368 
and not Alexander of two horns (comes,) as some have 
translated it. Cam, in Arabian, means age; and cameinn, 
which is the plural of earn, signifies two ages. 
The catacombs, or grottoes, which compose the an- 
cient Necropolis, or the city of the dead, is another ob- 
ject worthy the attention of the traveller. There are a 
great number excavated in the rock, forming chambers 
more or less spacious, with one, two, or three rows of 
niches, in which to place the bodies. Near the dwell- 
ing of a Mahometan priest, named Sidi-el-Gabbari, 
there is a sort of street entirely composed of catacombs, 
and situated at the foot of two hills, facing each other. 
One of the two hills is almost undermined by a cata- 
comb, which is extremely large, and contains three 
saloons, with an amazing number of niches in them. 
On the other side of this species of street I counted 
eleven catacombs, of which some were in perfect pre- 
servation, having three rows of niches one above the 
other. 
The most magnificent are at two miles distance, si- 
tuated to the south-west of the town. 
It appears that they were used as burial places for 
the ancient kings of Egypt; they are much injured, and 
are decaying fast in several places. They are almost 
choked up with the ruins of the roofs that have fallen 
in, which makes it extremely fatiguing to enter them, 
on account of the posture it is necessary to assume for 
that purpose. It is requisite, on entering, to fire some 
shots of a gun or pistol, as well to frighten the wild 
beasts which take up their abode in these dreary regi- 
ons, as to make the air circulate. Each person enters 
with a light, and provided with a rope, which serves 
