388 ALEXANDRIA, 
CHAP. \\iQ construction of these brimevai sepulchres. 
VII . ' . -^ 
Wheresoever the roving Phoenicians extended 
their colonies, whether to the remotest parts of 
Africa, or of Europe, even to the most distant 
islands of their descendants the Celtce in the 
Northern Ocean, the same rigid and religious 
adherence to tliis early practice may yet be 
noticed '. 
The Alexandrian guides to the Catacombs will 
not be persuaded to enter them without using 
the precaution of a clue of thread, in order 
to secure their retreat. We were therefore 
provided with a ball of twine to answer this 
purpose; and also with a quantity of wax tapers, 
to light our passage through these dark cham- 
bers. They are situate about half a league 
along the shore, to the icestward of the present 
qjty. The whole coast exhibits the remains of 
other sepulchres, that have been violated, and 
are now in ruins. The name of Cleopatra s Bath 
(l) Among the Wild Irish, every avocation yields to the paramount 
duty of conveying a corpse to its destination, whatsoever mav be the 
distance of the place designed for its interment. When the bearers 
arrive with a coffin, which, in order to fulfil the wishes of the de- 
ceased, is to be carried to some distant ]iart of the country, thev 
deposit it in the middle of the first village or town at which they rest, 
whence it is immediately forwarded by others who become its volun- 
tary supporters. 
