S I w 



the principal entrance, and two doors alfo near that ex- 

 tremity open oppofite to each other. The other end la 

 quite ruinous, but there is reafon to believe t-hat the whole 

 building has never been much larger than it now i<t. On 

 the exterior of the walls there is no fculpture, nor is there 

 any appearance of another edifice having been attached to it. 

 In the interior are three rows of emblematical figures, ap- 

 parently defigned to reprefent a procedion ; and the fpace 

 . between them is filled with hieroglyphic charafters : the 

 foffit is alfo adorned in the fame manner ; five of the fix 

 flones remain entire, but the other has fallen within, and 

 thus the connection is broken. The fculpture is fufficicntly 

 diftinguifhable ; :;nd even the colours in fome places remain. 

 The foil around feems to indicate that otlier buildings have 

 formerly exilled near this place. In a rock not far dillant 

 there are apartments, which have the appearance of places 

 of fepulture. Although they are without ornament or in- 

 fcription, they feem to have been hewn with fome labour. 

 They appear to have been all opened, but no circumftances 

 point out with certainty the ufes to which they have been 

 applied. Neverthelefs here are many parts of human Ikulls, 

 and other bones, with fragments of fldn, and even of hair, 

 attached to them. All of them appear to have undergone 

 the aftion of fire ; but whether they are the remain? of 

 bodies repofitcd there by a people accullomed to burn the 

 dead, or whether they have been burned in this their de- 

 tached Itate by the prefent inhabitants, it is now difficult 

 to determine. Yet the fize of the catacombs would induce 

 one to conclude, that they were defigned for bodies in an 

 unmutilated ftate ; the proportions being twelve feet in 

 length, fix in width, and about fix in height. The nuiiber 

 of thefe caverns may amount to thirty or more. 



The Oafis, which contains the town of Siwa, is Hated by 

 Mr. Browne to be about fix miles long, and f uir and a half 

 or five wide. Mr. Horneman, who vifited this country 

 iince Mr. Browne, fays, that the principal and fertile terri- 

 tory of Siwah is 50 miles in circumference ; but unlcfs there 

 be a miftake in numbers, 50 being inferted inllead of 15, 

 which is not improbable, he differs from all others ; unlefs 

 indeed we fuppofe, that he included the whole dillnft within 

 the furrounding mountains, without confidering that be- 

 tween thefe and the Oafis are extenfive plains of barren fand. 

 A large proportion of the fpace in which Siwa is fituated 

 is filled with date-trees, and there are alfo pomegranates, 

 figs and olives, apricots and plantains ; and the gardens ai-e 

 remarkably flourilhing. They cultivate a confiderable 

 quantity of rice, of a reddifh hue, and different from that 

 of the Delta. The remainder of the cultivable land fur- 

 nilhes wheat enough for the confumption of the inhabitants. 

 Here is abundance of water, both ialt and frefh ; but the 

 fprings which furnifh the hitter are m.oftly tepid ; and fuch 

 is the nature of the water, air, and other circumftances, that 

 ttrangers are often affefled with agues and malignant fevers. 

 It is obferved by the natives concerning one of the Iprings, 

 which rifes near the building above defcribed, that it is 

 fomctimes cold and fometimes warm. 



