SECOND JOURNEY.
Having thus finished the account of my first journey up the Nile, I shall proceed to the narrative of my second. We set off from Boolak on the 20th of February, 1817. Mr. Beechey had the stern of the boat well covered with mats, and close lined all round, with a curtain to the door from which we had light, which was occasionally shut up, to prevent the dust or wind from penetrating from any quarter; beside, another cover over all, rendering it entirely secure, not only from the wind and dust, but also from the rain, if any should happen to fall. We had on board a Greek servant, a Janizary from the Bashaw, and a cook; all persons who never saw any necessity for economy in the article of provision, and who would make as much waste at Deir in Nubia as they would in Cairo. The result was, our provision, which was to last six months, began to fail at the end of one; consequently, with all the caution we took, we were obliged to live on what the country afforded. Indeed, while we were at Thebes we had no reason to complain; for there is a good supply to be had of meat, fowls, and pigeons: and, after the inundation, some greens, such as bamies, malokies, beans, &c.
Our Reis and crew were Barabras, engaged to go and stop where we pleased. They were hired by the month, and had to find themselves in provisions. As to the Janizary from the Bashaw, we found him of so little use (as he did scarcely any thing except treat the Christian dogs with insolence), that we sent him back after a few days trial.
Our departure from Boolak was attended with a contrary wind, which very seldom happens in going up the Nile, as the north winds prevail there at least nine months in the year. We passed the island of Roda, old Cairo, and all the pyramids; but such was the slowness of our progress, that in four days we only reached Tabeen, a village on the eastern bank, opposite Dajior. We stopped at this place pretty early, as the wind would not permit us to proceed; and it happened to be a situation so elevated, that it commanded a distant view of Cairo, the pyramids of Ghizeh, Saccara, and Dajior. I took this opportunity to make a sketch, which I humbly present to the reader (See Plate 22). One day more brought us near Lafachie, where we went to see a Bedoween camp. Hearing we were only travellers in search of antiquities, the Bedoweens were quite civil to us, as far as these people can be. Our business was immediately known to them from our servants and the crew; for no secrecy can be kept in that country, owing to these persons. The Bedoweens told us, that at Boorumbol, the next village, there was a statue half buried in the sand, which they had seen themselves. Next day we came to this village; and as we could not proceed, owing to a calm, we landed, and went in quest of the said statue. On our arrival we were shown a piece of rock, which had not the form of any thing. The Fellahs told us it was once a camel; that God turned it into a stone; and that the smaller ones which lay round it were water-melons, with which it was loaded, and which were metamorphosed into stones also. Perfectly satisfied with the story, we returned to our bark.
In the evening we arrived at Meimond; and, hearing the tambourine, went to see an Arabic feast in the village (See Plate 30.) We were introduced in front of the spectators. The performers consisted of about thirty men, all in a row, clapping their hands in concert, so as to form a kind of accompaniment to their song, which consisted of three or four words; and with one foot before the other keeping a sort of perpetual motion, but without changing their positions. Before the men were two women with daggers in their hands, also in continual action, running toward the men and then returning from them with an extraordinary motion, brandishing their daggers, and waving their garments. In this they persevered for such a length of time, that I wondered how they could support the exertion. This is a sort of Bedoween dance, and is the most decent of all that I ever saw in Egypt;—but no sooner was it ended, than, in order I suppose to please us, they immediately began another, in the fashion of the country, which fully compensated for the extraordinary modesty of the first; but we returned to our boat more disgusted than pleased with it.
For three days we had a strong southerly wind, so that we advanced but a few miles, and did not arrive at Minieh till the 5th of March. It was necessary for us to land there, to see Hamet Bey, who has the command over all the boats on the river. He styles himself admiral of the Nile, and thinks himself as great as any British admiral on the sea. One day at a christian party in Cairo, the discourse happened to fall upon Sir Sydney Smith; “Ah!” said Hamet Bey, “Sir Sydney is a very clever man, and holds the same rank as myself.” From this great commander we had to obtain a protection for our Reis, to secure him from having his boat pressed while we employed it. We found him sitting on a wooden bench, attended by two or three of his sailors. He complied with our request, and gave a hint for a bottle of rum. We sent him two, and he made a feast in high glee with them. We went to the house of Doctor Valsomaky, who distils aqua vita, and sells medicines wholesale and retail. He also collects antiquities from the Fellahs round the country, and disposes of them to any one, who chooses to buy them; and it was in hope of purchasing something of this sort, that we visited him. There we saw two Copts dressed like Franks, as they had been in France with the army. They were employed by Mr. Drouetti, the ex-French consul in Alexandria, who sent them up the Nile in search of antiquities.
As we did not wish to interfere with these men, we set off from Minieh immediately, and on the evening of the next day arrived at Raramoun near Eshmounein, the ancient Hermopolis, where we went to see Mr. Brine, an Englishman, who had introduced sugar-baking into the country. After encountering many obstacles, he had succeeded in purifying and refining the sugar to great perfection. His chief difficulties were to surmount the tricks played off against him by the Arab sugar dealers in that country, and to free the sugar from a particular smell occasioned by the soil, which, though not disagreeable, might retard its introduction into Europe. At his house we learned, that the two agents of Mr. Drouetti were making a forced march to Thebes, of their motives for which I was aware. They wished to arrive there before us, and purchase all that had been accumulated by the Arabs in the preceding season; so that we should have had no chance of buying any thing on our arrival. It was not on this account however I was uneasy, but because the spot, where I had been digging and found the sphinxes and statues, was so evidently pregnant with objects worthy the risk of excavation, that I had no doubt, if they reached Thebes before us, they would take possession of that ground, and we should have no longer a right to explore it.
The mode of travelling on asses or horses is much more speedy than the progress of our boat could be, so that we should certainly have no chance of regaining my old spot of ground where I found the statues. I was not long therefore in considering the matter, and resolved to set off immediately, and by travelling day and night was in hopes to reach the place before them. Accordingly a horse and an ass were got ready, and taking with me the Greek servant, I left Mr. Beechey to come up in the boat at his leisure. By this time it was midnight, yet we set off immediately, and forced marches brought us on the next evening to Manfalout. From this place we hastened without delay, and arrived at Siout before daylight. At sunrise we mounted again, and arrived at dark at Tahta. Here we rested in the convent for four hours, started afresh by the light of the moon, and arrived at Girgeh in the night. “We resumed our journey at one o’clock in the morning, reached Farshiout at noon, and after a delay of four hours, in consequence of not finding beasts immediately, arrived at night at a village three leagues above Badjoura. Here we rested two hours, set off by moonlight, and arrived at Gheneh at three. Having dined, we proceeded onward, rested a couple of hours at Benut at night, and arrived at Luxor the following noon.
