420 Notes on a Visit to Egypt. [Sess. 



Crossing over the cliffs of buff- coloured limestone, one 

 reaches the Temple of Queen Hatshepset, erected by this 

 great queen of the 18th Dynasty as a private chapel, 

 which she called the "Holy of Holies" (Plate XXXV., 

 Fig. 1). 



We spent another day in visiting the Eamesseum and 

 Medinet Habu, funerary temples of Eameses II. and Eameses 

 III. A prominent landmark on the west bank at Thebes are 

 two gigantic figures seated on thrones, and known as the 

 Colossi of Memnon (Plate XXXV., Fig. 2). They are statues 

 of Amenophis III. of the 18th Dynasty, and stood in front of 

 a temple of which hardly a vestige remains. 



Plate XXXVL, Fig. 1, illustrates the Nile steamer at Esna, 

 a very interesting small town, inhabited mostly by Nubians 

 (Plate XXXVI., Fig. 2). It has a speciality in the manufac- 

 ture of baskets and mats made from the leaves of the Doom 

 Palm. This palm, Hyphcene thehaica, is remarkable for the 

 branching of the stem. The pericarp of its date is rather 

 hard, and has the flavour of gingerbread. It does not grow 

 in Lower Egypt, but is abundant in Upper Egypt and 

 Nubia. 



Near Esna is the Temple of Horus at Edfu, commenced 

 by Ptolemy III., 237 B.C., and perhaps the best preserved 

 temple in Egypt. 



Komombo, our next stop, marks the boundary of the Arabic 

 and Nubian languages, and here, on a plateau overlooking a 

 picturesque bend of the river, stands the Temple of Komombo,. 

 dedicated by several of the Ptolemies to the gods of Light 

 and Darkness. We landed among groves of date-palms and 

 fields of the castor -oil plant. The latter was in flower, 

 which is insignificant, but the reddish-green glossy foliage is 

 very handsome. The natives here are very anxious to sell to 

 the tourist bead necklaces, tom-toms, daggers, and spears,, 

 made more for show than for use. 



After leaving Komombo the river enters the Nubian sand- 

 stone of the Upper Cretaceous formation, while at Assouan 

 ridges of black or pinkish granite appear. 



Even to-day the position of Assouan is one of romantic 

 beauty. The groves of date-palms are still there ; the ver- 

 dant island opposite is still beautiful in spite of the luxurious 



