268 Capt. Rarnier’s Account of an 
racter. The reason given at the beginning, why Gatuvs, the first Prefect, 
had not been celebrated, viz. the absence of the deities presiding over the 
fine arts, ought, as the party had returned, to be followed by the celebration 
of Mamertinus, the existing Prefect. His name, therefore, should form 
a part of the acrostic. 
d Bhat 
Albany, July 15, 1831. 
II. Account of an Avenue of Sphinxes, discovered by Capt. Rainer, C.B., R.N., 
at Ben-i-Hassan, in January 1829. 
To the Secretary of the Royat Astatic Society, &c. &c. 
2, Old Cavendish Street, April 13, 1831. 
SIR: 
At our last meeting, a visitor having casually alluded to the discovery by 
Captain P. Ranier, of the Royal Navy, of an avenue of Sphinxes (or 
Sphinges) at Ben-i-Hassan in Egypt, which has not been noticed by any 
traveller hitherto, I have the pleasure to lay before the Society a letter 
from Captain Rarnrer, giving a description of them, as well as of the ex- 
cavated temples at Ben-i-Hassan. 
I remain, Sir, 
Your most obedient servant, 
H. J. Bower. 
Southampton, April 7, 1831. 
My pear Bow.er: 
Agreeably to your wish, I will give you all the information I can relative 
to the avenue of Sphinges I discovered in January 1829, at the excavated 
temples at Ben-i-Hassan, in latitude 27° 53’ N. (the first you arrive at in 
ascending the Nile from Cairo). These excavations are of the most beau- 
tiful proportions ; they bear the name of Osorrsen the First, the most 
ancient king yet discovered, having his name in hieroglyphics (a more 
ancient prefix of a Pharaoh is constantly found; but the oval thai should 
contain the name is not inscribed). All the temples at this place have 