The whole of our journey occupied five days and a half, during which I slept eleven hours, and all the rest of the time we were hastening on with asses, horses, or camels, as we could procure them on the road. The principal places we passed in this journey were Manfalout, Siout, Aboutij, Tahta, Menshieh, Girgeh, Farshiout, Badjoura, Gheneh, Copt, and Ghous. Any one who has been in the country may form some idea of the inconveniences a person must undergo, travelling through a tract entirely destitute of the necessaries of life. The fathers of the convents of Propaganda at Tahta, Girgeh, and Farshiout, afforded great accommodation to me on this forced march. They provided me with beasts and provisions for the road immediately on my arrival, for which I felt myself deeply indebted to them. The Arabs make every stranger welcome when they are at their meals; and I generally took advantage of the custom, whenever opportunity served; but on this occasion it would have caused the loss of that time I was so eager to gain. In places where there was no convent I went to the house of the Sheik el balet, where travellers of all sorts assemble at night. I was so fatigued and stiff, that any place of rest was acceptable to me. The bare earth generally afforded me a bed, and when I could procure a mat it was a luxury. I was refreshed one night with a few pieces of sugar-cane, which, after passing the torch where the juice has been extracted, becomes pretty soft, and affords a tolerable bed. I was also regaled with sugar-canes as a dessert after a repast of bread and onions. The sugar-cane is pleasant at the first taste, but on pressing it to extract the juice, it gives an acid that is not agreeable, and the flavour is rather insipid. The people of the country eat of it continually, and are very fond of it. It is sold in the markets as fruit when in season.
On the road between Siout and Tahta I met a body of Bedoween horsemen. I never had an opportunity of viewing these people to more advantage than at this time; and I must observe, that I never saw a finer set of men in my life. The horses were very strong, though not in full flesh. The riders were clothed only with a kind of mantle, made of white woollen, of their own manufacturing, which covered the head, and part of the body. They had very small saddles, contrary to the custom of this country; were armed with guns, pistols, and swords; and were going to Cairo to enter into the service of the Bashaw, who could find no other expedient for suppressing this body of freebooters than offering to give them good pay, horses, and arms, and to send them to Mecca. This proposal has had its due effect; for all the young men have embraced it, and left the old men and women in the deserts. In this manner the Bashaw entertains hopes of getting rid of the greater part, if not all, of these people, who are detested in the country, and, in case of any insurrection, always avail themselves of it to plunder. I passed through their camp, at the time of their convention with the Bashaw, so that I escaped unmolested, and perhaps unnoticed, as I was covered with a large burnoose of their own fashion, and my beard was pretty long. Their tents consist of four sticks set in the ground, about a yard in height, to which is fastened one of their shawls as a cover, with another behind, so as to form a kind of shelter from the sun, wind, or dew. They generally pitch their camps near a fertile spot, but always at the foot of the desert, so that in case of surprise they are soon in their native country: like the crocodile, which enjoys the land, but when disturbed, or at the approach of any person, immediately plunges into the river, as a place of safety. The women were all uncovered, and the children entirely naked. They are very frugal in their diet, and never drink any strong liquor. They are Arabs but no more like the Arabs of Egypt than a freeman is like a slave. The Egyptian Arabs are accustomed to obey, but will not do any thing unless compelled by force. They are humbled, because they are continually under the rod; and indolent, because they have no interest in any thing. But the wild Arabs, on the contrary, are constantly in motion, and labour to procure provision for their beasts and themselves; and being in perpetual war with each other, their thoughts are incessantly employed in improving their arts of defence, or in obtaining plunder.
I must here mention a circumstance, which occasioned me so many unpleasant events, and so much loss of time, and unnecessary labour, that I would not undertake to go through the business again for the discovery of another tomb of Apis. This was merely in consequence of an interpreter’s not choosing to take the trouble of writing a few lines. It will be recollected, that, on my return from Thebes to Cairo, I stopped at Siout; and that the Defterdar Bey sent a letter on board our boat for the consul. Previous to my return into Upper Egypt, I urged to the consul the necessity of sending some presents to the Bey, and in particular an answer to his letter from Siout. The consul, naturally thinking that his interpreter, who had been many years settled in the country, should know the customs of it better than myself, consulted him; and this man, merely to save writing, told the consul there was no occasion for it. Relying on him, my remonstrances were of no avail. The Bey, whose pride was touched to the quick at not seeing any present, or receiving any letter, was exasperated at every thing belonging to our party. I do not mean to impute any neglect to the consul for not sending a present to the Bey, as I know he intended to make him one; but the avaricious mind of the Defterdar did not place any reliance on the future, particularly when he found no reply to his letter, which he certainly had a right to expect. On the other hand, our opponents took every advantage, and neglected no means of attracting the good will of the Bey, sending him continually something or other, so that he openly promoted their interest in every respect. Such, with what follows, is the real state of the case; and let the Count de Forbin invent some other story to disguise the truth, if he can. On my arrival at Luxor, I found the Defterdar Bey had just passed, and, after having inquired which was the ground where I discovered the sphinxes, ordered it to be excavated, and returned to Siout; leaving his physician, Doctor Moroki, a Piedmontese, and countryman of Mr. Drouetti, to superintend the work. I was not a little surprised, to see the advantage which had been taken of us by this intrigue; and the Doctor, who was in the plot, ashamed, I suppose, of his own mean conduct, told me, that what he found was for the Bey, who had taken it into his head to be an antiquary. Several sphinxes had been uncovered, and more were to be found, while I was obliged to be a mere spectator of the operation, made on the very ground I first opened. Yet the Count de Forbin had impudence enough to assert, that they were discovered by a gentleman, and covered up again, with other idle stories from his own school. Many sphinxes had been found in the Doctor’s excavation, but only four were worth taking out. Having finished his operation, he left a guard to the statues, and returned to Siout, as he was ordered by his master; but previous to his departure he went to the west side of Thebes, and forbade the Fellahs with threats to sell any thing to the English. On finding that I had already purchased some articles, which I did immediately on my arrival, he took such a spite against me, as he has not forgotten to this day. The conclusion of all this parade about the Bey, the Doctor, the statues, and the excavation, was, that though the statues were for the Bey, yet on the arrival of the agents of Mr. Drouetti (as will be seen hereafter), they took possession of them. Some time after the Doctor wrote me a letter, to inquire whether it were really true, that the agents of Mr. Drouetti had taken away the statues he had found in Carnak, and pretending to be quite shocked at their proceeding. I plainly saw that the Doctor did not wish to open my eyes, but, on the contrary, sent me the letter to blind me entirely, and make me believe, that he had no hand in the plot. But what could he say, when he as well as we saw Mr. Drouetti himself come to Luxor, and with great coolness take away these very statues or sphinxes, pretended to have been found for the Defterdar? I leave the farce to be explained by the veracious Count de Forbin, who may invent some other puff to cover a trick so openly executed.
During this time I was not idle. I set a few men to work on both sides of Thebes, and went to Erments to present to the Cacheff the letter I had from Cairo. On my arrival he received me with much politeness; and after the usual ceremonious protestation of friendship, I took the first opportunity of presenting to him the letter of the Bashaw. He was a little alarmed at first, and very anxious to know the contents; but was relieved when he heard, that I had made no complaint against him, as his good behaviour just before my departure retrieved in part the faults he had committed before. I then reminded him of the behaviour of the Caimakan of Gournou. He swore that he would punish him, and, if I pleased, would turn him out of his place. I said I did not desire him to do either on my account, but for the future wished to proceed in my business undisturbed, and we concluded, that the next morning he should come to Gournou, and settle the affair in a proper manner.
