THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 103 



one, then to the other, defiring them to fend a proper 

 perfon, for I had to deliver to them the commands of the 

 Bey. » I did not choofe to truft thefe letters with our boat- 

 man; and Dendera is near half a mile from the river. The 

 two men came after fome delay, and brought each of them 

 a fheep ; received the letters, went back with great fpeed, 

 and, foon after, returned with a horfe and three afles, to 

 carry me to the ruins. 



Dendera is a confiderable town at this day, all covered 

 with thick groves of palm-trees, the fame that Juvenal de- 

 scribes it to have been in his time. Juvenal himfelf muft 

 have feen it, at leafl once, in paffing, as he himfelf died in 

 a kind of honourable exile at Syene, whilfl in commands 

 there. . 



Terga fuga celeri, firafiantious omnibus in/I ant ^ '. 

 ^ui vidua colunt umbrofe c Tentyra palma. 



Juv. Sat. 15. v. 757.. 



This place is governed by a cacheff appointed by Shekh 

 Hamam. A mile fouth of the town, are the ruins of two 

 temples, one of which is fo much buried under ground, 

 that little of it is to be feen ; but the other, which is by far 

 the moil: magnificent, is entire, and accemble on every fide. 

 It is alfo covered with hieroglyphics, both within and with- 

 out, all in relief ; and of every figure, fimple and compound, 

 that ever has been publifhed, or called an hieroglyphic. 



The form of the building is an oblong fquare, the ends 

 of which are occupied by two large apartments, or vefli- 

 bules, mpported by monftrous columns, all covered with 



2. hieroglyphics 



