110 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XI. 



Indeed, I believe this dromos to have been a con- 

 tinuation of the *' Royal street " mentioned in some 

 papyri found at Thebes, which, crossing the western 

 portion of the city, communicated, by means of a 

 ferry, with the temple of Luxor, founded by the 

 same Amunoph, on the other side of the river ; as 

 the great dromos of Sphinxes, connecting the tem- 

 ples of Luxor and Karnak, formed the main street 

 in the eastern district of Thebes. The colossi H,I 

 are 47 ft.* higli, with the pedestal 60 ; but the al- 

 luvial deposit has accumulated around them to the 

 height of from 6 ft. 10 in. to 7 ft., so that they now 

 stand only 53 ft. above the plain. t This was ascer- 

 tained by excavating to the base of the pedestal ; 

 and having penetrated beneath it, I found that it 

 stood, not on alluvial ground, but on the soil of the 

 desert, which was paved with sandstone blocks, 

 serving as substructions for the colossus and the 

 dromos. The lower side of the pedestal had not 

 been cut smooth, but was left of a round irregular 

 shape, extending 3 ft. 10 in. below the level of the 

 paved dromos ; but tiiat was of little importance : 

 the mahi point was to ascertain whether the slope 

 of the dromos corresponded with that of the de- 

 sert ; and this I proceeded to examine. I there- 

 fore dug to the base of what I supposed to be part 

 of a similar colossus at F, 300 ft. behind the co- 

 lossus H.t This, however, proved to be a group 



* By sextant I make the western colossus 47 ft. ; and the other, by 

 actual measurement, 47 ft. 9 in. Vide Plate 18. No. 5. 



f The ground has sunk at the base, and the statue inclines a little to 

 one side, so that it is difficult to ascertain the exact height of the pe- 

 destal. See Plate. 



X Vide Plate 18. No. 6. 