He afterwards introduced to me one of those wonderful saints, who work miracles by dozens, catching scorpions, serpents, &c. This fellow brought a serpent without teeth, and the Cacheff was much alarmed when he put it into his lap. I took it, and opened its mouth without uttering a word; but the wonder-worker understood me very well. We then went into a back room to see a miracle performed. He began with a long prayer, and after a few minutes stretched out his hand in a corner of the room, and to the great astonishment of the beholders produced a scorpion. I observed closely this wonder-working saint, and saw clearly what was passing. The scorpion was kept in the enormous large sleeve of his garment, and being produced in an instant, it appeared as if it came out of the wall. We were now taken to see the apartments all through the house, and he practised the same deception over again. In a particular lower room the son of this Santon pretended to find a small serpent, but not being so adroit as his father, he contented himself with protesting that it had no teeth, which made me ask how serpents could live in this country without teeth. The Cacheff, I perceived, was a man who would swallow the grossest impositions. He told me many stories truly ridiculous; among the rest, he said, that this caste of Santons were subjects to a king in the mountains of Cossara, and had such power, that if caught in a storm at sea, a calm was restored in a minute; and if a cannon-ball made a hole in the ship, a Santon could stop it; that the Venetian zechins are made by the magic of these Santons; and that one of them being with the Sultan at Constantinople, where the Persian Ambassador had been to announce war against the Porte, he said, that they would conquer the Persians, and that on his thrusting out his finger, the sovereign of Persia should become blind.
I left Erments and went to Luxor; and the next morning I met the Cacheff at Gournou, according to his promise. He gave orders to the Caimakan on every necessary subject; not to threaten the Fellahs, if they sold me any papyri, &c. and to furnish me with men to excavate in whatever place I pleased. The works in Carnak were going on, and I had begun to uncover one of the sitting colossi before the second propylæon, beyond the large avenue of sphinxes leading into the great temple. I had it cleared all round, and found it to be twenty-nine feet high from the bottom of the chair; it is of a white calcareous stone, and very hard. At the foot of the chair I found a sitting statue seven feet high. It represented a female figure, perhaps of Isis. Its head-dress, of enormous size, differed from that of the generality of the Egyptian statues, and from its style appeared to be of a very remote age. The bust was divided at the waist from the rest of the body and chair, I took out the bust, and intended to take out the chair, as soon as the boat arrived with the implements. Having then set the people to work in another direction, where also I had hopes, I took the opportunity to examine at leisure the superb ruins of this edifice. In a distant view of them nothing can be seen but the towering propylæa, high portals and obelisks, which project above the various groups of lofty palm-trees, and even at a distance announce magnificence. On approaching the avenue of sphinxes, which leads to the great temple, the visiter is inspired with devotion and piety: their enormous size strikes him with wonder and respect to the Gods, to whom they were dedicated. They represent lions with heads of rams, the symbols of strength and innocence, the power and purity of the Gods. Advancing farther in the avenue, there stand before it towering propylæa, which lead to inner courts, where immense colossi are seated at each side of the gate, as if guarding the entrance to the holy ground. Still farther on was the magnificent temple dedicated to the great God of the creation. It was the first time that I entered it alone, without being interrupted by the noise of the Arabs, who never leave the traveller an instant. The sun was rising, and the long shades from the various groups of columns extended over these ruins, intermixed with the rays of light striking on these masses in various directions, formed such delightful views all round as baffle description. Plate 24 will give a general idea of these extensive ruins; and the small sketch, Plate 31, exhibits a small part of the interior of the great temple. I was lost in contemplation of so many objects; and being alone in such a place, my mind was impressed with ideas of such solemnity, that for some time I was unconscious whether I were on terrestrial ground, or in some other planet.
I had seen the temple of Tentyra, and I still acknowledge, that nothing can exceed that edifice in point of preservation, and in the beauty of its workmanship and sculpture; but here I was lost in a mass of colossal objects, every one of which was more than sufficient of itself alone to attract my whole attention. How can I describe my sensations at that moment! I seemed alone in the midst of all that is most sacred in the world; a forest of enormous columns, adorned all round with beautiful figures, and various ornaments, from the top to the bottom; the graceful shape of the lotus, which forms their capitals, so well proportioned to the columns, that it gives to the view the most pleasing effect; the gates, the walls, the pedestals, and the architraves, also adorned in every part with symbolical figures in basso relievo and intaglio, representing battles, processions, triumphs, feasts, offerings, and sacrifices, all relating no doubt to the ancient history of the country; the sanctuary, wholly formed of fine red granite, with the various obelisks standing before it, proclaiming to the distant passenger, “Here is the seat of holiness;” the high portals, seen at a distance from the openings to this vast labyrinth of edifices; the various groups of ruins of the other temples within sight; these altogether had such an effect upon my soul, as to separate me in imagination from the rest of mortals, exalt me on high over all, and cause me to forget entirely the trifles and follies of life. I was happy for a whole day, which escaped like a flash of lightning; but the obscurity of the night caused me to stumble over one large block of stone, and to break my nose against another, which, dissolving the enchantment, brought me to my senses again. It was quite late when I returned to Luxor, to the hut of an Arab, who ceded to me part of his chamber, and a mat, which afforded me an excellent bed.
The change from those ruins to the Arab’s hut was not less than that from the elevated ideas the sight of them inspired in me, to the thought of procuring my supper, if I could.
By this time the two agents of Mr. Drouetti had arrived. They immediately set to work to take out the lower sphinxes, which the Doctor had discovered, and commenced their labours on a very extensive scale. The Bey had left his orders with the Caimakan and the Sheiks, and now scarcely a Fellah could be gotten for us. Mr. D.’s agents had employed them all, and my remonstrances were to little purpose. From the moment these personages came to Thebes, I had a continual series of disagreeable circumstances to encounter, which I could not describe, were I to attempt it. Suffice it to say, that the Bey, who had the command of the whole country, made it a particular point, I have no doubt, to thwart our views; and consequently took care to express his wishes, as to each party, to the Cacheffs and Caimakans, who could not avoid obeying their superior. The petty advantage taken on this occasion soon showed me the characters of the persons I had to deal with. I do not mean the first two agents alone, who had arrived in Thebes, but those who had given them instructions, and others who were sent after them, consisting of European renegadoes, desperadoes, exiles, &c. People of this sort, under no restraint in any thing they do, were sent to obstruct my proceedings; and met with every encouragement from the Bey, and of course from his subalterns.
The first two agents, as I have said, begun their researches extensively; and, as I could get but a few men to employ on the east side of the Nile, I determined to try what could be done on the west, as I had the good will of the Cacheffs there; but unfortunately the boat with Mr. Beechey had not arrived, and I could not proceed for want of money, having, from prudence, as I came by land, taken but little with me. Accordingly, I left my interpreter, with instructions how to act with the few men I had engaged, and set off in a small boat to meet him. In twenty-four hours I arrived at Gheneh, as the wind happened to be in my favour, and had the good fortune to find him at that place.