The complexion of the people in this diftrift is generally 

 darker than that of the Egyptians ; and their dialeft is alfo 

 different. They are not in the habitual ufe either of coffee 

 or tobacco. The drefs of the lower alafs is very fimple, as 

 they are almoil naked ; and the coftume of the inhabitants, 

 as far as it could be diicerncd, approached nearer to that of 

 the Arabs of the defart than thofe of the Egyptians or 

 Moors. Their clothing confifts of a (hirt of white cotton, 

 with large fleeves, and reaching to the feet, a red Ti:nis 

 cap, without a turban, and (hoes of the famt colour. iSome 

 earthen ware made by themfelves, and a few mats, form the 



S I X 



chief part of their houfehold furniture ; none but thofe of 

 the richer clafs being furnifhed with copper utenfils. They 

 occafionally purchafe a few (laves from the Murzouk ca- 

 ravan. Their remaining wants are fupplied from Cairo or 

 Alexandria, whither they tranfport their dates, both in a 

 dry (tate, and beaten into a mafs, which when good re- 

 femble in fome degree a iweet-meat. They eat no large 

 quantity of animal food, and bread of the kind known to us 

 is uncommon. Flat cakes, without leaven, kneaded and 

 then half baked, form part of their nourilhment. The re- 

 mainder confilts of thin (heets of palle, fried in the oil of the 

 palm-tree, rice, milk, dates, &c. They drink, in large 

 quantities, the liquor extradled from the date-tree, which 

 has often the p.^wer of inebriating. Their domellic animals 

 are the hairy (heep and goat of Egypt, the afs, and a very 

 fmall number of oxen and camels. The women are veiled, 

 as in Egypt. After the rains, the ground in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Siwa is covered with fait for many weeks. 

 Browne's Travels. j 



Siwa, in Mythology, a goddefs of the Germans, repre- 

 fented in her ftatue naked, with her hair falling down behind 

 as far as her knees, and holding in one hand a bunch of 

 grapes, and in the other an apple. She is taken for Venus, 

 or for the goddefs of health. Others take her for a rural 

 divinity, the Pomona of Lufatia. 



SIWALON, in Geography, a rock in the Eaft Indian 

 fea, near the north coalt ot Java. S. lat. 6'^ 36'. E. long. 

 1 10° 49'. 



SIXAIN, Sixth, Sexagena, in War, an ancient order 

 of battle, in which (i^ battalions being ranged in one line, 

 the fecond and fifth were made to advance, to form the van- 

 guard ; the fird and fixth to retire, to form the rear-guard ; 

 the third and fourth remaining on the fpot, to form the 

 corps, or body of the battle. 



The word is French, fignifying the fame thing. 



SIX-CLERKS, officers in chancery of great account, 

 next in degree bt-low the twelve mafters ; whofe bufinefs is 

 to enrol commiffions, pardons, patents, warrants, &c. 

 which pafs the great feal, and to tranfaft and file all pro- 

 ceedings by bill, anfwer, &c. 



They were anciently clerici, and forfeited their places, if 

 they married ; but when the conttitution of the court began 

 to alter, a law was made to permit them to marry. (Stat. 

 14 & 15 Hen. VIII. cap. 8.) They are alfo folicitors for 

 parties in fuits depending in the court of chancery. 



Under them are fix deputies and fixty clerks, who, with 

 the under clerks, do the bufinefs of the office. 



SIX-FOUR, in Geography, a town of France, in the 

 department of the Var ; 9 miles S.W. of Toulon. 



SIXHINDEMEN. See Syxhindemen. 



SIX-ISLANDS, in Geography, fmall ifiands in the Ealt 

 Indian fea. S. lat. 6° 37'. E. long. 71° 26'. 



SIX-MEN Fort, a fort of the ifland of Barbadocs ; 

 I mile N. of Speiglit's Town. 



Six-MEx'j- Bay, a bay on the north-weft coaft of the 

 jfland of Barbadoes. 



SIX-MILE Bridge, a poft.town of the county of 

 Limerick, Ireland ; 6 miles S. of that city, on the road to 

 Cork, and 102 miles S.W. from Dubhn. There is another 

 town of the fame name well of Limerick, on the road to 

 Ennis, and in the county of Clare, which is loaf miles 

 W.S.W. from Dublin, The latter town is on the river 

 Gearna or Owgarne, f;'. e. Owin Gearn, river Gearna,) 

 which falls into the Shannon, where Bunratty caftle ftood ; 

 and had fome ecclefiaftical buildings in former days. 



Six-mile Creek, a fmall ftream in the ftate of New 

 York, that enters the head of Canoge lake at Ithecal. A 



part 



