-SS Account an Excursion to Thebes. 
days were occupied in making a complete round of the anticpi- 
ties on both sides of the river. W e met every morning in one 
or other of the temples, as concerted the evening before, and 
employed the whole day in drawing and finishing two or three 
rough sketches ; for these temples are extremely tedious ob- 
jects to put upon paper, when the views are taken near, 
' where all the figures and other ornamental parts are discernible. 
We had our breakfast and dinner brought to us, and in the 
evening we returned, he to his tomb, and I to my boat. 
In our daily excursions, we were always attended by some of 
the natives of Goornoo, inhabitants of the innumerable excava- 
tions in the rocks. Their character seems to be completely 
changed since tlie days of Pocock and Norden, and even since 
Denon’s time. They appear to us to be the most obliging and- 
attached set of people that exist. Mr PI. whom I took with me 
as compagnon de voyage,” and w^ho preferred rambling about 
with them in search of little figures, and other antiques, to 
taking plans or drawings of temples, became quite a familiar ac- 
quaintance, and explored many of their dwellings. Besides the 
family, consisting of themselves, donkey, cow, and an assem- 
blage of dogs, they keep in their dwellings a small stock of poul- 
try, all which is easily maintained from the cultivation of a 
small piece of ground ; but their principal stock in trade is what 
they find in the least known tombs and mummy-pits, small 
idols of pottery and wood, sculptured pieces of stone, mummies 
of animals, small stone statues, wooden figures of dogs, foxes, 
and birds, and above all, a papyrus, which is a little fortune to 
the lucky finder. All these are carefully preserved till they 
meet with travellers, who eagerly purchase them. Mr H. has 
got a very large collection of these curiosities, which nearly over- 
loaded the boat ; and I have myself got, if not a queen, at 
least a lady of very high rank, in the shape of a mummy, as she 
is very highly ornamented, with fine painted figures, on the 
double case which encloses her. I have also some mummies of 
dogs, foxes, &c. &c. 
The tombs of the kings engrossed much of my attention. 
The accounts which have been given of them by Mr Hamilton 
are very correct. One of the first which we entered contained, 
IB a very small chamber off the entrance, Mr Bruce’s famou'^ 
