The whole concluded with a general falute, the regimental bands joining in the animating air of "God fave the King!"

"It may be mentioned as a fingular and curious circumstance, that, while the Duke of Orleans and his brothers accompanied the Lieutenant-Governor on the Fort George fide of the river, the French Admiral, who was taken in the Guillaume Tell, accompanied Sir Edward Berry on the Lazaretto fide of it. Such were the fpectators of a fpectacle, that might indeed fill them with admiration, but was by no means calculated to afford confolation to their

refpective conditions. The French Admiral indeed expreffed himself in the warmest terms of approbation, at this difplay of British difcipline and British loyalty and acknowledged the very high opinion he was induced to entertain of the happiness of British fubjects, from the joy that feemed to beam from every countenance, at this ceremonial of duty and affection to their Sovereign. On the dropping of the colours at the falute, the French Admiral and his officers made a very low obeifance, and remained for fome time uncovered."

The fame part of the work alfo includes an account of the preparations made for the attack of Cadiz, as well as of the mysterious fufpenfion and ultimate abandonment of that enterprise.

From various circumstances, the Ifland of Malta has become an object of general attention to Europe, and of peculiar intereft to this country. An account of it, therefore, after it became a part of the British dominions, natu. rally awakens a curiofity which we think Mr. A.'s work will be found well calculated to gratify. The Author has contrived to carry his reader through every part of this fuperb fortrefs, with a minutenefs and facility of defcription which, with the affiftance of the Engravings, give as perfect an idea of it as can be obtained of any place without a perfonal inspection : indeed, the chapters which relate to Malta afford a very pleafing fpecimen of local hiftory, and form an agreeable as well as inftructive kind of epifode to the military narrative. To the friends and admirers of the late Sir Ralph Abercromby (and what Englifhman will not be included in the number), the account given of the

honours paid to his remains, and the interment of them at Malta, must be highly interesting and confoling.

The expedition to Egypt immediately fucceeds; in which may be included the employment of the fleet and army during the time that it remained in Marmorice Bay, previous to its final departure on the great object of the expedition; and here we find the only defcription that we have yet feen of a place which was fo little known to geographers as to be seldom feen on the charts of the Mediterranean coafts.

Of the beautiful town and harbour of Marmorice, where the army remained fome days, for the purpose of concerting measures with the Turks, Mr. A. fays, "This picturesque fcene affumed the appearance of a paradife, and was peculiarly grateful to the feafick foldiers, who, though before they had been lying on the decks, neglecting their food, carelefs of themfelves, and dildaining life, almoft inftantly reco. vered every difpofition that proceeds from health and spirits. But here, as in every part of Turkey, the melan choly effects of iron-handed defpotifm is difcernible in the miferable poverty, abject fentiments, and grofs ignorance of the wretched inhabitants.`

The campaign of Egypt naturally follows; and the events of that brilliant period are related de die in diem till its glorious conclufion.

Some curious and important documents and details refpecting the army that went from India to Egypt by the Red Sea are here given, we believe for the first time, to the Public; the compliments paid to that army are just and grateful; and the General Orders of Sir James Baird are particularly worthy of perusal.

The PLATES that illuftrate this volume are: a very large, and, we prefume, an accurate Plan of Valetta, in the Island of Malta, its Harbours, Fortifications, and Dependencies; View of Fort Manuel and Port of Marfamufcet, with Fort Tigne; View of Fort Ricafoli, the City of Valetta, and part of Gregale; View of Ricafoli, the Caftle of St. Angelo, Bur Mola, and the Point of Ifola, View of Valetta," and the Fortifications on the Mariamufcet Side of the City_from Point St. Elmo; View of the Fortifications and the Entrance to Valetta

from

from the Floriana Side; View of the City of Valetta, with part of the Grand Harbour, View of C-diz, as it appeared from his Majefty's Ship Hector on the 5th of October 1800; Phun of Marmorice, with the Soundings in the Harbour, by Captain J. Edmonds, R. NOf these we cannot, indeed, fay much as works of art; but they have the merit, as it appears, of being faithful portraits of the objects which they are intended to reprefent. Two of them, however, are entitled to particular mention; the Plan of the Harbour and Fortifications of Malta, as a very curious piece of ichnography of a molt extraordinary place; and the Chart of Marmorice Bay, of which the

Author fays, it is the only one, I believe, that has yet been published. It is a curious geographical document and I can fpeak with confidence of its accuracy, as it was taken by a Naval Officer who is well known to be eminently qualified for every duty of his profeffion."

