i<5o TRAVELS TO DISCOVER:. 



thic fade, fomething like metopes, triglyphs, and gutts^ 

 difpofed rudely, and without order, but there are no cha- 

 racters or figures. The face of this pyramid looks duc- 

 fouth ; has been placed with great exactnefs, and preferves 

 its perpendicular pofition till this day. As. this obelifk has 

 been otherwife defcribed as to its ornaments, I have given 

 a geometrical elevation of it fervilely copied, without fha- 

 ding or perfpective, that all kind of readers may under- 

 stand it. 



After palling the convent of Abba Pantaleon, called in 

 AbyfTmia, Mantilles, and the fmall obelifk fituated on a rock 

 above, we proceed fouth by a road cut in a. mountain of 

 red marble, having on the left a parapet-wall about five feet 

 high, folid, and of the fame materials. At equal diflances 

 there are hewn in this wall folid pedeflals, upon the tops of 

 which we fee the marks where flood the ColofTal flames of 

 Syrius the Latrator Anubis, or Dog Star. One hundred and 

 thirty-three of thefe pedeflals, with the marks of the flames 

 I jufl mentioned, are Hill in their places ; but only two fi- 

 gures of the dog remained when I was there, much muti-. 

 lated, but of a tafte eafdy diflinguimed to be Egyptian. 

 Thefe are compofed of granite, but foihe of them appear to 

 have been of metal. Axum, being the capital of Siris, or 

 Sire, from this we eafily fee what connection this capital of 

 the province had with the dog-flar, and confcquently the 

 abfurdity of fuppofmg that the river derived its name from 

 a Hebrew word*, fignifying black. 



There 



* Sliihor. 



