130 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER. 
thic, tafte, fomething like metopes, triglyphs, and gutte,. 
difpofed rudely, and without order, but there are no cha-. 
racers or figures. The face of this pyramid looks due 
fouth ; has been placed with great exactnefs, and preferves 
its perpendicular pofition till this day. As this obelifk has - 
been otherwife defcribed as to its ornaments, I have given’: 
a geometrical elevation of it fervilely copied, without ‘fha-. 
ding or perfpective, that all kind of.readers may under-- 
{land it. 
Arter pafling the convent of Abba Pantaleon, called in= 
- Abyffinia, Mantilles, and the {mall obelifk fituated on. a rock. 
above, we proceed fouth by a road cut in a-mountain of © 
red marble, having on the left a parapet-wall about five feet’ 
high, folid, and of the fame materials. At equal diftances ; 
there are hewn in this wall folid pedeftals, upon the tops of * 
which we fee the marks where ftood the Coloffal ftatues of - 
Syrius the Latrator Anubis, or-Dog Star. One hundred and# 
thirty-three of thefe pedeftals, with the marks of the ftatues. 
I juft mentioned, are ftill in their places; but only two fi-- 
gures of the dog remained when I was there, much muti-- 
lated, but of a tafte eafily diftinguifhed to be Egyptian.. 
Thefe are compofed of granite, but fome of them appear to: 
have been of metal. Axum, being the capital of Siris, or- 
Sire, from this we eafily fee what connection this capital of: 
the province had with the dog-ftar; and confequently the. 
abfurdity of fuppofing thatthe river derived its name from: 
a Hebrew word*, fignifying black. 
THERE 
a 
- * Shihor. 