It took us three days to reach Thebes, when we moored our bark at Luxor, and I recommenced my operations with what Fellahs I could obtain. The work at Gournou was continued also; and I must confess occupied a greater share of my attention than that at Carnak. Could it but be accurately known, with what a wretched set of people in these tribes travellers have to deal, their mean and rapacious dispositions, and the various occurrences that render the collection of antiquities difficult, whatever came from thence would be the more prized, from the consideration of these circumstances.
The people of Gournou are superior to any other Arabs in cunning and deceit, and the most independent of any in Egypt. They boast of being the last that the French had been able to subdue, and when subdued, they compelled them to pay the men whatever was asked for their labour; a fact which is corroborated by Baron Denon himself. They never would submit to any one, either the Mamelukes or the Bashaw. They have undergone the most severe punishments, and been hunted like wild beasts, by every successive government of Egypt. Their situations and hiding-places were almost impregnable. Gournou is a tract of rocks, about two miles in length, at the foot of the Libyan mountains, on the west of Thebes, and was the burial-place of the great city of a hundred gates. Every part of these rocks is cut out by art, in the form of large and small chambers, each of which has its separate entrance; and, though they are very close to each other, it is seldom that there is any interior communication from one to another. I can truly say, it is impossible to give any description sufficient to convey the smallest idea of those subterranean abodes, and their inhabitants. There are no sepulchres in any part of the world like them; there are no excavations, or mines, that can be compared to these truly astonishing places; and no exact description can be given of their interior, owing to the difficulty of visiting these recesses. The inconveniency of entering into them is such, that it is not every one who can support the exertion.
A traveller is generally satisfied when he has seen the large hall, the gallery, the staircase, and as far as he can conveniently go: besides, he is taken up with the strange works he observes cut in various places, and painted on each side of the walls; so that when he comes to a narrow and difficult passage, or to have to descend to the bottom of a well or cavity, he declines taking such trouble, naturally supposing that he cannot see in these abysses any thing so magnificent as what he sees above, and consequently deeming it useless to proceed any farther. Of some of these tombs many persons could not withstand the suffocating air, which often causes fainting. A vast quantity of dust rises, so fine that it enters into the throat and nostrils, and chokes the nose and mouth to such a degree, that it requires great power of lungs to resist it and the strong effluvia of the mummies. This is not all; the entry or passage where the bodies are is roughly cut in the rocks, and the falling of the sand from the upper part or ceiling of the passage causes it to be nearly filled up. In some places there is not more than a vacancy of a foot left, which you must contrive to pass through in a creeping posture like a snail, on pointed and keen stones, that cut like glass. After getting through these passages, some of them two or three hundred yards long, you generally find a more commodious place, perhaps high enough to sit. But what a place of rest! surrounded by bodies, by heaps of mummies in all directions; which, previous to my being accustomed to the sight, impressed me with horror. The blackness of the wall, the faint light given by the candles or torches for want of air, the different objects that surrounded me, seeming to converse with each other, and the Arabs with the candles or torches in their hands, naked and covered with dust, themselves resembling living mummies, absolutely formed a scene that cannot be described. In such a situation I found myself several times, and often returned exhausted and fainting; till at last I became inured to it, and indifferent to what I suffered, except from the dust, which never failed to choke my throat and nose; and though, fortunately, I am destitute of the sense of smelling, I could taste that the mummies were rather unpleasant to swallow. After the exertion of entering into such a place, through a passage of fifty, a hundred, three hundred, or perhaps six hundred yards, nearly overcome, I sought a resting-place, found one, and contrived to sit; but when my weight bore on the body of an Egyptian, it crushed it like a band-box. I naturally had recourse to my hands to sustain my weight, but they found no better support; so that I sunk altogether among the broken mummies, with a crash of bones, rags, and wooden cases, which raised such a dust as kept me motionless for a quarter of an hour, waiting till it subsided again. I could not remove from the place, however, without increasing it, and every step I took I crushed a mummy in some part or other. Once I was conducted from such a place to another resembling it, through a passage of about twenty feet in length, and no wider than that a body could be forced through. It was choked with mummies, and I could not pass without putting my face in contact with that of some decayed Egyptian; but as the passage inclined downwards, my own weight helped me on: however, I could not avoid being covered with bones, legs, arms, and heads rolling from above. Thus I proceeded from one cave to another, all full of mummies piled up in various ways, some standing, some lying, and some on their heads. The purpose of my researches was to rob the Egyptians of their papyri; of which I found a few hidden in their breasts, under their arms, in the space above the knees, or on the legs, and covered by the numerous folds of cloth, that envelop the mummy. The people of Gournou, who make a trade of antiquities of this sort, are very jealous of strangers, and keep them as secret as possible, deceiving travellers by pretending, that they have arrived at the end of the pits, when they are scarcely at the entrance. I could never prevail on them to conduct me into these places till this my second voyage, when I succeeded in obtaining admission into any cave where mummies were to be seen.
My permanent residence in Thebes was the cause of my success. The Arabs saw that I paid particular attention to the situation of the entrance into the tombs, and that they could not avoid being seen by me when they were at work digging in search of a new tomb, though they are very cautious when any stranger is in Gournou not to let it be known where they go to open the earth; and as travellers generally remain in that place a few days only, they used to leave off digging during that time. If any traveller be curious enough to ask to examine the interior of a tomb, they are ready to show him one immediately, and conduct him to some of the old tombs, where he sees nothing but the grottoes in which mummies formerly had been deposited, or where there are but few, and these already plundered; so that he can form but a poor idea of the real tombs, where the remains were originally placed.
The people of Gournou live in the entrance of such caves as have already been opened, and, by making partitions with earthen walls, they form habitations for themselves, as well as for their cows, camels, buffaloes, sheep, goats, dogs, &c. I do not know whether it is because they are so few in number, that the government takes so little notice of what they do; but it is certain, that they are the most unruly people in Egypt. At various times many of them have been destroyed, so that they are reduced from three thousand, the number they formerly reckoned, to three hundred, which form the population of the present day. They have no mosque, nor do they care for one; for though they have at their disposal a great quantity of all sorts of bricks, which abound in every part of Gournou, from the surrounding tombs, they have never built a single house. They are forced to cultivate a small tract of land, extending from the rocks to the Nile, about a mile in breadth, and two and a half in length; and even this is in part neglected; for if left to their own will, they would never take a spade in their hands, except when they go to dig for mummies; which they find to be a more profitable employment than agriculture. This is the fault of travellers, who are so pleased the moment they are presented with any piece of antiquity, that, without thinking of the injury resulting from the example to their successors, they give a great deal more than the people really expect. Hence it has arisen, that they now set such an enormous price on antiquities, and in particular on papyri. Some of them have accumulated a considerable sum of money, and are become so indifferent, that they remain idle, unless whatever price they demand be given them; and it is to be observed, that it is a fixed point in their minds, that the Franks would not be so liberal, unless the articles were worth ten times as much as they pay for them.
