a Contributions to Physical Geography. 



where we found an immense granite basin, seventeen feet long, 

 by seven wide, and three deep. It is hewn out in the rough, 

 and is narrower at the bottom than the top ; we were at a 

 loss to imagine for what purpose such an immense basin 

 could be intended, unless it was for a bath. The whole of 

 this quarry was highly interesting ; here we had an opportu- 

 nity of noticing the manner in which the ancients used to cut 

 the prodigious masses which one meets with throughout Egypt. 

 It appears that, when they wanted to detach a mass, they cut 

 niches in a right line throughout the piece they intended re- 

 moving ; these niches were about two feet apart, five or six 

 inches long, and about three deep, by two and a half broad. 

 As soon as they were finished the block was separated by 

 some violent blow or concussion. We met in all directions 

 specimens of the progress of their work ; some masses were 

 but half-detached, others wholly separated ; here we saw an 

 obelisk in the rough, and there a column ; the whole was an 

 interesting scene. The ancient road regularly paved with gra- 

 nite is still plainly to be seen, though the sand covers a great 

 part ; in the vacancies between the hills are causeways, some 

 of considerable length, to connect the elevated parts one with 

 the other, and thus keep a communication open with the seve- 

 ral quarries, all these roads leading to two principal ones, 

 which conduct to Assuan. We now searched for the column 

 with the inscriptions, and at last found it. The pillar is small, 

 not being more than ten feet in length, by about three feet 

 diameter ; the inscription is tolerably perfect. An Arab, ac- 

 quainted with Mr Belzoni, told him of it, and it was seen for 

 the first time by a traveller last year. As Mr B. had copied 

 the writing, we did not think it worth while to copy it. Its 

 purport is as follows :— * To Jupiter Ammon, Kneephis 

 Bona, (the good spirit,) and to Juno the Queen, under whose 

 protection is this mountain, in which were discovered nine 

 quarries near Philae, during the happy age of the Roman Em- 

 pire, under the most pious Emperors Severus and Caracalla, 

 and — ■ and Julia Dorana his august mother ; and 



a vast number of statues, and large columns, were taken out 

 of these quarries by Aquila, Prefect of Egypt. ' Cura ma^ 

 gens operuy which Mr Salt interprets, ' under his directions 



