28 TRAVELS IN AFRICA, 
After leaving Siwa to go to Arafchie, at about fix miles from 
the former, we pafl'ed a fmall building of the Doric order, ap- 
parently defigned for a temple. There either has been no 
infcription on it, or it is now obliterated. But the proportions 
are thofe of the befl; age of architeilure, though the materials are 
ordinary, being only a calcareous ftone, full of marine fpoils. 
The ruin at Siwa refembles too exactly thofe of the Upper 
Egypt, to leave a doubt that it was erected and adorned by the 
fame intelligent race of men. The figures of Ifis and Anubis 
are confpicuous among the fculptures ; and the proportions 
are thofe of the Egyptian temples, though in miniature. The 
rocks, which I faw in the neighbourhood, being of a fandy 
ftone, bear fo little refemblance to that which is employed in 
this fabric, that I am inclined to believe the materials cannot have 
been prepared on the fpot. The people of Siwa feem to have no 
tradition concerning this edifice, nor to attribute to it any quality, 
but that of concealing treafures, and being the haunt of demons. 
The diftance between Siwa and Derna, on the coaft, is faid 
to be thirteen or fourteen days journey; from Siwa to Kahira, 
twelve days ; and the fame from Siwa to Charje, the principal 
village of Elwah. 
Since the above was written, an opinion has been communi- 
cated to me, that Siwa is the Siropum mentioned by Ptolemy, 
and that the building defcribed was probably coeval with the 
Temple of Jupiter Ammon, and a dependency thereon *. The 
* D'Anville with equal probability fuppofes Siwa to be Mareotis. 
. difcovery 
