Objervations in Egypt. φ2? 



Little fquareBoxcs, like ©, ufually painted either with \y mho- boxc^ placed 

 lical Figures or Hierogljphicks, are found in thefe Catacombs. ρί°Γο/ Τ, 

 The Figure of a Hawk is commonly fixed to each of their Lids ; ^''"'"""^" • 

 though I had one that was furmounted with a Dog ', and ano- 

 ther with an Owl ; both of them painted in proper Colours. 

 I was at a lofs to know , for what other Ufes thefe Boxes 

 could have been defigned, than tobetheCoffins of their Sacred 

 Animals ; u hen M'. Le Ma'tre, (who had been at the opening of 

 a new A^ault^) informed me, that there was one cf them placed, 

 as in the adjoyning Table, at the Feet of each Mimimy <r•, 

 wherein were inclofed the Inftruments and Utenfils, in Minia- ^>^;'^',,^ ' 

 ture, which may be luppofed to have belonged to the TradeJ;^^^' '"' 

 and Occupation of the embalmed Perfon, when he was alive. 

 He ihewed me one of them , which contained a Variety of 

 Figures in lafcivious Poftures ; and had therefore appertained, 

 as he conjectured, to one of their Curt'izans. Among others, 

 there was the Figure of a Bacchus in Copper ; a hollow Tballi^s, 

 in Alabafter ; feveral fmall earthen A^eiTels, for Paint ; and the 

 Joynt of a Reed, which had within it a Pencil, and fome pound- 

 ed Lead Oar, the fame that is ftill ufed by the Women of thele 

 Countries \ Thefe Boxes, thQ Mummj> ChtW-Sy and what ever r>ivB«-y, 

 Figures and Inftruments of Wood are found in the Catacomhs, cS&^. 

 are all of them of Sycamore, which though fpongy and porous syinCne 

 to Appearance, hath notwithftanding continued intire and un- ''^""^' 

 corrupted for more than three thoufand Years. A little behind 

 the Boxes, there are a Number of little Images, *, SS &c. of 

 baked Earth, made nearly in the Form of the Mummj/ Chefts ; 

 fome whereof are blew, others white, others again are pied^ 

 or in the Habit of a Nun. Thefe are ranged round about the ^/"-', '^""'-" 



•-^ placed rouTid 



Pedeftals of the Mummy Chefts, as if they were defigned for^'^""^ '^'" 

 fo many Guardian Genij and Attendants. The feveral Kllxi-chejis. 

 butes of thefe Images ; fuch as the Flagellum (β). Hook (y). 

 Net (J*), Hieralpha (t), &c. the female Countenance (ζ), to- 

 gether with the Veil (»), ihould induce us to believe it to be 

 the Ifis yiverrunca, or Ijis the Driver away of Evil Daemons. 

 The Scroll οϊ HierogfyphicalWritms^ (^), that runs down the 

 Breaft, differeth very little from what we commonly fee 

 painted upon the correfpondent Part of the Mumm/. But the 



I This is expreiTed in Plate xxiv. fig. 4. of Mr. Alex. Gorden'i CoIIeclion of Egyptian 

 Anciquitics. 2. Vid. p. 294. 



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