Ohjervattons in Egypt. ^27 



Little fquareBoxes, like ii5, ufually painted either with fymbo- Boxe^puced 

 lical Figures or Hierogljiphicks, are found in thefe Catacomhs. Feet'of IZ 

 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 to be the Coffins of their Sacred 

 Animals ; when M'. Le Maire, (who had been at the opening of 

 a new Vault,) informed me, that there was one of them placed, 

 as in the adjoyning Table, at the Feet of each Mum?nj c ; 

 wherein were inclofed the Inftruments and Utenhls, in Minia- ^%'Z'Jr 

 ture, which may be fuppofed to have belonged to the Trade^J,"^"' "' 

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

 He fliewed 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 Thalki^^ 

 in Alabafter; feveral fmall earthen Veffels, 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, the Mummy Chefts, and whatever r/^^ Boxes, 

 Figures and Inftruments of Wood are found in the Catacombs, a^p'&Ic. 

 are all of them of Sycamore, which though fpongy and porous syi£? 

 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, *, *, *, &c. of 

 baked Earth, made nearly in the Form of the Mummy Chefts ; 

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

 or in the Habit of a Nun. Thefe are ranged round about t\\Q^jttie 'images 



'-' f laced round 



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

 fo many Guardian Genij and Attendants. The feveral Attri-c/^^/^. 

 butes of thefe Images ; fuch as the Flagellum (i3). Hook (y). 

 Net (J"), Hier alpha (e), &c. the female Countenance (<)^ to- 

 gether with the Veil («), fhould induce us to believe it to be 

 the Ifis y^verrunca, or I/is the Driver away of Evil Demons. 

 The Scroll of Hieroglyphic al Writing (5), that runs down the 

 Breaft, diifereth very little from what we commonly fee 

 painted upon the correfpondent Part of the Mummy. But the 



I This is exprefTed in Plate xxiv. fig. 4. of Mr. Alex. Gorden% Colledion of Egyptian 

 Antiquities. 2 Vid. p. 294. , 



O o o o o X . little 



