116 DR. R. ANGUS SMITH ON THE 



was never done before by any except him the king. Ye 

 gods of the well, assure to him your length of life_, since 

 he has made for us the road to travel upon, and has opened 

 what lay shut there before us, and the way has become 

 good. Now the gold can be carried up, as the king and 

 lord has seen. All the living generation and those which 

 shall be hereafter will pray for an eternal remembrance of 

 him,'' &c. 



In another place a great deal of water is spoken of as 

 being found. The well mentioned, although 120 cubits 

 deep, had dried up ; but Ramses the second again bored 

 other wells at the instigation of the Prince of Cush, ''^ who 

 said that the land was accursed for want of water." At 

 this time water appeared at 12 cubits depth; brooks were 

 formed ; and fishermen from the islands came, enjoyed 

 themselves, and sailed on the water. Whether this water 

 was used for washing the ores, or not, I do not see 

 mentioned *. 



It is difficult to stop adding near relationships to things 

 chemical in the land of Egypt ; but one I must add. It 

 certainly seems strange that the Egyptian name for Her- 

 mopolis should be Khimunu, as if also related to Khem ; 

 and it brings to mind the name of Hermes, the thrice great 

 and of Egyptian fame, among the alchemists an authority 

 for final appeal. 



We have passed to Egypt and touched on Assyria, 

 finding there the same word. There may be reason to 

 believe that this word is originally from Asia ; and it may 

 have come from its centre : at any rate it has connexions 

 there. We find the word Kern there with the same chief 

 meaning, " heat.'' I was very much inclined to think that 

 Aryans or Semites coming from the north called Egypt 

 hot; but the idea of blackness has possessed so many 



* Brugsch, vol. ii. p. 83. 