The Fellahs of Gournou who dig for antiquities are sometimes divided into parties, and have their chiefs over each; so that what is found by any of the party is sold, and the money divided among them all. They are apparently very true to each other, and particularly in cheating strangers; but when they can find a good opportunity, they do not scruple to cheat each other also. One day when I had to purchase some antiquities according to appointment, and was going to the tomb of one of these companies, my guide told me by the way, that he had some papyri to sell, which he had himself found, previous to his entering into partnership with his associates; and it was agreed, that I was to repair to his house alone to see them. However, I took Mr. Beechey with me, and we had great difficulty to prevent those by whom we were observed from following us; as it is the common custom among these people to enter each other’s houses as they please, and see and hear all that passes. In spite of all his caution, they suspected that the old man had a considerable hoard of papyri, and were persuaded that he wished them not to know the large sum he was to receive for them. Accordingly they did not fail to watch our coming out, so that they might see what we purchased; and when they saw we had nothing, they were all surprised and disappointed. One of the chiefs, who was a favourite with the English, approached the interpreter, to know what had passed; and when he heard that nothing had passed but words, he said, the old man dared not sell any papyri without the consent of the company, and that all they had to sell, and all he had, must be brought to us conjointly. They had no idea how this veteran had deceived them; for other articles of consequence are so very seldom found, that they did not suspect his having any thing but papyri to dispose of. Age and experience, however, had naturally rendered him a greater adept in the art of deceit. When Mr. Beechey, myself, and the interpreter, entered his cave, his wife walked out to watch if any one approached. The donkeymen, who brought us, were at some distance from the cave, and not a single being was near us. His dwelling was a grotto cut in the rock like the rest, and black as any chimney. He made us sit down on a straw mat, which is a luxurious thing in Gournou, and after a little ceremony, put into my hands a brazen vessel, one of the finest and most perfect pieces of Egyptian antiquity I have ever seen of the kind. It was covered with engraved hieroglyphics, very finely executed. It was about eighteen inches high and ten in diameter. The composition is extremely fine, and it sounds not unlike the Corinthian brass. I was most agreeably surprised, and could scarcely believe that I had such a treasure in my hands. I conceive it to be a sacred vessel used by the Egyptians. It has a handle something like our common baskets. We were examining it with astonishment, when the old man took it from our hands, and presented us with another exactly similar to it. The sight of a pair of antiques like these, their admirable preservation, and the opportunity we had of purchasing them, delighted us so much, that the bargain with the old man was made in a few words. The great difficulty was to take them to our boat, which the old man promised to do in the night, after all were asleep. We returned to Luxor in high glee, from the expectation of having in our possession two of the finest articles of metallic composition, that ever were to be found in Egypt. At night the old man did not come, which made me uneasy; but he came in the morning, and said, that he could not bring the vases with him, as his companions were watching, but that he would not fail to bring them at night; meanwhile he should be glad, he added, to receive the money and the present we had promised; and we paid him without hesitation, that he might not retract his bargain. At night, however, no old man came; nor the next day did he make his appearance. I thought it necessary therefore to go to his habitation. I found him at home, and he said, as before, he would not fail to come to us at night. Night, however, again arrived without him; but early the next morning he brought the vessels to our boat. Some time after, one of his companions inquired of me what the old man had received for his antiques. We wondered how he came to know any thing of the matter; when he informed us, the vessels belonged to the company, and the pretence of secrecy was a scheme of the old man to extract from us the present of a turbouse[4], in which he had succeeded.
4. A red cap, or bonnet.
After having described the tombs, the mummies, the rocks, and the rogues of Gournou, it is time to cross the Nile, and return to Carnak. Here we continued the work, as I mentioned before. Our opponents had taken away the four sphinxes, which the doctor had dug up, in the name of the Defterdar bey, from the ground I had opened the year before, but had found nothing more, which is somewhat singular, considering the number of men they had employed in their excavation. I now opened another piece of ground, in a line parallel with the point of the temple, and I was fortunate enough to find another line of sphinxes. From the fragments there were probably twenty, but five only were in good preservation. Among them was a sitting figure of a young man nearly of the size of life, of gray granite; but though the face, hands, and arms, were in good condition, the chest and lower parts were quite decayed, and the bust detached from the rest of the body. In the same place I found two small sitting figures of red granite, nearly two feet high, and a stone irregularly shaped, but flat and smooth on the surfaces. It is divided by lines into many little squares of half an inch, in each of which is a hieroglyphic, but all different from each other. This piece, in my opinion, might be of much service to Dr. Young in his undertaking of the discovery of the alphabet of the Egyptians, particularly in the advanced state at which he has at present arrived. Two other articles were found in this excavation, of which one is a tombstone, and the other an iron sickle, that I think worthy the attention of the antiquary. It is certain, that the burial-places of the Egyptians were on the west side of the Nile, for not a single place is to be found on the eastern side to indicate there having ever been a burial-ground there: yet among these sphinxes was a tombstone similar to those which are found in the tombs on the other side of the Nile, and probably, therefore, made to be taken to the tomb of some family on the west. But the iron sickle to which I would call the attention, was found under the feet of one of the sphinxes on its removal. I was present; one of the men took it up and gave it me. It was broken into three pieces, and so decayed, that the rust had eaten even to the centre. It was rather thicker than the sickles of the present time, but exactly of the common shape and size of ours. It is now in the possession of Mr. Salt. The question is, at what time were these statues placed there? They could not have been deposited subsequently to the age of the Ptolemies; for it appears, that since the time of Cambyses, who destroyed the Gods of Egypt, the country has never been invaded, so as to compel the people to conceal their idols; and it is evident, that these statues had been hidden in a hurry, from the irregular and confused manner in which they lie. Now, as the sickle was found under the statue above mentioned, I think it a sufficient proof, that there was iron in the country long before the invasion of the Persians, since the Egyptians had enough to make instruments of agriculture with it. Sickles of the same form are to be seen in many agricultural representations in the tombs; but it does not follow, that they were taken from sickles of iron, like the one in question. I do not mean to decide this point by my own suppositions: I lay the fact before the reader, that he may form his own opinion upon it; yet there are circumstances that would destroy the conjecture, that might be drawn from this discovery. It is very singular, if the Egyptians had iron in such abundance, as to make sickles, that they did not make instruments of war, and other articles for their common use, of the same metal; for if they had done so, it is strange, that none are to be found among the various specimens of their manufacture.
I continued the work as fast as I could with the few men I had, as I foresaw, that when the Defterdar came to the knowledge of my success he would put a stop to our proceedings by some intrigue or other. My daily employment kept me in continual motion. In the morning I used to give my directions for the works at Carnak. The Arabs generally come to work at the rising of the sun, and leave off from noon till two or three o’clock. When I had many employed, I divided them into parties, and set an overseer over each, to see that they worked at the proper hours, and on the allotted spots of ground, which I had previously marked out; but generally some of our people were obliged to be there, for no trust is to be reposed in the Arabs, if they should find any small pieces of antiquity. Before noon I used to cross the river and inspect the works at Gournou. Having been there the year before, and had dealings with these people, I was at home in every part of Thebes, knew every Arab there, and they knew me as well. Mr. Beechey had taken possession of the temple at Luxor, without requesting permission from the Gods, and we made a dwelling-place of one of the chambers: I believe it must have been the sekos. By the help of some mats we procured a very tolerable accommodation, but could not prevent the dust from coming on our beds, and clothes, to which for my part I had long before become indifferent. We could not sleep any longer in the boat; for in consequence of the provision we had on board, such quantities of large rats accompanied us all the way to Luxor, that we had no peace day or night, and at last they succeeded in fairly dislodging us. We thought to have been a match for them, however, for we caused all the provision to be taken out, and the boat to be sunk at Luxor, but as they were good swimmers, they saved their lives, and hid themselves in the holes of the pier; and when the provision had been put on board again, they all returned cheerfully, a few excepted, and were no doubt grateful to us for having given them a fresh appetite and a good bathing.
