"which boats eafily pafs.

The watermen

boats, to truft current, in the

"venture, in their flight "themselves to the rapid "middle of the cataract, and receive no “harm. Above is the isle of Phile, which "is common to Ethiopians and Egyptians: "the latter live in a fmall town, much like "that of Elephantina for fize and building. "It contains temples, in which the hawk "of Ethiopia is held facred."

The island of Elephantina, Sir, is half a league long, and half as wide. The city Strabo defcribes no longer exifts; but a small village is built on its ruins, near which is a ftately gate of granite, the entrance of the portico appertaining to the temple of Cneph, of which, likewife, a building, furrounded by thick walls and rubbish, made a part. A rampart, crected at one end of the island, fecured it from inundation. The Nilometer, fo well placed here, to determine the first increase of the waters, and regulate the labours of agriculture, is no longer to be found. According to Strabo's defcription, we may fuppofe it was a chamber, like that of Mekias, in the island of Raouda, except that it was made from a fingle ftone; and,

instead

instead of a column, divided into cubits and inches, the inundation was measured by lines drawn upon the wall. This Nilometer, cut from a block of marble, has fcarcely been deftroyed; it is probably buried beneath the fands and mud of the Nile, whence it may be again recovered.

Four other iflands furround that of Elephantina, which are nothing more than rocks of granite, from which those enormous fragments have been cut, employed in conftructing the grand edifices of Egypt. From one of thefe was that vaft cube taken, each fide measuring fixty feet, in which the fanctuary at Butis was cut (t). Many thoufand workmen, according to hiftory, were three years employed in taking it to its place of deftination. It was the moft enormous weight ever moved by human power.

Affouan, built eaft of the Nile, is only a miferable place, with a final fort, commanded by an aga of the janiffaries. The

(t) See Letters on Egypt, vol. I. Mr. Pocock has placed this vaft ftone in the temple of Minerva, at Sais; but this is a direct contradiction of Herodotus, who deferibes it, and affirms he faw it at Butis, in the temple of Latona.

remains

Here

remains of Syene are on an eminence to the fouth. Columns and pillars of granite, scattered here and there, denote its fcite. is an antient edifice, with apertures at the top, and windows facing the eaft; perhaps, it was the obfervatory of the Egyptians: the folftitial well might correfpond with one of its apertures, and the image of the fun be reflected from the water at the bottom. The fact, attefted by all antiquity, cannot be questioned, and, while it proves the aftronomical knowledge of the Egyptians, ought to be regarded as one of the finest observations ever made by man. It is very aftonishing that, for the space of eighteen hundred years, no traveller has ftopped at Syene, a few days before the fummer folftice, to feek this wonderful well, and verify fo interefting a difcovery. For my own part, my fortune not being great, and having no afliftance from government, I did not go fo far up as this city, where it would have been neceffary to have remained, at leaft, a week; the journey is exceedingly expenfive, and there is no being fafe from robbers, except by continual prefents to governors, and keeping janiffaries in pay; therefore, inftead of writing my own

obfervations, I have been obliged, with infinite labour, to recollect and verify thofe of others. It is true I have received memorandums from individuals which have been of great fervice to me, but it would have been much more agreeable to have examined for myself.

The cataract remains fuch as it was defcribed by Strabo; the rock in the middle of the river is bare, during fix months of the year, and boats afcend and defcend on each fide. In the time of inundation, the waters, collected between the mountains, form one fole fheet; and, flowing over the rock, have a fall of eleven feet. Boats can, then, no longer go against the ftream, and their lading is obliged to be carried by land, two leagues above the cataract; though they defcend as ufual, and fhoot the gulph like an arrow from a bow: but the veffels ought to be moderately loaded, and the men who fit at the stern should trim the boat exactly, otherwife they will be all swallowed up.

Weft of Affouan, a road to Phile is cut through the mountain, in the fides of which immenfe quarries of granite are feen. Here Pocock obferved obelifks, and columns half formed.

3

formed. They were cut from the fides of the rock, and, when detached, drawn to the river, and transported on rafts to the place intended. The granite of thefe quarries, being spotted, red and grey, refembles the column of Alexander Severus, is very hard, and capable of being finely polified.

The

The Ifle of Phile, only half a league in circumference, was inhabited in common by Ethiopians and Egyptians, but is now deferted. It contains two magnificent temples, (u) the greateft of which has courts, embellished by colonnades. The entrance of the first is through a pyramidal gate, with an obelisk of granite on each fide. temple within is divided into feveral apartments, and its marble walls prefent various rows of hieroglyphics, among which is the hawk defcribed by Strabo. Eaft of this edifice is another, in the form of a parallelogram, open on all fides; the capitals of the columns, which fupport its roof, are well fculptured.

Here, from the confines of Egypt, let us caft a glance over the country we have fo lately

(u) Pocock's Travels. Norden's Travels through Egypt and Nubia. traversed.