37^ TRAVELS IN EGYPT. 



seum, in which it is worthy of occupying a distin- 

 guished place. 



Furthermore, the opinion that the researches of 

 Europeans had no other object than the discovery 

 of treasures buried or shut up in the monuments of 

 antiquity, was that of all the inhabitants of Egypt ; 

 and it was become one of the greatest obstacles 

 which the traveller had to overcome. A Turk of 

 Rossetta had, at the door of his magazine, a very 

 beautiful piece of granite, upon which hieroglyphic 

 figures were engraved in perfect preservation. 

 After having a drawing of it taken *, I proposed 

 to the owner that he should sell me the granite 

 itself; I offered besides to have another stone set 

 up in its place at my own expense. The Turk 

 would never listen to any proposal : he alleged as 

 the motive of his refusal, that this granite was 

 full of gold. The man was poor, and when I de- 

 manded why he did not break his stone, in order 

 to extract those riches for which he appeared to 

 have so much occasion, he replied, that this would 

 be a wicked and dangerous action, because his 

 stone was a talisman. 



* This drawing is one of those which, at different epochas, I 

 sent into France, and which have disappeared. I regret not 

 having preserved them; several of them were interesting, and 

 would have been suitable ornaments for this work. 



END OF THE FIRST VOLUME. 



Printed by S. Gosnell, Little Queen Street. 



