THE SOURCE OF THE NIllE. 127 



Upon the left-hand fide is the crocodile feizing upon the 

 apis, and plunging him into the water. On the right-hand 

 is the * fcarabseus thebaicus, or the thebaic beetle, the firfl 

 animal that is feen alive after the Nile retires from the land ; 

 and therefore thought to be an emblem of the refurrection. 

 My own conjecture is, that the apis was the emblem of the 

 arable land of Egypt ; the crocodile, the typhon, or cacods- 

 mon, the type of an over-abundant Nile ; that the fcarabseus 

 was the land which had been overflowed, and from which 

 the water had foon retired, and has nothing to do with the 

 refurreclion or immortality, neither of which at that time 

 were in contemplation. 



Farther forward on the right-hand of the entry, the 

 pannels, or compartments, were flill formed in flucco, but, 

 in place of figures in relief, they were painted in frefco. 

 I dare fay this was the cafe on the left-hand of the pafTage, 

 as well as the right. But the firft difcovery was fo unex- 

 pected, and I had flattered myfelf that I fhould be fo far 

 mailer of my own time, as to fee the whole at my leifure, 

 that I was rivetted, as it were, to the fpot by the firft fight of 

 thefe paintings, and I could proceed no further. 



In one pannel were feveral mufical inftruments ftrowed 

 upon the ground, chiefly of the hautboy kind, with a mouth- 

 piece of reed. There were alfo fome fimple pipes or flutes. 

 With them were feveral jars apparently of potter - ware, 

 which, having their mouths covered with parchment or 



fkin, 



* See the figure of this Infeft in Paul Lucas. 



