ANTIQUITIES. 
I myself often met with such in- 
conveniences in copying hierogly- 
phics at Cairo, where the people are 
More mischievous in their disposi- 
tions thanin the country. Going 
to make a drafi, at one time, of a 
piece of curiosity that struck me, I 
carried with mea Mullah for protec- 
tion. ‘The street in which it stood 
Was very much frequented; and a 
crowd of people drew round us; 
but, without ‘offering any insult, 
only admired my European dexte- 
rity in writing with a pencil without 
ink. A saradgi, however, one of 
a body of soldiery, somewhat of the 
character of bussars, in the service 
of the Beys, came up, and, to shew 
his consequence, attacked me with 
abusive language. The Mullah ad- 
vised me to go away, before the 
fellow should proceed to strike me. 
I returned at another time: and, to 
secure myself against a similar in- 
terruption, gave a trifle to a saradgi, 
whe was standing near. But ano- 
ther saradgi came up, and asked 
me who had given me permission to 
write there ? He whom I had paid, 
answered, “ my master.” The 
other replied, that ‘* his master for- 
bade me.”? <A third time | return- 
ed, and had nearly finished my copy, 
without disturbance, when the 
Imam of a mosque observed how I 
was employed, and made a noise 
that obliged me to retire. ‘Tbus 
should I have been disappointed of 
my purpose, if I bad suffered myself 
to be discouraged, and not opposed 
coolness and patience to their teaz- 
ing and mischievous arts. 
At another time, when I was 
drawing sketches of some fragments 
that stood before the governor's 
house, I was suffered to proceed, 
without interruption, for several 
ours. But at last the governor 
AA3 
sent a saradgi to carry me before 
him: When I appeared, he asked 
my reason for copying the Pharaonic 
inscriptions. When I bad explained 
it to bim, he took my paper, and 
shewed it to the nobles about him, 
who laughed at the vain curiosity 
of the Europeans. The saradgi 
carried away my paper; and when 
I asked it from the governor, he 
told me that I might have it from 
the saradgi when I chose. This I 
understood to be a hint to give the 
fellow a present; and accordingly 
presented him with a crown; upon 
which I bad my papers restored, 
and obtained leave to copy the rest 
of the inscription. ' 
That which is the greatest curio- 
sity, and contains the greatest num- 
ber of hieroglyphics, is, a coffer of 
black granite, seven feet long, stand- 
ing near the old castle, Kalla el 
Kabsch. It was this coffer that I 
had to come and go so often to, be- 
fore 1 could get a drawing of it made. 
Pococke and Maillet mention it by 
the name of the Fountain of Trea- 
sures, or the Fountain of Lovers, 
A part of those inscriptions is cover- 
ed over with plaster; for this fine 
piece of antiquity now serves as a 
cistern for water. This seems to 
have been the coffer of some person 
of distinction. 
A similar coffer was dug up 
twenty years ago, and was conveyed 
to Cairo, to be placed in a mosque ; 
but it was broken in bringing it 
ashore at Bulak. The fragments 
were placed around a tree before the 
governor’s house; and while they 
were in that situation, I made a 
draught of them. 
I was told that similar coffers 
stood at the entrance of several 
other mosques, containing, in like 
manner, hieroglyphic inscriptions: 
but, 
