where we shall fee the little town of Souadi,

governed by a Cachef.

Proceeding weft

ward we find two Coptic

monasteries, at

the entrance of the defert.

Their churches

are ornamented by Corinthian columns, with a crofs in the center of the capital, and paved with red granite, in which numerous hieroglyphics are sculptured. Their architecture betokens the decay of taste among the Greeks, and they are fuppofed to have been built by the Emprefs Helena. Various antique marbles are scattered over the space that divides them, which indicate the fcite of Crocodilopolis (y). This city was dif tant from the river, and Ptolemy places it near Aphroditopolis, or the city of Venus.

Turning to the fouth east, we cross a plain shaded by various trees, abounding in corn, and interfected by rivulets. This leads to the little town of Menchia, which has a large mofque, and a confiderable market. The Bazars are provided with commodities of all kinds, and a conferve of wheat is to be had here, much efteemed in

(y) Ptolemy, 1. 4. This is a fecond city of that name; the first stood near Fayoum, and was better known by the name of Arfinoe.

this country, made from wheat steeped two days in water, dried afterwards in the fun, and then boiled to the thickness of a jelly: thus prepared it is called Elneda, dew, and is melting, fweet, and very nutritive. If this kind of conferve, dried in an oven, would keep at sea, it might be of great use in long voyages.

South of Menchia, on an eminence, ruins of entablatures, cornices, and fhafts of columns are feen. Here there is a Here there is a quay, be

fide the river, and a projecting mole preferves the veffels from the winds and waves. These ruins, and ancient works, recal to mind the great Ptolemais which Strabo compares to Memphis for extent and population (z). Ptolemy names it Ptolemais of Hermes, because Mercury the symbolical deity was worshipped there (a).

Now, while the wind is driving us fouthward, let us look before us to the rocks which rife on the eaftern coaft, and we fhall perceive the small convent Der Hadid, fituated in the midst of the defert, surrounded by fterile clifts, and caverns which the zeal

(z) Strabo, lib. 17.-(a) Ptolemy, lib. 4.

f

of the primitive chriftians peopled with pious anchorets. Can there be a more frightful wilderness near fo enchanting a country? On one fide nothing can be feen but barren fands and parched mountains, from which the reverberated heat of the fun is fuffocating. Turn to the other, and we there admire the copious treasures of abundance. The Dourra, with reedy leaf and fwelling cars, fhoots up its vigorous stalk; the waying corn is ready for the fickle; vaft fields of fugar-canes and flax flourish befide each other; the redness of the date-tree betokens ripenefs; the palm of the Thebais spreads its fan leaves, and the garden melon grows pendant over the river banks. Such is the afpect of these plains now, and it is the beginning of December.

We are drawing near to the port of Girga, the capital of Upper Egypt. This city is a league in circumference, contains feveral mofques, bafars, and fquares, but no marble buildings; well cultivated gardens furround it; a Bey is the governor, whofe foldiers commit innumerable oppreffions. The Copts are not allowed to have a church here, but are obliged to perform their religious

duties in a convent built on the other fide of the Nile. Girga affords no veftiges of ancient edifices, but appears to be a modern built town, for it is not mentioned by Abulfeda.

After an hour's walk eastward, we come to the ruins of Abydus, where Ifmandes built a magnificent temple, in honour of Ofiris, the only one in Egypt into which muficians and fingers were denied entrance. Reduced to a village, under the reign of Auguftus, this town at prefent contains only heaps of ruins, without inhabitants, but to the weft of these ruins we ftill find the above-mentioned temple built by Ifinandes (b). ·

The entrance is under a portico, fixty feet high, fupported by two rows of large columns. In this maffy marble building, and the hieroglyphics with which it abounds, we difcover the work of the ancient Egyptians. Beyond is a temple, three hundred feet in length, and one hundred and forty five wide. At the entrance is an immenfe

(b) Strabo, lib. 17. calls him Ifmandes, and Memnon, and fays this is the fame monarch who built the Laby

rinth.

B 3

hall

hall containing eight-and-twenty columns, fixty feet high, and nineteen in circumference at the bafe; they ftand each twelve feet afunder. The enormous ftones of the cieling are fo perfectly joined, and inferted one in the other, as to appear, to the eye, one fole marble flab, one hundred and twenty-fix feet in length, and fixty-fix in breadth. The walls are loaded with innumerable hieroglyphics, among which are a multitude of animals, birds, and human figures wearing pointed caps (c), with a piece of pendant stuff behind, and cloathed in open robes which do not defcend below the waift. The rudeness of the sculpture befpeaks antiquity, and art in its infancy. The forms, attitudes, and proportions are all bad. Among these various groups, we perceive women fuckling their children, and men prefenting offerings to them. The traveller, likewise, recognizes among the defigns engraved on the marble, the divinities of India. M. Chevalier, Governor of Chandernagore, who lived thirty years in the Eaft, where he rendered very effential fervice to his country, examined this antient monument very carefully, on (c) Thefe caps are ftill worn by the Egyptian priests on feftivals.

his