CANOPUS — ROSETTA. 
125 
manners of its inhabitants as the Italian Sybaris, 
is marked by majestic ruins. It seems to have 
been founded later than the reign of Darius Hy^ 
staspes; for by Scylax, his contemporary, it is 
described as a desert island. It is said to have 
derived its name from Canopus, an ancient Egyp- 
tian king, who died there of a loathsome disease.* 
He is represented in a black shroud, with a cap 
closely fitted to his head. About three miles to 
the east of Aboukir, a lagoon of fresh water, 
which communicates with the Nile only at the 
time of the inundation, indicates the termination 
of the ancient Canopic branch of the river. 
Heracleum, as appears from its ruins, was situat- 
ed about half a league to the east of the Canopic 
mouth. The Nile of Canopus, when it varied 
its original channel, and approached nearer this 
city, was sometimes termed the Heraclean branch. 
Verging more and more towards the east, it form- 
ed at last so deep a curve, that a canal was open- 
ed to the sea, for which the river soon deserted 
its more westerly channel of Canopus. From 
Bolbitinum, a city mentioned by Stephanus By- 
zantinus, the ruins of which exist a little above 
Rosetta, this artificial channel derived the name 
of the Bolbitine branch of the Nile. By Ptolemy 
it is denominated Tali. Rosetta, according to 
* Etymolog. Magnunij ap. 'E^imov, 
