commencement of the cataract, disappeared, and rose. This sufficiently proves how small the cataracts are, when, in the end of March, a time at which the fall is near its highest, boys may thus pass down without danger.

Towards evening we returned to Assuan, the

antient Syene, and went over to the island of Elphantina. The ruins of this island are now but few. The principal, are a granite gateway, a statue, and a few sand-stone columns, of indifferent workmanship. We descended the river about two leagues below Assuan: on the west bank, we found the remains of a terrace, about one hundred and twenty feet long, which may have been used as a landing place, but there was nothing in the character of the ruins, to indicate precisely to what purpose they could have been formerly applied.. In the evening we arrived at Koum Ombos.

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CHAPTER XI.

Koum Ombos-Ruins-Gebel el Silcily-Edfou-Tombs at El Hegges

-Esneh-Thebes-Memnonium-Carnac- Ghenny- Dendera -Siout-Til El-Armarne - Excavations-Eraramoum - Sugar Manufactory-Sheik-a-badeh-Return to Cairo.