the cieling, is preferved. The Egyptians often ufed gold and ultramarine blue in their paintings; but, if we may judge by what remains of their works, they did not underftand the art of fhading, by which colours. infenfibly mingle with each other, and give objects the form and effect they poffefs in nature. Their colours were exceedingly brilliant, but almost always uniform, and laid on diftinct from each other. South of Efna are the ruins of a monaftery, founded by St. Helena, near the cemetery of the martyrs, where are tombs, under cupolas, fupported by arcades. The inhabitants of Efna having revolted against the perfecuting Dioclefian, he deftroyed their city, and put them to the fword. This place, confecrated by religion, is become celebrated among the Copts, who go thither, on pilgrimage, from the moft diftant provinces of the kingdom.

Along the chain of mountains, which run east of the Nile, and almost facing Efna, are quarries which yield a foft ftone, called baram, of which kitchen utenfils are made. It is hardened by the fire, and makes excellent pots and faucepans, which do not give

4

give the leaft bad tafte to the food. I fhall finish this letter, Sir, by warning you that Father Sicard and Vanfleb have confounded this place with Syene, which is fituated under the tropic, thirty leagues to the fouth.

I have the honor to be, &c.

F 3

LETTER

minent rocks, to the right and left, is only fifty toifes in width. This place is called Hajar Safala, the ftone of the chain, and it is thought a chain was formerly ftretched across the river. The rocks on the western banks are hewn into grottos. Columns, pilafters, and hieroglyphics, are feen; with a

chapel cut into the hard ftone. The waters, confined between the mountains, run with great rapidity, and the ftream cannot be ftemmed but with a favourable wind.

Paffing Hajar Salfala, to the east of the Nile, is Coum Ombo, at the foot of which mount are the ruins of a temple that afcertain the fcite of the ancient Ombos, where the inhabitants adored the crocodile. Thefe animals are exceedingly common about this height, and are feen defcending in herds from the fandy ifles, and fwim and wind among the waters. It fhould feem as if thefe dreadful reptiles had taken up their alode near the city where they received homage; but, in reality, they are more numerous here, than in other parts of Egypt, because the banks of the Nile are, here, almost deserted.

We drive near to Affouan, formerly Syene, which is to be the end of our voyage,

and

and where I shall follow my ufual plan, first citing the description the beft writers of antiquity have given of thefe places, and, afterwards, adding an account of their prefent ftate, and the changes they have undergone. No author has better defcribed Syene and its environs than Strabo (q). Syene is a city "of Egypt, on the confines of Ethiopia; fronting it is the ifland of Elephantina, "where there is a finall town, with the temple of Cneph (r), and a Nilometer, "that is to fay, a well (or tube) formed "out of a fingle ftone, and placed on the "bank of the Nile, by which its degrees of "increase are meafured; for the water of "this well rifes and falls with the river. "Lines drawn on the walls indicate the "moment of its increafe, the time when it "is higheft, and the intermediate degrees. "Men, whofe bufinefs it is to obferve the rifing of the waters, proclaim it through"out Egypt, that the year's increase may "be known; for, at a certain time, they

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know, by infallible figns, how high the

(4) Strabo, lib. 17.

(r) An Egyptian deity, concerning which I fhall hereafter fpeak.

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"Nile will rife, long before it begins to "overflow the lands. The governors of the provinces are immediately informed, and "this intelligence is a guide to the huibandman concerning the diftribution of the

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waters, the railing of mounds, and the cleaning the canals. Officers appointed "to collect the tribute, proportion it to the degree of inundation (s).

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46

Syene ftands immediately under the tropic; a well is funk here, which marks "the fummer folftice, and the day on which "it happens is known when the ftile of the "fun-dial cafts no fhade at noon. At that

inftant, the vertical fun darts his rays to "the bottom of the well, and his entire inage is deferibed upon the water.

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"Three cohorts, quartered in this city, guard the limits of the Roman empire. "A little below Elephantina, a rock impedes the bed of the river, and forms a "finall cataract. It is lower towards the

« middle, fo as to give paffage to the wa66 ters; but its two fides, rifing perpendi

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cularly, form two navigable channels,

(s) Egypt, at prefent, pays no tribute to the Grand Scignor when the Nile does not rife to fixteen cubits.