In Gournou, our researches continued among the mummies. The Arabs had become quite unconcerned about the secret of the tombs; for they saw it was their interest to search, as they were rewarded for what they found, and those who were duly paid were indifferent whether we or their brethren found a tomb. The men were divided into two classes. The most knowing were making researches on their own account, employing eight or ten to assist them. They indicated the ground where they hoped to find a tomb, and sometimes were fortunate enough to hit on the entrance of a mummy pit in the first attempt. At other times, after spending two or three days, they often found only a pit filled with mummies of the inferior class, which had nothing among them worthy of notice: so that, even to the most skilful explorer, it was a mere chance what he should find. On the other hand, in some of the tombs of the better class they found very good specimens of antiquity, of all sorts. I met with some difficulty at first in persuading these people to work in search of tombs, and receive a regular daily payment; for they conceived it to be against their interest, supposing I might obtain the antiquities at too cheap a rate: but when they saw, that sometimes they received their pay regularly, and I had nothing for it, they found it was rather in their favour, to secure twenty paras (three pence) a day, than run the risk of having nothing for their labour, which often happened to those who worked at adventure.
It was from these works that I became better acquainted with the manner in which the Egyptians regulated their burial-places; and I plainly saw the various degrees and customs of the divers classes, from the peasant to the king. The Egyptians had three different methods of embalming their dead bodies, which, Herodotus informs us, were according to the expense the persons who presented the dead bodies to the mummy-makers chose to incur. This father of history thus expresses himself on the subject: “Certain persons were appointed by the laws to the exercise of this profession. When a dead body was brought to them, they exhibited to the friends of the deceased different models, highly finished in wood. The most perfect of these, they said, resembles one, whom I do not think it religious to name on such an occasion; the second was of less price, and inferior in point of execution; the other was still more mean. They then inquired after which model the deceased should be represented. When the price was determined, the relations retired, and the embalmers proceeded in their work. In the most perfect specimens of their art, they extracted the brain through the nostrils, partly with a piece of crooked iron, and partly by the infusion of drugs. They then, with an Ethiopian stone, made an incision in the side, through which they drew out the intestines. These they cleansed thoroughly, washing them with palm-wine, and afterwards covering them with pounded aromatics. They then filled the body with powder of pure myrrh, cassia, and other spices, without frankincense. Having sown up the body, it was covered with nitre for the space of seventy days, which time they were not allowed to exceed. At the end of this period, being first washed, it was closely wrapped in bandages of cotton, dipped in a gum, which the Egyptians used as a glue. It was then returned to the relations, who enclosed the body in a case of wood, made to resemble a human figure, and placed it against the wall in the repository of their dead. This was the most costly mode of embalming.
“For those who wished to be at less expense, the following method was adopted. They neither drew out the intestines, nor made any incision in the dead body, but injected a liniment made from the cedar. After taking proper means to secure the injected oil within the body, it was covered with nitre for the time above specified. On the last day they withdrew the liquid before introduced, which brought with it all the intestines. The nitre dried up and hardened the flesh, so that the corpse appeared little but skin and bone. In this state the body was returned, and no further care taken concerning it.
“There was a third mode of embalming, appropriated to the poor. A particular kind of lotion was made to pass through the body, which was afterward merely left in nitre for the above space of seventy days, and then returned.” Such is the account given us by Herodotus.
Nothing can be more plainly distinguish the various classes of people, than the manner of their preservation: but there are many other remarks, that may be made to the same effect. I shall describe how I have found the mummies of the principal class untouched, and hence we may judge how they were prepared and deposited in their respective places. I am sorry that I am obliged to contradict my old guide Herodotus; for in this point, and many others, he was not well informed by the Egyptians. In the first place, speaking of the mummies in their cases, he mentions them as erect: but it is somewhat singular, that in so many pits as I have opened, I never saw a single mummy standing. On the contrary, I found them lying regularly, in horizontal rows, and some were sunk into a cement, which must have been nearly fluid when the cases were placed on it. The lower classes were not buried in cases: they were dried up, as it appears, after the regular preparation of the seventy days. Mummies of this sort were in the proportion of about ten to one of the better class, as near as I could calculate by the quantity I have seen of both; and it appeared to me, that, after the operation of the nitre, adopted by the mummy-makers, these bodies may have been dried in the sun. Indeed, for my own part, I am persuaded it was so; as there is not the smallest quantity of gum or any thing else to be found on them. The linen in which they are folded is of a coarser sort, and less in quantity; they have no ornaments about them of any consequence, and they are piled up in layers, so as to crowd several caves excavated for the purpose in a rude manner. In general, the tombs of the lower class are to be found in the lower grounds, at the foot of the mountains of Gournou; and some extend as far as the border to which the inundation reaches. They are to be entered by a small aperture, arched over, or by a shaft four or five feet square, at the bottom of which are entrances into various chambers, all choked up with mummies: and though there is scarcely any thing to be found on them, many of these tombs have been rummaged, and left in the most confused state.
I must not omit, that among these tombs we saw some which contained the mummies of animals intermixed with human bodies. There were bulls, cows, sheep, monkeys, foxes, cats, crocodiles, fishes, and birds, in them (see Plate 44): idols often occur; and one tomb was filled with nothing but cats, carefully folded in red and white linen, the head covered by a mask representing the cat, and made of the same linen. I have opened all these sorts of animals. Of the bull, the calf, and the sheep, there is no part but the head and bones which is covered with linen, and the horns projecting out of the cloth; the rest of the body being represented by two pieces of wood, eighteen inches wide and three feet long, in an horizontal direction, at the end of which was another, placed perpendicularly, two feet high, to form the breast of the animal. The calves and sheep are of the same structure, and large in proportion to the bulls. The monkey is in its full form, in a sitting posture. The fox is squeezed up by the bandages, but in some measure the shape of the head is kept perfect. The crocodile is left in its own shape, and after being well bound round with linen, the eyes and mouth are painted on this covering. The birds are squeezed together, and lose their shape, except the ibis, which is found like a fowl ready to be cooked, and bound round with linen, like all the rest.—(See Plate 44.)
