ST, 
the Inflitute at Cairo. 425 
def contained only §, (2! ounces per pound) of faltpetre ; 
the reft was fulphur, chanel; earth, and muriat of foda. 
C. Monge read.a memoir on fome ancient monuments 
found at Cairo. _We learn by this memoir: 1. That at a 
place called the Sazar, in a recefs inclofed bya grate fituated 
in the fireet conducting from the building where the Infii- 
‘tute fits to the caftle of Cairo, there was a granite vafe, co- 
vered with hieroglyphics both within and without. This 
vafe had fome refemblance to one found in the great mofque 
at Alexandria, but the dimenfion of the hieroglyphics was 
larger. C. Monge requefted that the Inftitute would take 
the neceflary meafures 1o get this monument removed to a 
proper place, till an opportunity could be found of fending it to 
France. 2. That in the caftle of Cairo, after having ‘paffed 
the place called Jofeph’s Caftle, there was a door-threfhold, 
formed of a fragment of a polifhed obelitk of bafaltes, the 
hieroglyphics of which were in good prefervation. C. Monge 
made a fimilar requeft in regard to this monument, 
. C. Monge prefented to the affembly a fpecimen of the 
ftone employed for the mafon-work of the caftle of Cairo. 
This ftone is of the fame nature as the rock on which the 
eaftle is built, and is compofed of that fhell called numifmal, 
becaufe it refembles fmall pieces of money. Thefe fhells 
may be eafily {plit in the dire@tion of their thitknefs. In 
the infide of them is feen a delicate fpiral, which, at differ- 
ent points of its courfe, divides itfelf into feveral branches. 
This fpiral ferved as a lodging for the animal which con- 
firuéted the fhell. The old walls of Laon, in the depart- - 
ment of Aifne, are of a compofition ‘perfectly fimilar. | 
Fourth Sitting, Pruétidor 24. ; 
C. Sulkowfky informed his colleagues that he had ob- 
feryed a buf of Tfis on the banks of the Nile near Tera ané, 
and two ftones with, hieroelyphics ma carden of the fame 
villowe. He requefted) that they mieht' be tranfported’ to 
Ceive = ait ofitedin-the plade wire Yhe TAM ate mete’ 
C. Geoffroy 
