THE LATE CAMPAKJN IN EGYPT. 41 



fillet, a Greek inscription in a state of great preser- 

 vation, which I transcribed, and afterwards revised 

 from below ; unfortunately the information it con- 

 veys is trifling, and the obhteration of a part preventt 

 its being of that utihty I had at first anticipated. 



Thougli we had ascended by the stairs, the mound 

 of ruins on one side presented a more ready descent; 

 and industriously profiting of the moment, we lost 

 no time hi completing our observations. 



The French ha\e been digging round, and within 

 the temple, in different places, to ascertain its di- 

 mensions, and we wxre indebted for our access to 

 many of the rooms, to the pains taken by them to 

 discover their entrances; for which purpose they 

 have removed a great deal of rubbish. The whole 

 exterior of the temple is in perfect preservation, ex- 

 cept the defacement which many of the figures 

 within reach have suffered. On the south and west 

 faces are some very elegant spouts for carrying off 

 water, issuing from the mouths of couchant lions, 

 decorated with rams-horns. The whole summit of 

 the temple is disfigured by heaps of rubbish, and 

 fra^-ments of walls, as also the mounds which sur- 

 round it, w4iich probably owe their existence to a 

 colonade, or some range of buildings with which it 

 was enclosed, and which are now buried. To the 

 southeast, at some hundred yards distance, is a 

 ruined gateway boasting little beauty ; it is situated 

 at the foot of the eminence on which the temple is 

 built, and being almost beyond the range of the 

 present ruins, might have belonged to some other 

 edifice. Some wretched Arabs, who emjjloy them- 

 selves in digging aniongst the ruins, brought us a 

 t'tv^'^ Roman coins, which v/e purchased. 



Though wehatl been several l>ours in contem- 