It is somewhat singular that such animals are not to be met with in the tombs of the higher sort of people; while few or no papyri are to be found among the lower order, and if any occur they are only small pieces stuck upon the breast with a little gum or asphaltum, being probably all that the poor individual could afford to himself. In those of the better classes other objects are found. I think they ought to be divided into several classes, as I cannot confine myself to three. I do not mean to impute error to Herodotus when he speaks of the three modes of embalming; but I will venture to assert, that the high, middling, and poorer classes, all admit of farther distinction. In the same pit where I found mummies in cases, I found others without; and in these, papyri are most likely to be met with. I remarked, that the mummies in the cases have no papyri; at least, I never observed any: on the contrary, in those without cases they are often obtained. It appears to me, that such people as could afford it would have a case to be buried in, on which the history of their lives was painted; and those who could not afford a case were contented to have their lives written on papyri, rolled up, and placed above their knees. Even in the appearance of the cases there is a great difference: some are exceedingly plain, others more ornamented, and some very richly adorned with figures, well painted. The cases are generally made of Egyptian sycamore: apparently, this was the most plentiful wood in the country, as it is usually employed for the different utensils. All the cases have a human face, male or female. Some of the large cases contain others within them, either of wood or of plaster, painted. The inner cases are sometimes fitted to the body of the mummy: others are only covers to the body, in form of a man or woman, easily distinguishable by the beard and the breast, like that on the outside. Some of the mummies have garlands of flowers, and leaves of the acacia, or sunt tree, over their heads and breasts. This tree is often seen on the banks of the Nile, above Thebes, and particularly in Nubia. The flower, when fresh, is yellow, and of a very hard substance, appearing as if artificial. The leaves, also, are very strong, and though dried and turned brown, they still retain their firmness. In the inside of these mummies are found lumps of asphaltum, sometimes so large as to weigh two pounds. The entrails of these mummies are often found bound up in linen and asphaltum. What does not incorporate with the fleshy part, remains of the natural colour of the pitch; but that which does incorporate becomes brown, and evidently mixed with the grease of the body, forming a mass, which on pressure crumbles into dust. The wooden case is first covered with a layer or two of cement, not unlike plaster of Paris; and on this are sometimes cast figures in basso relievo, for which they make holes cut In stone. The whole case is painted; the ground generally yellow, the figures and hieroglyphics blue, green, red, and black. The last is very seldom used. The whole of the painting is covered with a varnish, which preserves it very effectually. Some of the colours, in my humble opinion, were vegetable, for they are evidently transparent; besides, I conceive it was easier for the Egyptians to produce vegetable colours than mineral, from the great difficulty of grinding the latter to such perfection.
The next sort of mummy that drew my attention, I believe I may with reason conclude to have been appropriated to the priests. They are folded in a manner totally different from the others, and so carefully executed, as to show the great respect paid to those personages. The bandages are stripes of red and white linen intermixed, covering the whole body, and forming a curious effect from the two colours. The arms and legs are not enclosed in the same envelope with the body, as in the common mode, but are bandaged separately, even the fingers and toes being preserved distinct. They have sandals of painted leather on their feet, and bracelets on their arms and wrists. They are always found with the arms across the breast, but not pressing it; and though the body is bound with such a quantity of linen, the shape of the person is carefully preserved in every limb. The cases in which mummies of this sort are found are somewhat better executed, and I have seen one, that had the eyes and eyebrows of enamel, beautifully executed, in imitation of nature. Among the various tombs, I discovered one of this description in the valley adjacent to Beban el Malook on the west of it, of which I shall have to speak hereafter.
I found eight mummies, all untouched since they had been deposited in their resting-place. The cases lay flat on the ground, facing the east, in two equal rows, imbedded four inches deep in mortar, which must have been soft when they were put into it; for when I had them removed, the impression of them remained perfect. The opening of them I shall describe, with that of the tomb.
The tombs containing the better classes of people are of course superior to the others. There are some more extensive than the rest, having various apartments, adorned with figures representing different actions of life. Funeral processions are generally predominant. Agricultural processes, religious ceremonies, and more ordinary occurrences, such as feasting, &c. are to be seen every where. I shall not enter into a minute account of these paintings, as they have been so often described, particularly by Mr. Hamilton, whose perspicuous observations upon them give the best idea of their various representation. It would be impossible to describe the numerous little articles found in them, which are well adapted to show the domestic habits of the ancient Egyptians. It is here the smaller idols are occasionally found, either lying on the ground, or on the cases of the mummies. Vases are sometimes found containing the embalmed entrails of the mummies. These are generally made of baked clay, and painted over: their sizes differ from eight inches to eighteen: their covers represent the head of some divinity, bearing either the human form, or that of a monkey, fox, cat, or some other animal. I met with a few of these vases of alabaster in the tombs of the kings, but unfortunately they were broken. A great quantity of pottery is found, and also wooden articles in some of the tombs, as if the deceased had resolved to have all he possessed deposited along with him. The most singular among these things are the ornaments, in particular the small works in clay and other composition. I have been fortunate enough to find many specimens of their manufactures, among which is gold leaf, beaten nearly as thin as ours. The gold appears to me extremely pure, and of a finer colour than is generally seen in our own. It is somewhat singular that no instruments of war are found in these places, when we consider what a warlike nation the Egyptians were. What has become of their weapons I cannot conjecture; for in all my researches I found only one arrow, two feet long. At one extremity it had a copper point well fixed in it, and at the other a notch as usual to receive the string of the bow: it had been evidently split by the string, and glued together again.
Among other articles too numerous to be mentioned, the beetle, or scarabæus, to all appearance a highly sacred animal, is found in the tombs. There are various sorts; some of basalt, verde antico, or other stones, and some of baked clay. They are scarce, particularly those with hieroglyphics on them, which no doubt contain some particular prayers, or the commemoration of striking events in the life of the deceased. It is supposed, that the Egyptians hung the scarabæus to their necks when they went to war; but of this we have no clear proofs. I must mention a circumstance on this subject, which perhaps will solve the doubt. The scarabæi are of such a peculiar form, that, if they were among the ornaments of the warriors, they would be easily distinguished. One solitary instance of this kind I have observed. There is a sitting figure in the tomb of Psammuthis, which I discovered in the valley below Beban el Malook, that, by its splendid dress and ornaments, may be intended to represent a king. It has a square plate of basalt hung to its neck, with an obelisk in the centre, and a figure on each side of it. I was extremely fortunate in meeting with one of these plates, I believe the only one that ever was found of the kind. It has the form of an Egyptian temple, and in the centre is an elevated scarabæus on a boat, guarded by two figures, one at each side; and on the reverse of the scarabæus is an inscription over a boat, on which are two other figures, exactly like the former. The plate has the holes by which it was hung to a chain or string. I found also other scarabæi, with human heads, which I never saw before.
The Egyptians were certainly well acquainted with linen manufactures to a perfection equal to our own; for, in many of their figures, we observe their garments quite transparent; and among the folding of the mummies, I observed some cloth quite as fine as our common muslin, very strong, and of an even texture. They had the art of tanning leather, with which they made shoes as well as we do, some of which I found of various shapes. They had also the art of staining the leather with various colours, as we do morocco, and actually knew the mode of embossing on it, for I found leather with figures impressed on it, quite elevated. I think it must have been done with a hot iron while the leather was damp. They also fabricated a sort of coarse glass, with which they made beads and other ornaments.
Beside enamelling, the art of gilding was in great perfection among them, as I found several ornaments of the kind. They knew how to cast copper, as well as to form it into sheets, and had a metallic composition not unlike our lead, rather softer, but of greater tenacity. It is much like the lead which we see on paper in the tea-chests from China, but much thicker. I found some pieces of it covered on both sides with a thin coat of another metal, which might be taken for silver, but I cannot believe it to be so. It certainly is a proof of the scarcity of this metal in Egypt, where, in my opinion, it was less common than gold; for it is seldom found, whereas the latter is quite common on the ornaments.
