[ 22 ] 
attended by a feleCt Number of Priefts exprefly 
devoted to his Service. When the old one died, 
It was ufual for them to fubftitute another of the 
fame Colour in his Place. Various have been the 
Conjectures on the Veneration in which the Egyp¬ 
tians held this Animal; but it is needlefs at this 
Time to mention them. 
There are feveral fmall Amulets with Loops to 
them, which in Egypt the blind Superftition of the 
Inhabitants prompted them to wear about their 
Perfons, as Charms, or Prefervatives againft bad 
Fortune, unforefeen Accidents, Sicknefs, &c. 
They left them alfo with the Dead, as Guardians 
of the Manes (Spirits); home of them are of Me¬ 
tal, others of vitrified Earth, and in Figure refem- 
ble I/is, with the Head of a Bird, a Dog, or a Bull. 
Some of the Specimens are fo fmall, that they are 
fixed on little Cufhions, to prevent their being loft. 
The Head of Anubis , or Cynocephalus , a Dog 
which in Egypt they worlhiped, prompted thereto, 
as it is fuppofed, on account of his having been a 
conftant Attendant of the Goddefs Ifis. 
Figures of ( Ailurus ) a Cat, a Monkey, &c. 
Scarabs, Beetles of various Sizes, made of Marble, 
Agate, Cornelian , &c. They were held facred in 
the Opinion of the fuperftitious Egyptians , on fome 
particular Account; but why, it is at prefent very 
difficult to form any probable Conjecture. 
Periapta. Thefe are fmall oblong Pieces of 
enamelled Earth, notched, as it is in general con¬ 
jectured, to mark the rifing and falling of the Wa¬ 
ter of the Nile. The belt Authors that have wrote 
on the SubjeCt of the Egyptian Antiquities, call 
thefe Pieces of Earth Nilometri , or Nilofcopia. 
There is alfo a Cylinder, and fome Pebbles cu- 
fioufly marked with Hieroglyphics and figures 5 
but 
