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with an impenetrable cloud; but Isis is introduced with the wantonness of an almé, approaching naked the couch of Osiris, while other goddesses are standing by. The convenient resource of allegory is, no doubt, always at hand to explain away this grossness, and to inform us for what sanctified motives the sign which decorated, at Pompeia, houses of ill fame, should in Egypt be introduced into the very sanctuary of the gods, and offend the eye on every wall and column.

CCXLIII. The zodiac, as it is denominated, which adorns the ceiling of this portico, has, perhaps, attracted more notice than it deserves. Like that of Dendera, it would appear, in fact, to be merely a series of mythological figures, symbolical of the various offspring of the celestial Venus. On the southern wall, immediately under the zodiac, is a figure of Bouto, with the pschent and lituus mitre, seated on a throne, while a male god, with a sickle in his hand, is engaged before her in reaping what appears to be a handful of mingled lotus and dhourra. Farther back is an Ibis-headed Thoth, throned and mitred, receiving an offering of the figure of a god, with a single feather on his head. Behind Thoth, or "Thrice Great Hermes," Aroëris, the hawk-headed divinity, appears to stand as an inferior. On the front of the cella there is a figure of Harpocrates, holding in one hand the yoni-lingam and flagellum, the fore-finger of the other being raised and pointed

LEGEND OF THE SCARABEUS.

337

to his lips; while a male worshipper approaches him, bearing a costly offering, consisting of a bowl, a sceptre, a graduated staff, and a yoni-lingam. Near this group is Osiris on his throne, with Isis standing beside him, bearing on her head a globe, resting between the horns of a cow. Proceeding farther towards the north, we observe a youth playing on a kind of sistrum with eight strings, before Bouto, or Latona, who wields the bird-headed sceptre of the male divinities, her head being adorned with a single round-topped feather, bound on with a fillet or lotus stem.

CCXLIV. Among the interminable bas reliefs on the columns are several winged scarabæi, holding between their claws the mystic ball of cow's dung, from which, according to the Egyptians, they produced their young, without the aid of a female. This ball, when impregnated, was buried for twenty-eight days in the earth, after which, being uncovered, the young beetles crept forth;a fable containing, according to mythologists, some mystic allusion to the revolution of the moon, which in that period seems to terminate and renew its existence. On the mural skreen extending between the columns in front of the pronaos, we find the figure of a crocodile upon a low pedestal, while a worshipper approaches it with offerings, which he seems about to place before the god upon an altar piled with fruit and other delicacies. The crocodile bears the globe, with the uræus in front, upon his head, and immediately behind him is another

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MYTHOLOGICAL SCULPTURES.

uræus with the outspread wings of the vulture. The door formerly leading into the sekos, and adorned with the usual frieze, cornice, moulding, and winged globe, is now built up and plastered over with mud. Above the cornice is another globe, apparently that of the sun, with Osiris-Ammon standing up in its centre. On the northern exterior wall, Bouto is represented standing before the throne of Isis, bearing the Kteis-Phallus in one hand, and in the other the bird-headed sceptre, with a bow and two arrows; and in front of the two goddesses is an altar, before which stands a male worshipper, bearing in one hand a staff, while the other is raised in an attitude of supplication. Upon another part of the wall, near Soukos and Ammon, is Boubasta, seated on a throne, bearing a bow and three arrows, while before her stands a hunter, just returned from the chase, with his slackened bow and unused arrows in his hand. To Ammon, who stands on the right hand of Boubasta, a worshipper is presenting an offering of five lotus flowers. A series of hawks with outspread wings runs along the upper part of the wall, as on the great temple of Apollo at Edfou.

CCXLV. It being market-day, the bazar, to which we proceeded on quitting the temple, was crowded with buyers and sellers, and we found provisions extremely cheap; beef, about three farthings per pound; butter*, or rather ghee, ---a government

This butter, which is clarified, and, when melted, nearly as clear as

monopoly, dearer, the price being as much as threepence halfpenny per pound; bread and onions very cheap; good tobacco about eightpence per pound; Mokha coffee, another government monopoly, very dear, at least one shilling and ninepence per pound. A dancing-girl in the bazar, who took a liking to my gloves, was extremely desirous of obtaining them as a present; but I told her the sun of Esneh was too warm to allow of my walking about with naked hands. Upon hers it had already done its worst, for they were nearly black. Here I saw a very pretty genteel Arab girl, about twelve years old, nearly as fair as an European, buying little cheeses, like those of Neufchâtel. She was extremely well dressed, and followed by a female slave. The market was abundantly supplied. Heaps of corn, dates, peas, lentils, onions, and vegetables of all kinds, literally encumbered the streets; and the peasant girls, here the principal merchants, were fat, good-looking, and merry. Having had some dealings with his Highness's representatives in this town, it was necessary to follow the mallim, or writer, to the fort, where two or three small pieces of ordnance overawe the navigators on the Nile. Here we found the Coptic scribes seated at dinner on the floor, round two or three trays, extremely well covered, and were invited to join them. The principal course consisted of fish, fried in oil, and

fine oil, is merely used in cooking. Though sold at a much higher price, it is eventually much cheaper than ordinary butter. It is the ghee of the Hindoos.

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of an exceedingly good quality; and their bread also was excellent. The costume of the Copts consists of long black robes, and black turbans; and this, with their coarse angular features and sallow complexions, gives them a sombre funereal apppearance. My companion's reis remaining here to bake bread for the Nubian voyage, none being to be found in that country, I set sail alone, and hurried forward towards Es-Souan, from whence we intended, if it should be found practicable, to proceed in one boat as far as Sukkot or Dongola; but the wind dying away, we made but two leagues in the whole afternoon, and moored at night off Taphnis. This was the first cloudy day which had for some time made its appearance.

Saturday, Jan. 12. Fares.

CXLVI. The wind springing up early, we departed before day, the kandjia proceeding with an unwonted degree of rapidity; and though the ruins on both sides of the river, -Eilithyias, on the east, Edfou on the west, and, farther on, the famous quarries of Hajjar Silsilis, - strongly invited us to land, I deferred my visit to each of those places until our return. The lofty propylon of Apollinopolis Magna is visible, however, from the river, looking more like a fortress than the appendage to a place of worship. A little above Esneh, the sacred valley is greatly narrowed, the desert, in many places, reaching almost to the water's edge; until at length, at Hajjar Silsilis, or the "Rock of the Chain," the mountains on either side approach