86 
ME.  HOENEE  ON  THE  ALLUVIAL  LAND  OF  EGYPT. 
At  this  depth  they  struck  a bed  of  limestone,  the  same  as  that  in  which  the  grottos  of 
Siout  are  excavated,  and  they  inferred  that  thus  the  limestone  beds  dip  towards  the 
river  beneath  the  alluvium. 
Their  next  excavations  were  in  the  \dcinity  of  Queneh,  about  140  miles  above  Siout; 
and  here  they  sank  two  pits  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river : 
No.  I.  554  yards  f rom  the  Nile. 
ft.  in. 
1.  Mud 8 10 
2.  Grey  sand 15  6 
Filtration  water  at  24  4 
No.  II.  187  yards  from  the  Nile. 
ft.  in. 
1.  Mud  4 7 
2.  Grey  sand  ....  24  9^ 
Filtration  water  at  29  4^ 
Their  next  excavations  were  at  Esneh,  about  90  miles  above  Queneh,  and  about  100 
below  Assouan.  They  sank  three  pits  on  the  right  bank,  and  three  on  the  left,  with 
the  following  results : — 
Right  bank. 
Left  bank. 
Pit. 
Mud. 
Sand. 
Filtration  water 
Pit. 
Mud. 
Sand. 
Filtration  water 
reached  at 
reached  at 
ft.  in. 
ft.  in. 
ft.  in. 
ft.  in. 
ft.  in. 
ft  in. 
I. 
16  Of 
8 11 
24  Ilf 
I. 
19  8 
19  8 
II. 
18  8f 
8 0 
26  8f 
II. 
15  10 
5 11 
21  9 
III. 
24  6 
24  6 
III. 
12  5f 
7 3i 
19  8J 
I.  249  yards  from  right  bank  of  river. 
I.  3609  yards  from  the  Nile,  at  the  outer 
II.  1312  yards  from  I.,  nearer  the  Arabian  Hills. 
edge  of  the  cultivable  land. 
Mo  sand  was 
III.  1312  yards  from  II.,  further  inland,  and  on 
1 UauixtJU. 
the  boundary  of  the  cultivable  land.  Fil- 
11.  1640  yards  from 
L,  and  so  much  nearer 
tration  water  was  reached  before  they  had 
the  river. 
penetrated  through  the  mud. 
III.  656  yards  from  II.,  and  so  much  nearer  the 
The  plain  rises  about  3 feet  3 inches  from  the 
river. 
Nile  to  the  foot  of  the  hills,  and  the  cultivable 
land  extends  If  mile  from  the  river. 
Note  E,  page  76. 
The  Chevalier  Bunsen,  in  his  ‘ Egyptens  Stelle  in  der  Weltgeschichte,’  has  the  follow- 
ing passage : — 
“ It  may  be  assumed  as  a settled  point  in  history,  that  Egyptian  tradition,  prior  to 
Menes,  admitted  one  dynasty  of  kings  in  Lower  Egypt,  and  one  at  least,  perhaps  two, 
in  Upper  Egypt,  during  a period  of  from  2000  to  4000  years.  The  race  of  Menes  suc- 
ceeds three  dynasties.  They  are  perfectly  distinct  from  the  mythical  kings,  whose 
history  is  connected  rather  with  that  of  the  Gods.  Menes  united  the  Upper  and  the 
Lower  Country.” — English  Translation,  Book  I.  pp.  71,  72. 
In  the  preface  to  the  Fourth  Book  of  the  same  history,  published  in  1856,  there 
occurs  the  following  passage : — 
“ An  examination  of  the  time  from  Alexandek  to  Menes,  and  of  the  vastly  remote 
