his return from Bengal, and remarked the gods Jaggrenat, Gonez, and Vichnou, fuch as they are represented in the temples of Indoftan. Have the Egyptians received these deities from the Indians, or the Indians from the Egyptians? Were that queftion answered, it might decide the antiquity of the two people.

At the farther end of the first hall is the great door, which, leads to an apartment forty-fix feet long and twenty-two wide. Six fquare pillars fupport the cieling, and four doors, at the corners, lead to four other chambers, to which, however, the heaps of rubbish forbid all entrance. The laft hall, fixty-four feet long, and twenty-four wide, contains stair-cafes leading to the fubterranean parts of this grand edifice. The Arabs, fearching for hidden treasure, have heaped earth and ruins on each other. In those parts into which it was poffible to penetrate, we find sculptures and hieroglyphics fimilar to those above ground. The natives affert the apartments are the fame, and that the depth of the columns below the earth equals their height. It might be dangerous to defcend too far into these vaults; the air is infected,

and fo loaded with mephitic vapours that it is difficult to keep a candle lighted.

Six lions heads, on two fides of the temple, ferve as water-fpouts. A very fingular ftair-cafe leads to the fummit of the building; it is formed by the ftones being inferted in the wall, from which they project fix feet; fo that, being only fuftained on one fide, they appear fufpended in the air. Neither the walls, roof, nor columns of this edifice, are injured by time; and, did not the hieroglyphics, which are defaced in many places, fhew marks of age, it would seem as if newly built. Such is its folidity, it will stand for ages, unless purposely deftroyed. The coloffal figures, the heads of which ferve as ornaments to the capitals of the columns, are in baffo relievo; but all the remaining hieroglyphics within the temple are cut into the stone,

On the left of this great building there is a fmaller one, at the farther end of which ftands a kind of altar. This appears to have been the fanctuary of the temple of Ofiris. I obferved before, Sir, that entrance was forbidden to fingers and dancers. The Egyptian pricfts invented feven vowels, to

each

each of which they affixed a found, like the notes of our gamut (d); and, that they might preserve this invention, they repeated, at ftated times, these vowels in the form of a hymn, the fucceffive tones and modulations of which produced an agreeable melody. This, no doubt, was the reason they excluded all inftruments of mufic from the temple; and to thefe were the Greeks indebted in the compofition of their language; which was fo mufical, and perfectly accented, as that a difcourfe, well delivered, was a pleafing recitative. Piccini, Gluck, and Sacchini, have taught us to admire the grating tones of the French language, by their learned and harmonious modulation what then would they have done with these ancient tongues? Let us no longer be aftonished at the marvellous effects which are related concerning the mufic of the Greeks; for they poffeffed all the treasures of melody, all the riches of an imitative language, and fpoke, at once, to the ear, the understanding, and the heart. It is now time to quit

(d) Plutarch. De Ifide et Ofiride *.

* We remember no fuch paffage, nor on a flight revifion, can we find any fuch in the above cited treatise. It is perhaps an error of copying, or printing. T.

the

the antique temple of Ifmandes, befide which, according to Strabo, there was a foreft of the Acacia, confecrated to Apollo, and of which there are fome remains, towards Farchout.

The Turkish government from Girga to Syene is by no means well established; most of the lands are poffeffed by independent Arabs. Those who inhabit the mountains, to the east of Girga, pay no tribute, but grant an asylum to all malecontents; nay, often embrace their cause, and furnish them with arms to re-enter Grand Cairo.

The island of Doum is not far diftant from Girga (e), and above stands the port of Bardis, a fmall town dependent on the Grand Sheik. The government of this prince is very extenfive, and his ufual refidence is Farchout, befide which runs an arm of the Nile. He owns a vast inclosure here, in which are planted palms, dates, vines, orange trees, acacia, nabech, and the Arabian jasmine. Tufts of bafil, and clusters of rofe bushes, are fcattered here and there among these trees, which, though planted

(e) Doum is the name which the Arabs give to the fan-leaved palm tree.

without

1

without either defign or tafte, afford most delightful shades. Were nature and art combined, charming gardens might be formed, at a final expence; for this happy climate poffeffes a fruitful foil, water in abundance, the moft odoriferous fhrubs, and a fky the moft ferene.

The village of Beliana is alfo dependant on the Grand Sheik, and fituated between two canals, which render it a moft agreeable abode. Facing it are fome hamlets, inhabited by Arabs, who infeft the river with their piracies, especially during night. Paffing the arm of the Nile which goes to Farchout, we come to Badjoura, whence we fee an agreeable island, and have a distant profpect of the village of Attarif. The town of Hau, built on an eminence, overlooks the country to the weft; and hides the ruins of Diofpolis Parva (ƒ), the little city of Jupi

ter.

The Egyptians had fecured this city from the inundation by their labours, which advantage Hau likewife enjoys. It rifes like an island, while the plains are overflowed

(f) Strabo, lib. 17. Ptolemy, lib. 4. place Diofpolis Parva, between Abydus and Tentyra, on a height, a fituation which perfectly agrees with the town of Hau.