In works of this nature, it would feem a waste and wantonnefs of criticifm to dwell on flight defects and trivial errors; we shall therefore conclude with recommending Mr. Anderfon's volume to general attention; be lieving it to be, as his Introduction affures us it is, "an authentic record of our country's glory."

J.

THE fecond volume of this curious

work contains a detailed narrative of the Author's progreffive travels in Upper Egypt; and an accurate Map of the Country is prefixed, on which the route of the French troops commanded by General Defaix, and the track of Citizen Denon's travels, under the protection of his army, are distinctly marked by dotted lines.

By a careful infpection of this Map, the readers of thefe travels will be convinced, that Denon actually, as he callerts, explored a part of Upper Egypt which had not been visited by any other European for two thousand years.; and that his own excurfions could not have taken place under any other circumftances but thofe of being escorted by detachments of troops; for in many places where the greatest curiofities, confifting in antiquities illuftrative of ancient history, were to be found, it was necefiary to use coercion, in order to gain admiffion to the ruins of cities, temples, and tombs, as well as to fecure the perfon of the visitor from affaffina tion.

It is to this new country, as he calls it, therefore, that we mean to attract the attention of our readers; and on this account we shall only notice, as we pafs on to it, thofe interesting particulars which may be confidered, in

this volume, as additions to Sonnini's accounts and defcriptions of the fame places.

At Siut, a large well-peopled town, to all appearance built on the fite of the ancient city of Lycopolis, Denon vifited the Lybian chain of mountains, which exhibits fuch a vaft number of tombs, as evidently demonftrate that the modern town of Siut occupies the territory of fome very ancient and flourishing city. A plate, elegantly engraved by Harding, from a drawing made by our Author on the spot of one of the largeft of thefe tombs, is given, with a curious defcription of its architecture, and hieroglyphic infcriptions; of the latter, he obferves, that "months would be required to read them, even if one knew the language, and it would take years to copy them." See Vol. II. p. 5.

From Siut, as they approached the Defert, they found three new objects;

one

was the doum palm-tree, which differs from the date palm in having from eight to fifteen items instead of only a tingle one, and its ligneous fruit is attached by clutters to the extremity of the principal branches, whence proceed numerous tufts, which form the foliage of the tree, &c. A sketch of this tree, of a Karavaufera in the Defert, and of a Capric Convent, called

the

the White Monaftery, are the fubjects of two engravings, accompanied with proper defcriptions.

At Girgeh, or Girgé, according to Sonnini, the modern capital of Upper Egypt, and which afforded him but little attraction, Denon found a Nubian Prince, who was returning from India to Darfur, forty days journey from Siut; in a long converfation with him, concerning the fituation of the cele. brated city of Tombuctoo, the existence of which is fo problematical in Europe, the Prince gave him a very fatisfactory account of it, and of the manners, cuftoms, and trade of the inhabitants with Nubia; amongst other particu. lars, he faid, that they were fix months on their journey from Tombuctoo to Darfur, where they came to purchafe the various articles brought thither from Cairo, for which they exchanged gold duft. The plenty of provifions at Girgeh afforded great relief to the troops bread was a French fous (an English halfpenny) the pound; twelve eggs, two fous; a goofe, weighing fifteen pounds, twelve fous-fuch too was the abundance of thefe and other articles of food, that after more than 5000 men, Officers and privates, had remained there three weeks, no rife in the demand for thefe neceflaries had taken place.

But to counterpoife thefe conveniences, they were much haraffed by perpetual thefts, contrived by the offenders in fuch a manner that no rigour of mi litary execution could protect their arms or their hoffes." Every night the inhabitants ftole into our camp like rats, and, lurking about, they generally found an opportunity to Jeize fome article of plunder, and carry it away with them. Some of the rob. bers had been caught in the fact, and facrificed to the rage of the foldiers on guard. It was hoped that this rigour would prove a falutary example; the guard was doubled; and yet, on the jame day, two of the artillery forges were taken off, but the robbers were apprehended and hot immediately. In the night which followed this execution, the horses of the Aid-de-Camp of the General of Cavalry were ftolen; the General laid a wager that they would not touch any of his property; but the next day his horfe alfo difappeared, and the plunderers had pulled down part of a wall in order to furprife

VOL. XLII. Nov. 1802.

the General himself, which failed only on account of day-light coming before they were prepared.

