HIEEOG 
** We have one inftance of this fort of writing in Eu¬ 
rope. Our ciphers, as they are called, or arithmetical 
'figures, i, 2, 3, 4, &c. which we have derived from the 
Arabians, are (ignificant marks, precifely of the fame na¬ 
ture with the Chinefe characters. They have no de-- 
pendence on words; but each figure denotes an ob. 
jeCt; denotes the number for which it hands ; and, ac¬ 
cordingly, on being prefented to the eye, is equally un- 
derftood by all the nations who have agreed in the life 
of thefe cyphers ; by Italians, Spaniards, French, and 
■ Englilh, however different the languages of thofe na¬ 
tions are from one another, and whatever different names 
they give, in their refpedtive languages, to each nume¬ 
rical cipher. Thus then, before the invention of what 
we now call writing , the mode adopted for communi¬ 
cating ideas was either figns by reprefentation, as the 
Mexican pictures ; or figns by analogy, as the Egyptian 
hieroglyphics ; or figns by inftitution, as the Peruvian 
knots, the Chinefe characters, and the Arabian ciphers.” 
Niebuhr, in his Travels through Arabia, dates his 
opinion thus :—“ Inftead of characters expreffive of the 
different founds in their language, or figns marking each 
fyllable, with a determinate idea affixed to it, fuch as 
the Chinefe ufe ; the ancient Egyptians made ufe of em¬ 
blems, to mark ideas fomehow referable to them, al¬ 
though by a very forced and diftant analogy. This is 
■what we, after the Greeks, call hieroglyphic writing. As 
the relation between allegorical figures, and the ideas 
■which they are employed to reprefent, cannot be at all 
times equally evident; and as they depend often upon 
the way of thinking peculiar to thofe by whom the figns 
were invented, it is plain, that writing of this fort can¬ 
not be legible without a key to explain the original fig- 
nification of the characters. Some of the ancients have, 
indeed, explained a few of thofe fymbols; but we meet 
with an infinite number of which nothing can be kndwn. 
The hieroglyphics, therefore, cannot be deciphered, 
becaufe we want the proper key. 
“ 'Vghen the Tablet of Ifis became firft known in Eu¬ 
rope, fome learned men attempted to explain it by 
guefling from one figure the meaning of another ; but 
their data were inefficient. Yet, I would willingly 
hope, that the key to thofe myfterious writings of the 
ancient Egyptians may yet be recovered. Various 
learned men have difplayed aftonifliing fagacity and pe¬ 
netration in deciphering infcriptions in unknown lan¬ 
guages, where there has been a confiderable quantity of 
characters for them to exercife their conjectures upon. 
Travellers Ihould therefore colleCt as many as poffible of 
the hieroglyphic characters, and publifh them carefully, 
that we may thus be fiirnilhed with more points of com- 
parifon for thofe fymbols, through a great variety of 
combinations. 
“ The ftudy of the ancient language of Egypt would 
be equally neceffary for this purpofe. I fufpeCt that the 
true nature of the hieroglyphics has hitherto been mif- 
taken, while all the fymbolical figures and characters 
have been fuppofed to be of the fame fort. After co¬ 
pying a confiderable number of hieroglyphics from obe- 
lilks, farcophagi, urns, and mummies, I began to think 
I could perceive plainly that the large figures were eiii- 
blems of which the fmaller might afford an explanation. 
I thought I could alfo diftinguiffi, in thefe fmaller hie¬ 
roglyphics, fome marks of alphabetic characters, or at 
leaft of-a mixed fpecies of writing, bearing fome refem-s 
blance to the alphabetical. Wherefore, by the ffudy 
of the language of the Pharaohs, we may come, with 
more eafe, to decypher thefe fmall characters. Thefe 
hieroglyphic infcriptions are found chiefly in Upper 
Egypt, where all the monuments, and even the walls of 
thofe fuperb temples, which are (till (landing, are cover¬ 
ed over with infcriptions of this fort. It is no lefs com¬ 
mon upon the tombs of the mummies at Sakara. The 
embalmed bodies have covers full of hieroglyphics; 
a nd the fepulchral urns are marked with them. Such 
Vol. IX. No. 632. 
