376 



EGYPT. 



tague supposed from the form of the letters that it was of the time 

 of Alexander the Great. 



HPAKA6I: XP. CTG XAIPG . 



Over another at a small distance in the same room, 



. \ nOAO A&yPOCXA . . . 



Though we satisfied our curiosity in a great measure, we did not 

 go so far under ground as we might have done. Our candles began 

 to shorten, and we did not wish by going too far in to run the risk of 

 losing our way back and of being left in the dark in the midst of 

 these habitations of the dead. The catacombs are in some places no 

 less than three stories one below another. There is a statue, but 

 greatly defaced, in a niche in one of the apartments. The descent 

 into the catacombs is perpendicular, and about fourteen or fifteen 

 feet down ; on one side is a rock which you may hold as you go down ; 

 we dared not touch the other side, as it is of earth, and seemed ready 

 to fall in. 



Dec. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. — Went out again to the last-discovered 

 catacombs, and took a plan of some part of them. After dinner we 

 rode to the pillar of Pompey ; by means of a ladder we got upon the 

 pedestal, and measured the base, though it blew so hard we could 

 scarcely keep our feet. 



Jan. 5. — Went to the further catacombs, and took the plan of a good 

 deal more than what we had already examined. After staying in 

 about three hours we came out, and found the company in the usual 

 place by the sea-side under a tent. The dinner was prepared by Mr. 

 Montague's Turkish cooks, who came by sea, and as they had done 

 before, they converted one of the bathing rooms cut in the rock into 

 a place to dress the victuals in. After dinner I again entered with 



The cursive characters of € and C occur also on the marble containing a decree of the 

 people of Gela, which Maffei assigned to the year 121 B. C. For thesigma of iEschrion, 

 a figure applied by him to the new moon, see Ruhnk. ad. Long. sec. 3. — Ed. 



