4 1 8 Notes on a Visit to Egypt, [Sess. 



man, Cheops, a monarch of the 4th Dynasty, who lived about 

 3730 B.C. 



The Sphinx is now known to be a colossal image of 

 Harmachis, God of the Morning, but its builder is unknown. 

 It was old at the time of Cheops, and Egyptologists believe 

 it is of great antiquity. 



On December 20 1 left Cairo for a three weeks' tour up 

 the Nile in one of the river- boats. Our first stop was at 

 Bedrechen, where we procured donkeys for a ride through 

 groves of date-palms to the site of Memphis, now represented 

 only by two colossal statues of Eameses the Great. 



Continuing our journey, we reached the Necropolis of 

 Sakara, containing many pyramids and other sepulchral 

 monuments, the most noted being the Step Pyramid and 

 the Serapheum. The former (Plate XXXII., Fig. 1) is one 

 of the oldest historical buildings in the world. The latter 

 is an immense subterranean chamber hewn in the rock, 

 and containing the tombs of the sacred bulls which were 

 worshipped at Memphis. The main passage is flanked with 

 chambers, twenty-four of which still contain, in the sarcophagi 

 of black or red polished granite, the mummies of the Apis or 

 Bulls. 



The evening ride back to the steamer through the palm- 

 groves and cultivated fields of Barsim (Egyptian clover) and 

 Durra {Sorghum vulgare or millet), under a canopy of colour, 

 will never fade from my memory. After two days' sail we 

 reached Beni- Hassan, and disembarked to visit the rock- 

 tombs. Sugar-cane and durra are largely cultivated in this 

 part of Egypt. 



About 250 miles from Cairo is Assiut, the largest town of 

 Upper Egypt, with a population of 42,000. It is famous for 

 its pottery and for the white and black tulle shawls with gold 

 and silver embroidery. The local merchants meet the river- 

 boats, and a scene of great amusement ensues in the protracted 

 haggling before a reasonable price is fixed. 



The bazaars and rock-tombs of ancient Assiiit are also well 

 worth a visit. 



Our next stop was at Kena, some distance from the village 

 of Denderah, where is the wonderfully preserved Temple of 

 Hathor, the goddess of beauty. Every hall, chamber, cor- 



