HERODOTUS AND EGYPTIAN GEOLOGY. 69 



specimens that have been passed roiiud belong to a later formation 

 — the pleistocene formation. Herodotus may have seen these also, 

 for on the hills near the pyramids are raised beaches, piled up 

 with shells of a modern species of oyster, and these oysters lived 

 there at a time when the sea extended over the pyramid plateau. 



Dr. Walker al.'^o referred to the sulphur springs. These 

 sulphur springs of Helwan are very curious. The phial which Dr 

 Walker handed round is a strong solution of sulphuretted hydro- 

 gen, which any one can smell for some distance, and it was no 

 doubt used for cutaneous diseases in the old times as it is to-day. 

 These very sti'ong sulphur baths and springs are connected with 

 the occuri'ence of gypsum in the neighbouring rocks, and were no 

 doubt known from time immemorial. 



Soda is commonly found, as carbonate, in the desert waters of 

 the region, and was largely used by the Egyptians and other 

 ancient people for detergent purposes, for preparing mummies, 

 and also in the manufacture of glass, which was probably first 

 made by the natives of Egypt. You see this good old traveller, 450 

 years e.g., noticed a great many of these things. He was not 

 so excited by the evidences of art that he saw in Egypt as to fail 

 to notice the works of nature in Egypt. I think we also should 

 consider what these people had to do with, and the natural gifts 

 of that wonderful country, while admiring what they did. There 

 are few countries in the world so richly endowed, and perhaps no 

 country in the world where those natural endowments were turned 

 to such wonderful account as by those industrious, thoughtful, and 

 careful old Egyptian people, who, in early times, were much 

 secluded from intercourse with other nations of the world, and yet 

 developed for themselves an original civilisation different from 

 that of any other part of the world. (Applause.) 



Between Herodotus and our friend here, there is a great tempta- 

 tion to speak on a subject so large and curious as this is, and 

 especially with reference to the supposed volcanic phenomena at 

 Jebel Ahmar near Cairo, as to which some of us might differ 

 in some respects from both Herodotus and the author of the paper, 

 but there are others present who may be prepared to take up 

 these points. 



