450 Notices respecting New Books. 
divisions, customs, antiquities, and monuments of art—particu- 
larly the excavated temples; the author’s journey across the De- 
sert to Egypt; and some interesting particulars respecting the 
labours of Belzoni, Caviglia, and Salt, in exploring the pyramids, 
the sphynx, the tombs, and the temples, in Egypt and Nubia. 
As military operations come not within the plan of our pub- 
lication, we will select some particulars respecting the antiquities 
of Egypt, which, with previous articles in our present volume, will 
give our readers some idea of the labour it has cost the meritorious 
individuals above named to lay open these ancient edifices, to pro- 
cure the knowledge that has been obtained respecting them, and 
to gain possesion of those singular monuments which already grace 
the British Museum, with others now on the way, or in readiness 
to be embarked, to be deposited in the same singularly splendid 
and unrivalled collection of Egyptian antiquities. 
On the author’s arrival at Cairo, he introduces us at once to 
some of the curiosities collected by Mr. Salt. “At last (says he) we 
reached the door of the house I was in search of, and learned, 
with pleasure, that its owner was at home. I jumped off my 
donkey, and passing through a narrow passage, entered a court- 
yard of small dimensions; and from the extraordinary figures 
against the walls around me, should have fancied I was in the 
catacombs, had J not recollected that I was in the sanctum sanc- 
torum of an inveterate and most successful antiquarian. The 
lantern illuminated the massy figures around ; and having the 
prospect of viewing them the next morning, I went on with the 
hope of entering when supper was on the table; but before I 
could attain the desired object, I had to pass two large wooden 
figures, like porters, at the door, from the tombs of the kings of 
Thebes ....... . While at supper, Mr. Belzoni, of whom 
I had heard so much, made his appearance, and I was greatly 
struck with his person, being in the Turkish costume. He was 
the handsomest man I ever saw, was above six feet six inches high, 
and his commanding figure set off by a long beard. He spoke 
English perfectly, and the subject which had engrossed our 
thoughts so long, that of opening the second pyramid, was brought 
on the tapis*.”—It was agreed that they should set off next day 
to see the adjacent wonders. ; 
“¢ T had much conversation with Mr. Salt and Signor Belzoni 
respecting the late discoveries in and near the ruins of Thebes, 
which seem to surpass every thing in the world except Ellora +. 
“The tomb lately opened by Mr. Salt was discovered by Mr. Bel- 
zoni, 
* For an account of this labour of Belzoni see p. 210 of this volume. 
+ The author alludes here to the grand temple, Keylas (or Paradise) and 
other excavations, extending for nearly two miles, near the village of Ellora, 
all cut out of solid red granite—-a much more difficult labour than that of exca- 
: vating 
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