io6 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



in the collection of hieroglyphics, I wonder that, being- 

 in the neighbourhood, as we are, of Lycopolis, we never fee a 

 wolf as an hieroglyphic ; and nothing, indeed, but what, 

 has fome affinity to water ; yet the wolf is upon all the med- 

 als, from which I apprehend that the worfhip of the wolf, 

 was but a modern fuperftition, 



Dendera ftands on the edge of a fmall, but fruitful plain; 

 the wheat was thirteen inches high, now at Chriflmas ; 

 their harveft is in the end of March. The valley is not above 

 five miles wide, from mountain to mountain. Here we 

 firft faw the Doom-tree in great profufion growing among 

 the palms, from which itfcarcely is diftinguifhable at a dif- 

 tance. It is the * Talma Thebaica Cuciofera. Its Hone is 

 like that of a peach covered with a black bitter pulp, which: 

 refembles a walnut over ripe. 



A little before we came to Dendera we faw the firft 

 crocodile, and afterwards hundreds, lying upon every ifland,. 

 like large flocks of cattle, yet the inhabitants of Dendera 

 drive their beafls of every kind into the river, and they, 

 ftand there for hours. The girls and women too, that come 

 to fetch water in jars, ftand up to their knees in the water 

 for a confiderable time ; and if we guefs by what happens, 

 their danger is full as little as their fear, for none of thenv 

 that ever I heard of, had been bit by a crocodile. However, 

 if the Denderitcs were as keen and expert hunters of Cro- 

 codiles, as fome f hiitorians tell us they were formerly, 

 there is furely no part in the Nile where they would have 

 better fport than here, immediately before their own city. 



Having 



*Tbeophraft. Hift. Plan. lib. iii. cap. S — lib. iv. cap^2.. fStrabo lib. vii. p. 941.. 