Next follows an account of Defaix and Denon amusing themselves with hearing Arabian tales, in order to kill time, and they are described to be fimilar to the thousand and one stories of the Sultana Scherafade, fo well known all over Europe, by the title of Arabian Nights Entertainment." The Arabs relate ftories fo flowly, that our interpreters could follow them almoft without interrupting them ; they abound in extraordinary events and interefting fituations, occafioned by high and ftrong paffions-they make ufe of all the machinery of caftles, iron grates, poifons, daggers, rapes, night adventures, mistakes, treachery; in fort, all that can embroil and appear to render the denouement impoffible; and yet the story always finishes very naturally, in the clearest and most fatisfactory manner."

Arrived at Tentyra, or Dindera, its modern name, our Author is ftruck with aftonishment, and enters into all the particulars that are well calculated to gratify any individual, or the whole Society of Antiquaries, and in three plates gives different views of the prefent ftate of the famous temple; thele views have a moft picturefque effect; at the fame time they afford an idea of the fituation of the ancient city, which was built on the borders of the defert, on the lowest level of the Lybian chain, the foot of which is washed by the wa ters of the inundation of the Nile, at the distance of a league from its bed.

The elevation of the portico, and the inner door of the Sanctuary of the Temple, Plates XIX. and XX. inferted with the defcriptive narrative from p. 66 to 71, are the moft fublime and beautiful reprefentations that the eye can behold. A short extract from our Author's learned and fcientific differtation on the various architectural ornaments and other decorations of this ftupendous monument of antiquity may not be unacceptable to our read

x

ufeful arts promulgated; every thing fpoke, every object was animated with the fame mind. The opening of the doors, the angles, the most private recefs, ftill prefented a leffon, a precept of admirable harmony; and the lightest ornament on the graveft feature of the architecture revealed, under living images, the abftract truths of aftronomy. Painting added a further charm to fculpture and architecture, and produced, at the fame time, an agreeable richness, which did not injure either the general fimplicity or the gravity of the whole. To all appearance, painting in Egypt was then only an auxiliary ornament, and not a particular art: fculpture was emblematical, and, if I may fo call it, architectural. Architecture, therefore, was the great art, or that which was dictated by utility; and we may from this circumftance alone infer the priority, or at least the fuperior excellence, of the Egyptian over the Indian art, fince the former, borrowing nothing from the latter, has become the bafis of all that is the fubject of admiration in modern art, and of what we have confidered as exclufively belonging to architecture; the three Greek orders, the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. We fhould, therefore, be cautious of entertaining the falfe idea, which is fo prevalent, that the Egyp. tian architecture is the infancy of this art, fince it is, in fact, the complete type."

From Dindera, General Defaix and his army, accompanied by Denon, proceeded fouthwards, following the direction of the Nile, in a courfe oppofite to its current; and in making a fharp turn round the point of a projecting chain of mountains, they difcovered, all at once, the fite of the ancient city of Thebes, in its whole extent this abandoned fanctuary, furrounded with barbarifm, and again reftored to the defert from which it had been drawn forth, enveloped in the veil of mystery and the obfcurity of ages, whereby even its own coloffal monuments are magnified to the ima. gination, fill impreffed the mind with Auch gigantic phantoms, that the whole army fuddenly, and with one accord, stood in amazement at the fight of the

fcattered rums.

"I took a view," fays Denon, " of this first afpect of Thebes along with the fpectacle before me; the knees of

the enthufiaftic foldiers ferved me as a table, their bodies as a fhade-the fituation of this town is as fine as can well be imagined; and the immenfe extent of its ruins convinces the fpectator that fame has not magnified its fize; for the diameter of Egypt not being fufficient to contain it, its monuments rett upon the two chains of mountains which are contiguous, whilft its tombs occupy the vallies towards the weft, far on into the defert. Four large Hamlets divide amongst them the remains of the ancient monuments of Thebes, whilft the river, by the finuofity of its courfe, feems ftill proud of flowing amongst its ruins.

Here, we have to lament the irregularity of placing the engraved views in this volume. The Necropolis of Thebes, or city of the dead, and the view of the great Temple of Karnac, one of the four Hamlets, is referred to by the author at p. 86, but they are only to be found at p. 190 and 192; and the final, full explanation of all the Plates in the work, is referved to form a kind of fupplement to the third volume; the curious and attentive reader must therefore have the whole work and the maps open before him, to enable him to trace every fubject in a regular series of connexion; we cannot fuppofe it to be fo confused in the original. To the above mentioned explanations we refer the reader, and fhall follow our traveller to the end of his journey, noticing, as we pass on, the most striking particulars and anecdotes relative to this part of the country, of which our author has given the first modern defcription.

