Part I. Travels into L e v a n t. i g 7 
of this kind in niy Clofet, made of above forty Cloths glcwed or pafted toge- 
ther in thickncfs, which are not in the leaft Rotten \ it is covered all over 
with Idols and Hieroglyphicksj painted on a very thin Piaifter, with which the 
cut-iide Cloth is dawbed over, but it is a little fpoil'd, the Plaifter in feme 
places being rubbed off. Among thefe Figures, there is a Compartement at 
the lower end, two Inches broad, and a Foot long, being painted crofs-ways 
over the Coffin ; wherein may be feen the jjianner how the Ancient t^gyftians 
Embalmed dead Bodies. In the middle of this Compartement , there is a 
long Table ftiaped like a Lion, on the back of which the Body that is to be 
Embalmed is laid at length, and hard by there is a Man with a Knife in his 
Hand opening the Body j this Man hath on a Vizard Mask, ftiaped like the 
Beak of a Sparrow-Hawk, which (without doubt). was the cuftome of their 
Embalmers, who made ufe of that kind of Mask, th§t they might not breath 
in the Corruption that might evaporate from the dead Bodies, as the Phyfi- 
tians of Italy do at prefent, who in time of a Plague never llir abroad without 
a Mask of this kind , in the long Nofe of which they put Perfumes j though I 
make no doubt, but the Mask I fpeak of, is the Head of Ofirls^ which the 
Egyptians reprefented with the Head of a Sparrow-Hawk, as they did Ambis 
with the Head of a Dog, the Nile with a Lions Head, &c. But as a furer 
mark that it is an Embalming, there are four Veflels without Handles upon the 
aforefaid Table, which could be nothing elfe but the VelTels wherein the ne- 
cefl'ary drugs were kept not only for the Embalmings as Balm, Cedria-, &c. 
but alfo for the wrapping up and Incruftation of ihe Body, as Bitumen^ and 
others j by the fides of the Table, there are feveral Perfons ftanding and 
fitting in divert poftures. Within this Coffin is the figure of a naked Maid, 
with her Arms ftreatched out. 
But toreturntomy firil Difcourfe, This Wooden Coffin I mentioned, be- 
ing broken to pieces with Hatchets, we found an entire Body in it, which lay 
in this manner. The Face was covered (as commonly all the reft are) with The face of 
a kind of Head-piece of Cloth fitted with Plaifter, on which the Countenance the Mummie. 
of that Perfon was reprefented in Gold, and when we took off the Helmet, The Head of 
we found nothing of the Face remaining, which is commonly reduced to Alhes ; the yi-i/jw/H/V. 
I believe it: is, becaufe it will not admit of Gumming fo well as the other 
parts of the Body. However I brought to Paris the Head of a Mummie^ whole 
and entire, but it is all covered with Fillets of Cloth, fo neatly fitted, that TheBandages 
they hinder not but one may fee the ftiape of the Eyes, Nofe, and Mouth, of Mummies. 
The reft of the Body was fwathed with little Bands of Cloth very neatly made, 
but wrapped about with fo many calls and turnings, that I believe there were 
above a Thoufand Ells in it ; and certainly it is fo rare a way of Swathing and 
Binding, that I think it cannot be imitated at prefent, as ruany Chirurgeons 
have acknowledged to me. Along the Breafl and Belly, there was a band of 
Cloth three good Fingers broad, and a large Foot and a half long, it was faft- 
ned to the other Bands, and upon it were feveral Hieroglyphicks done in Gold. 
I took this Writing and folded it, that I might the more conveniently carry 
it up with me. I hoped to have found Idols in that Coffin, knowing that they j^^j^ . , 
Interred many with their Dead, either of Stone,Copper, or Green Earth, ascoffins"of ^ 
I have feveral that have been found in thefe Bodies, but finding none, I thought the dead, 
there might be forae within his Body ; for after they had Embow'eled them, ii-lols within 
they pretty often enclofed Idols within their Bellies ; for that end I had it ^^}^ bo- 
broken up, but we could find nothing. I conildered then that Balm which -ji^^^e Balm 
is now quite loft, it is Black, hard and ftiines like Pitch, having much fuch a wherewith 
fmell, but more pleafant, that kept Bodies entire, and (I believe) the Sand bodies were 
contributed not a little thereto ^ for even in the great Defarts of Arabia^ anointed îa 
fometiraes the dead Bodies of Men and Dogs are found entire, who falling ^Syp^- 
afleep, and flaying behind the Caravans, are covered over with an ocean of Bodies pre- 
Sand driven by the higli Winds, in which the Bodies being buried, are by the ferved in 
drinefsand fait that is in the Sand, which dries up all the humidity of them, 
preferved entire, and are afterwards found , when another Wind blowing, 
carries off the Sand again. Many think that the Bodies fo dried, are the true 
Mummie ; it is a miflake, and that which Merchants bring into Chriftendom, 
to be ufed in Medicine, is Che Mummie we firft defcribed. Near thé Room I 
T went 
