DESCRIPTIONS OF EGYPT, 
cient temple is still in a state of considerable pre- 
servation. According to Norden, the capital of 
one column never resembles another. The sculp- 
tures represent the ceremonies of worshiping the 
ram, the crocodile, and the Nile. In the vicinity 
of this city are various ruins, of temples and large 
buildings, that appear from the sculptures to have 
been consecrated to the crocodile, wjiich is some- 
times represented with the head of a hawk. The 
inhabitants of this district, if they have not retain- 
ed their ancient veneration for this animal, still 
preserve many superstitions concerning it. In the 
vicinity of Esne the king of the crocodiles is said to 
reside, who, unlike the rest of the race, is devoid of a 
tail, but, as a compensation for this loss, he is adorned 
with ears. Among the qualities of this royal cro- 
codile, is that of never doing any harm, a circum- 
stance which is extremely probable. This super- 
stition resembles that which the negroes in the 
West Indies entertain concerning the cayman. 
Beneath Esne, there appears, from Strabo, to have 
been an ancient city, denominated Crocodilopo- 
lis. The situation of the Eileithyia of Ptolemy, or 
the city of Bubaste, on the eastern bank of the 
Nile, is indicated by an enclosure containing va- 
rious ruins, at El Kab. * The mountain in its vi- 
cinity is pierced with numerous sepulchral excava- 
* Ripaud's Report on the Antiquities of Upper Egypt* 
ft, 25. 
