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النشر الإلكتروني

296

TOMBS AND MUMMY PITS.

arch; for eight or ten of them, at least, have arched roofs of brick, perfectly semicircular, with key-stone, or rather key-brick, just as we should construct them at present but I suspect they are the productions of a late date, when the Greeks had taught the Egyptians how to turn an arch. The bricks are sun-dried, about fifteen inches in length, six in breadth, and four in thickness. The interior of the roof is covered with a thick coat of plaister, and neatly whitewashed. Among the ruins of these chambers were scattered about innumerable fragments of mummies, legs, arms, skulls, vertebræ, &c. covered with wrappers of coarse linen, and a coating of bitumen. Many of the mummies were nearly entire, having been merely broken off in the middle by the spoliators of the grave, for the purpose of tearing away the papyri and funeral ornaments usually found below the breast. One of the skulls was of an extraordinary size. Mingled with these human remains were skulls of dogs, foxes, jackals, and ibises, with other bones. There are several square mummy pits, forty or fifty feet deep, with large sepulchral chambers at the bottom; but they had all been entirely cleared of their contents. In the midst of these brick tombs we found the shattered remains of an elegant mausoleum in white stone, beautifully sculptured both within and without with hieroglyphics, and figures in intaglio, among which is that of Osiris orthophallus: but in all these sacred sculptures the deity is represented as if Typhon had reduced him to the state of Abelard; a circumstance which the antiquarians have not

RAVAGES OF DROVETTI.

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hitherto explained. This mausoleum, as the Arabs informed us, formerly contained a fine statue (they may have meant a sculptured sarcophagus), which was removed for Signor Drovetti, by Padre Ledislao of Girgeh. The ravages committed by this brutal monk and others among these ruins, by order of Drovetti, who had obtained from the ignorant and unreflecting Pasha a firman for the purpose, would in any civilised country have conducted

the perpetrators to the galleys. The riflers of graves in England have poverty and the interests of an useful profession to plead; but the persons engaged in these equally disgraceful transactions, conducted with the most wanton contempt of every feeling of taste and humanity, could be actuated by no possible motive but the most inordinate and sordid love of money. It is with surprise, therefore, that I find the able compiler of a recent work on Egypt, speaking with something like approbation of the "rich harvest" obtained by Drovetti among these ruins: had he known the manner in which that "harvest" was gathered, he would, I trust, have alluded to it in an entirely different tone. At a short distance to the north, are the ruins of a considerable temple, constructed with the same beautiful white stone as the tomb. The walls as usual, are covered with painted sculpture, representing the popular gods, and small models of temples, filled with pigmy images, like those found, according to Herodotus, in the temple of Vulcan at Memphis, and borne along on poles, like sedan chairs, by bare-headed priests. In

298

RETURN TO BELLIANEH.

a niche in the pronaos is a figure of Isis, in alto relievo, much mutilated; and on the opposite side, the lower part of what probably was a figure of Osiris. The white columns of the portico are painted in brillant colours, still fresh and vivid. The stone with which this temple is built - the most beautiful I have any where seen-may still, according to the Arabs, be obtained in the greatest abundance among the neighbouring mountains.

CCXIII. On returning to our kandjias at Bellianeh, we found every thing in confusion. In the morning, shortly after our departure, the reis of my boat having landed to purchase provisions had, in a by-street, been surrounded by three Arabs, who pretended to have received an order to conduct him before the governor. Mohammed, a hasty passionate man, replied that the governor could have no business with him, and was about to pass on, when one of the ruffians seized him by the throat, and another by the arms; while the third, thrusting his hands into his pocket, robbed him of what money he had-twenty-five piastres, according to his account. It appeared, however, that they were actually employed in kidnapping for the army, and it probably was their custom to rob the persons whom they thus impressed; for the unfortunate reis was immediately dragged before the governor, but, upon explaining his condition and engagements, obtained his dismissal; the captains of boats being exempt from impressment. Overjoyed at escaping, and fearful of the results of a complaint

THE BASTINADO.

299

against the Arabs, he said nothing at the time about the money which he had lost, but hastened on board.

CCXIV. When we returned from Abydos, both boats had put off from the shore, whilst their crews, in the greatest consternation, lay for the most part concealed beneath the deck. Mohammed related what had happened. Taking him along with us, we immediately returned into the town, in search of the governor, whom we found sitting cross-legged smoking under a tree, in company with several other Turks. The case was stated, and the man who had taken the money pointed out by the reis among the by-standers. The Turk was exceedingly polite. I showed him my firman; but he said it was quite unnecessary; that it was his duty to do justice; and that, accordingly, if witnesses could be produced to prove the fact, he would himself repay the money. As no one, however, had beheld the affair but the robbers and the robbed, witnesses, of course, were not to be found; but the reis persisting in his charge, the governor commanded the accused to be bastonaded. I expected to see the portable stocks and the koorbash forthwith appear; but, instead of this, beheld the culprit fall on his face upon the ground, while the governor, rising from his seat, and laying aside his pipe, seized a large cudgel, and immediately began himself to inflict punishment, not as is usual, on the soles of the feet, but upon the reins. The blows were terrific, and the Arab quickly began to conjure him by the Prophet, and by his beard, to have pity,

300

CONTINUE OUR VOYAGE.

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and spare him; but made no offer to refund the money. At one of the strokes, which fell directly on the spine, he writhed most fearfully, and turned round upon his side, as if in the agonies of death; upon which we interfered, and requested that he might be punished no farther. The governor struck hard, but seemed to be by no means in a passion; though, to oblige us, I verily believe he would have beaten the man to death. Yet he had all the appearance of a highly good-natured man, from whose character, if we might judge by the countenance, nothing could be more foreign than habitual cruelty.

CCXV. When this disagreeable affair, which did not occupy many minutes, was over, we returned to the kandjias, and, finding the wind fair, immediately set sail. It now appeared that the crew of the other boat, reis and all, had been too much afraid, though in want of food, to venture at all on shore; and that the reis, a robust, powerful man, had crept down under the planks which form a part of the deck, where he had lain hidden all day, in spite of the cravings of hunger. Soon after dark we arrived at the point of an island, dividing the Nile into two apparently equal channels, of which Monro's kandjia took the eastern and mine the western. For some time it seemed that we had done wisely, this channel being much the shorter; but at length the boat struck repeatedly upon the sand, and was each time got off with increasing difficulty; upon which an Arab was sent forward to explore the remainder of the channel,

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