Carved works were very common, and in great perfection, particularly in the proportion of the figures; and it is to be observed, that though the Egyptians were unacquainted with anatomy, yet in these, as well as in their statues of marble, they preserved that sweet simplicity peculiar to themselves, which is always pleasing to the beholder.
In one of the tombs of the kings I found two wooden figures, nearly seven feet high, of very fine workmanship. They are in a standing posture, with one arm extended, as if holding a torch. They had many other carved works, hieroglyphics, ornaments, &c.
The art of varnishing, and baking the varnish on clay, was in such perfection among them, that I doubt whether it could be imitated at present. Articles of the best sort of this manufacture, however, were rather scarce, as there are but few to be found; while, on the contrary, there are great quantities of the inferior sorts. Indeed, the few good ones I met with were all in the great tomb of Psammuthis, and these are of the most beautiful colour.
The art of painting was but simple among the Egyptians, as they had no knowledge of shadowing to elevate their figures; but great credit is due to them for their taste in disposing their colours. There is great harmony even in the red and green, which do not always agree with us, and which they knew how to mingle so well, that it produced a very splendid effect, particularly by candle-light. Their drawings and sculpture are but simple, and systematically done; notwithstanding which, they knew how to impart a certain vivacity to their posture, which animates their figures. They knew little or nothing of perspective, and all that was done was in profile. The wall, or whatever other place was to be ornamented, was previously prepared, by grinding it very smooth. The first lines were done in red by a scholar, or one not so expert as the master, who examined the outlines, and corrected them in black. Specimens of this are to be seen in the tomb of Psammuthis, as I shall have to mention hereafter.
When the outlines were completed, the sculptor began his work. He raised the figure by cutting away the stone all round it. The angles are smoothly turned, and the ornaments on the figure or garments are traced with a chisel, which leaves a slight impression, and adorns the whole figure. The last was the painter, who finished the piece. They could not find any other colours than red, blue, yellow, green, and black. The blue is divided into two sorts, the dark and the light. With these colours they adorned their temples, tombs, or whatever they wished to have painted. As there is no colour among these that could imitate the living human flesh, they adopted the red for this purpose. The ornaments were decorated with the other colours; and, though so few, I am sure they are not all used in the same piece.
As to their architecture, I can only say it is in conformity with their ideas. It is to be recollected, that they had a notion of returning to life again, body and soul, after a period of three thousand years: whence we may presume, that they intended to make their edifices last so long, that they might see them again in good preservation. As to arches, can we not prove, from the circumstance of their having made them in a different form from ours, that they could also have made them of a larger size, than we see to this very day in Thebes? Yes, I say, in Thebes there are Egyptian arches. If any reader will observe Plate 44, he will see an Egyptian arch which exists at Gournou, under the rocks that separate this place from the valley Beban el Malook. The arch is made in a manner entirely different from our own; but if the Egyptians were inclined to have arches in their edifices, they might have constructed them in their own manner, and of considerable sizes, equal in proportion to the enormous blocks which we see in their edifices. No, they did not want arches—they preferred having their temples crowded with columns, which formed the finest embellishments of their edifices; and I assert, that the number of these columns is no detriment to the beauty or magnificence of these sacred places. On the contrary, without these columns, their architecture would not have appeared to the Egyptians so substantially firm, which was their principal object. This, in my opinion, was their reason for not erecting arches. But I shall endeavour farther to prove, that they knew how to make an arch with the key-stone as well as we do. A traveller may wander among the ruins of Thebes, and his attention be so much taken by the magnificence of the great edifices, as to overlook what is inferior, especially what is constructed of simple bricks, baked in the sun. Besides, he has a preconceived notion, that the Egyptians were ignorant of the art of turning an arch; so that, if he should see one, or even pass under an archway, he would take it for granted, that it was the work of a later people. I shall now describe the situation of several arches, which are to be seen in Thebes; point out the purpose for which they were evidently erected; and leave the reader to conjecture whether they were made by the Egyptians, or by any other people.
The mode of building enormously strong walls with unburnt bricks is peculiar to the Egyptians. Of this I trust there can be no doubt, from the many instances clearly before our eyes; but if it be questioned, I would inquire of any traveller, who has seen Thebes, whether he thinks that the wall, which surrounded the avenue of sphinxes, or lion-headed statues, which I discovered at Carnak, could have been made by any other people. There are even some of these walls that enclose their sacred places: and if it be objected to, on the supposition that some subsequent nation, who adored the same gods, may have erected these walls to preserve the holy edifices, I can boldly say: No, this was not the case; for the walls are so connected with the Egyptian works, that it is plain they were constructed at the same time with them. But what is still more to the point, at Gournou there are various and extensive tombs, excavated not in the rocks themselves, but in the plains at their foot, twelve or fourteen feet below the surface, and extending a considerable length under ground. The way to these tombs is generally by a staircase, which led into a large square hall, cut in the rock, in some instances ninety or a hundred feet long; and opposite the stairs is generally the entrance into the tomb. It is to be observed, that these halls entered into the original plan of the structure: there was nothing to protect or to enclose them on any side but a wall, by which they were completely surrounded. Without this, they would have been exposed to all the rubbish of other tombs, which might have fallen in. The necessity of building these walls is evident; and I have no doubt many travellers will plainly see, that no other succeeding nation would have built these enormous walls to preserve the tombs of the Egyptians. Now over the stairs, which lead into the hall, there are some very high and majestic arches, not only made of the same bricks, but connected with the walls themselves; consequently, made by the Egyptians, and constructed with the same key-stones as our own in the present day. There is also at Gournou a great number of other buildings of sun-burnt bricks, of a later date, which I hope will not be confounded with the others. Some of these are built with a smaller sort of bricks; others with bricks taken from the Egyptian walls; but their construction plainly shows the difference of the people who erected them.
If we extend our observations on the Egyptian architecture, it will appear, that the Egyptians undoubtedly have the merit of invention, which I consider as the source of improvement, &c. The Greeks may claim their having brought the art to great perfection; but it is well known, that they took their principal hints from the Egyptians.
The Egyptians were a primitive nation. They had to form every thing without any model before them to imitate. Yet so fertile was their inventive faculty, that to this day new orders of architecture might be extracted from their ruins. If we observe the Egyptian capitals, do we not see a complication of orders in one mass, which, if divided, would produce numerous hints for new ideas? If the lover of truth will but inspect the various representations of the lotus on the capitals, he will plainly see, that not only the Doric and the Corinthian orders have been extracted from them, but that more might still be formed. There is reason also to believe, that the Ionic order originated in Egypt. The capitals of the columns of Tentyra, those in the small temple of Edfu, and, lastly, the others in the small temple of Isis, in the island of Philoe, sufficiently indicate this. The name of the deity, to which the first and third of these temples are dedicated, seems to strengthen this supposition. We well know, that Isis is the Io of the Greeks, from whom the name of Ionic was no doubt derived; and it is very probable, that he who introduced the order gave it that name, as having been taken from the temple of the goddess.