At the right, adjoining to another of the four villages-Medinet Abu, he found a vast palace, built and enlarged at various times: the lower part of this palace, which abuts against the mountain, is the most ancient in its conftruction, and is covered with hieroglyphics cut very deep, and without any relief; and in the fourth century, the Roman Catholics converted it to a church, adding two rows of pillars in the style of the age, to fupport a covered roof.

Efneh, the ancient Latopolis, is the last town of any importance in Upper Egypt; Murad Bey, the most formidable enemy the French had to encounter, had evacuated this station only a few hours before the arrival of their cavalry. This precipitate retreat.

gave

gave Denon an opportunity to examine its antiquities, and its prefent ftate, without moleftation. Some remains are still visible of its port or quay on the bank of the Nile, which has often been repaired, but, notwithstanding all that has been done for it, ftill remains in a very miserable condition. The town contains the portico of a Temple, which appeared to be the most perfect monument of ancient architecture. This portico is very well preferved, and poffeffes a real richnefs of fculpture: it is compofed of eighteen columns with broad capitals, the columns are noble and elegant, the plan and elevation of the whole furnishes two elegant views. The next object of admiration was the magnificent temple of Apollinopolis Magna, at Etfu, commanding the river, and the whole valley of Egypt; our author defcribes it as being in high preservation, and furpaffing all that he had yet feen in Egypt, or elsewhere. This building is a long fuite of pyramidical gates, of courts decorated with galleries, of porticoes, and of covered naves, conitrusted, not with common ftones, but entire rocks; a part of the population of the village of Etfu is contained in huts built in the courts, and around the fragments of the Temple; which, like fwallows' nefts in our houses, defile them without concealing or injuring their general appearance; of this fuperb edifice, two views are given, one of which is the largest and most complete plan in the whole work; the drawing was made on the return of the army to Etfu, on its march to Lower Egypt. See Vol. II. Plate XXVIII. p. 278.

Let us now fufpend our purfuit of antiquities, to give place to an affect ing anecdote, which exemplifies the different characters of the common foldiers of an army; for we must not fup. pofe that fuch intances are to be found only amongst the military of any particular nation or country.

After quitting Etfu, the infantry had a defert of feven leagues to crofs, and in their march fuffered the greatest hardthips from the want of food and water; arrived at length at the large abandoned village of Binban, which offered them nothing but a few walls, our author was a witnefs to a scene which prefented a ftriking contraft of favage brutality and the kindest fenfibility. Whilft I was looking at our people, whofe neceflities were as inge

nious in bringing to light, as the care of the natives had been to conceal, (provifions) a foldier comes out of a cave, dragging after him a the goat, which he had forced out; he is followed by an old man, carrying two young infants, who fets them down on the ground, falls on his knees, and, without speaking a word, points with tears in his eyes, to the young children, who must perish if the goat is taken away from them. But want, which is both deaf and blind to the diítrefs of others, does not ftay his murderous hand for any intreaty, and the goat is killed. At the fame moment, another foldier comes up, holding in his arms. another child, whofe mother doubtless had been obliged to defert it in her flight from us; and this brave fellow, notwithstanding the weight of his mufket, his cartridges, his knapsack, and the fatigue of four days of forced marches, had picked up this little forfaken creature, had carried it carefully for two leagues in his arms, and not knowing what to do with it in this deferted village, feeing one inhabitant left behind with two children, lays down his little charge befide them, and departs with the delightful expreffion of one who has juft performed a benevolent action."

A march of two days more brought them to Affuan or Syene, the object of their deftination, being the extent of their expedition. Here the Soldier forgot his fatigues, not reflecting that to return to a country of abundance, he must again cross the fame painful defert which he had juft left behind him; but the past is nothing to the foldier, when he can fnatch a little prefent gratification; and of this gratification our author draws fo pleating a picture, that we cannot refift the inclination to prefent it to our readers; and, as it is peculiarly characteristic of a French army, it may be a queftion worthy of being difcuffed by the impartial hiftorian of the late war-whe ther the extraordinary fuccefs of the + French is not to be attributed in fome degree to that happy turn of mind here defcribed?

"Our first employment was to get ourfelves comfortably fettled. The second day of our establishment, there were already in the ftreets of Syene, tailors, fhoe makers, jewellers, French barbers, eating-houfes, and reftaurateurs (houfes of entertainment for the

Aaa 2

officers