CHAP.

IV.

to change, where the rays of the sun do not penetrate. This was the case in the excavations we have cited, where many tints could be distinguished, of a beautiful red, and of a particular blue. Colours have remained until our day in some royal sepulchres of Biban-el-Moluk, which, in my opinion, have been constructed before the Pyramids. The walls of great edifices, when once coloured, remained so for many centuries; or rather, for ever. The Egyptians do not seem to have used any particular procedure for making the colours and gilding adhere to the wall or the bare rock, as some people have supposed. Count Caylus says, that the manner of laying them on, practised by the Egyptians, was not favourable'.. Like all the Eastern artists, they employed only virgin tints, and coloured rather than painted."

(1) Antiq. Egypt. Etrusc. &c. vol. I.

Illustrious Travellers who have visited the Pyramids Audience of the Vizier-Voyage to Saccára-Nocturnal Festivities of an Arab Village - Appearance of the Country to the South of Caïro-Indigofera-Situation of Memphis-Tumulus seen among the Pyramids-The most-antient Sepulchres not pyramidal - Village of Saccára-Difference between the Pyramids of Saccára and those of Djiza-Descent into the Catacombs-Notion founded on a passage in Herodotus-Evidence for the Horizontal Position of the Bodies-Difficulty of ascertaining the truth-Repository of Embalmed BirdsCause of their Interment-Hieroglyphic Tablet-Antelope-Antiquities found by the Arabs-Horses of the Country

VOL. V.

P

Country-Theft detected-History of the Pyramids Manner of the Investigation-Age of those Structures— Their Sepulchral Origin-Possible Cause of the Violation of the principal Pyramid-Historical Evidence concerning the building of Pyramids in Egypt - Further views of the subject-Hermetic Stélæ-Mexican Pyramids.

CHAP. IT is impossible to leave the Pyramids of Djiza V. without some notice of the long list of Philoso

Illustrious

who have

Travellers phers, Marshals, Emperors, and Princes, who, in so many ages, have been brought to view the Pyramids. most wonderful of the works of man.

visited the

There

has not been a conqueror pre-eminently distinguished in the history of the world, from the days of Cambyses down to the invasion of Napoleon Buonaparte, who withheld the tribute of his admiration from the Genius of the place. The vanity of Alexander the Great was so piqued by the overwhelming impression of their majesty, that nothing less than being ranked among the Gods of Egypt could elevate him sufficiently above the pride of the monarchs by whom they were erected. When Germanicus had subdued the Egyptian empire, and seated "a Roman præfect upon the splendid throne of the Ptolemies," being unmindful of repose or of triumph, the antiquities of the country engaged

V.

all his attention'. The humblest pilgrim, pacing CHAP. the Libyan sands around them, while he is conscious that he walks in the footsteps of so many mighty and renowned men, imagines himself to be for an instant admitted into their illustrious conclave. Persian satraps, Macedonian heroes, Grecian bards, sages, and historians, Roman warriors, all of every age, and nation, and religion, have participated, in common with him, the same feelings, and have trodden the same ground. Every spot that he beholds, every stone on which he rests his weary limbs, have witnessed the coming of men who were the fathers of law, of literature, and of the arts. Orpheus, Musaus, Homer, Lycurgus, Solon, Pythagoras, Plato, Plutarch, contributed by their presence to the dignity of the place. Desolate and melancholy as the scene appears, no traveller leaves it without regret, and many a retrospect of objects which call to his mind such numerous examples of wisdom, of bravery, and of virtue. To this regret, on our part, was added the consciousness that we had now

(1)" Cæterum Germanicus aliis quoque miraculis intendit animum, quorum præcipua fuere Memnonis saxea effigies, ubi radiis solis icta est, vocalem sonum reddens: disjectasque inter et vix pervias arenas, instar montium eductæ Pyramides, certamine et opibus regum." Tacit. Annal. lib. ii. c. 6. tom. I. p. 308. Paris, 1682.

CHAP.

V.

reached the utmost limit of our travels in this interesting country; for, with the exception of a visit to the Pyramids of Saccára, our journey towards the south was here terminated. We had now traversed about forty degrees of latitude, and principally by land; through countries, however, in which little of the refinements of civilized nations had ever been experienced: and we returned from Djiza to Caïro, to conclude our observations in Egypt, previous to the rest of our travels in Greece.

The next day we all dined with Signor Rosetti, who sent a messenger to the Sheik of the Bedouin Arabs at Saccára, stating that we were desirous of seeing the Pyramids and Catacombs of that place, and begging to be informed on what day we might find guides and horses ready for us. On the following On the following evening, August the twenty-fifth, his answer arrived. The Sheik sent two men of his tribe, one to conduct us, and the other to return with our message, fixing the time for our visit. The Arab who was to be our conductor ran away, but we procured another who happened to be then in Cairo. In all the great houses of this city, the earthen vessels for containing water are perfumed. This becomes quite a ceremony. They