LYPHIC. 851 
as have been painted upon wood and cloth are in as good 
a date of prefervation as thofe which are engraven upon 
(tone. 
“ That which feems the greateft curiofity, and con¬ 
tains ihe greateft number of hieroglyphics, is, a coffer 
of black granite, feven feet long, (landing near the old 
caftle, Kitlla el Kabfch , in Cairo. Pococke and Maillet 
mention it by the name of the Fountain of Treafures , or 
the Fountain of Lavers. A part of the infcriptions is now 
covered over with plafter; for this fine piece of antiqui¬ 
ty now only ferves as a ciftern for water, and feems to - 
have been the coffin of fome perfon of diftinCtion. To 
facilitate the explanation of the hieroglyphics, I have 
made out a table of fuch as occur mod frequently in all 
infcriptions. It may be farther remarked, that certain' 
figures or characters occur oftener upon the obelifks 
and others, again, upon the fragments of tombs. This 
fad may perhaps be of fome ufe in helping to under- 
ftand the meaning which they were originally intended 
to convey.” 
Far different from the foregoing writers, feems to be 
the opinion of the celebrated Abyftinian traveller Bruce. 
He confiders the Egyptian hieroglyphics as fo many aftro- 
nomical figns or figures, deftined to anfwer the purpofes 
ot an ephemeris or almanac. To this purpofe he dates, 
“That the hieroglyphic which denotes Ofiris, refers to 
Syrius, or the dog-dar, defigned under the figure of adog, 
becaufe of the warning he gave to Atbara, where the fir(t 
obfervations were made, at his heliacal rifing, or his dif- 
en gaging himfelf from the rays of the fun, fo as to be 
vifible to the naked eye. He was the Latrator Anubis, 
and his firft appearance was figuratively compared to 
the barking of a dog, by the warning it gave to prepare 
for the approaching inundation. 1 believe, therefore, 
this was the firft hieroglyphic ; and that Ifis and Tot 
were inventions relating to it; and, in faying this, I am 
fo far warranted, becaufe there is not in Axum (once a 
large city) any other hieroglyphic but of the dog-ftar, 
as far as I can judge from the huge fragments of figures 
of this animal, remains of which, in different poftures, 
are dill diftinCtly to be feen upon the pedeftals every¬ 
where among the ruins. 
“ It is not to be doubted but that hieroglyphics were 
invented at Thebes, where the theory of the dog-ftac 
was particularly inveftigated, becaufe connected with 
their rural year. Ptolemy has preferved us an obferva- 
tion of an heliacal rifing of Sirius on the fourth day after 
the fummer folftice, which anfwers to the 2250 year be¬ 
fore Chrift; and there are great reafons to believe the 
Thebans were good practical aftronomers long before 
that period, early as it may be thought; this gives to 
Thebes a much greater antiquity than does the chroni¬ 
cle of Axum juft cited. 
“ As fuch obfervations were to be of fervice for ever, 
they become more valuable and ufeful in proportion to 
their priority. The moft ancient of them would be of 
ufe to the aftronomers of this day ; for fir Ifaac Newton 
appeals to thofe of Chiron the Centaur. Equations 
may indeed be difcovered in a number of centuries, 
which, by reafon of the fmallnefs of their quantities, 
may very probably have efcaped the moft attentive and 
fcrupulous care of two or three generations; and many 
alterations in the (tarry firmament, old (tars being nearly 
extinguifhed, and new emerging, would appear from a 
comparative date of the heavens made for a feries of 
ages. And a Theban Herfchel would have given us the 
hiftory of planets he then obferved, which, after appear¬ 
ing for ages, are now vifible no more, or have taken a 
different form. 
“The dial, or gold circle, of Ofimandyas, (hows what 
an immenfe progrefs they had made in aftronomy in fo 
little time. This, too, is a proof of an early form and 
revival of the arts in Egypt, for the knowledge and ufe 
of armillas had been loft with the deftruCtion of Thebes, 
and were not again difcovered, that is, revived, till the 
to U reig n 
