Discoveries in Egypt, Ethiopia, and the Peninsula of Sinai, in the years 1842-45 ... Edited, with notes, by K. R. H. Mackenzie

Front matter

DISCOVERIES i.\ EGYPT, ETHIOPIA. AND THE PENINSULA OF SINAI. Printed bv ffuUma-axlel St Walton BG © MS A T BAM KAL . ( M UM 2 A ) Londim. Richard Bet. 1 1*'. N i iurliogti i $5 On Stone fcyWI. "Walton. DISCOVERIES IN EGYPT, ETHIOPIA, AND THE PENINSULA OF SINAI, IN THE YEARS 1842-1845, DURING THE MISSION SENT OCT BY HIS MAJESTY FREDRICK WILLIAM IV. OF PRUSSIA. By DR. RICHARD LEPSIUS. EDITED, WITH NOTES, BY KENNETH R. H. MACKENZIE. MEROE. LONDON : RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET, tfuMtsfjer itt ©rtinarg to ~t>tr jfflajestp. 1852. TO ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT, WITH THE DEEPEST RESPECT AND GRATITUDE. AUTHOR'S

Preface

. The purpose of the Scientific Expedition, sent out in 1842 by his Majesty the King, was an historical and antiquarian research into, and collection of the ancient Egyptian monuments, in the valley of the Nile, and the peninsula of Sinai. It was by royal munificence provided with the means for remaining three years ; it rejoiced in the favour and interest of the highest person in the realm, as well as in the most active and kindly assistance of Alexander Von Humboldt ; and under such a rare combination of fortunate circumstances, it completed its intended task as fully as could have been hoped. A " Prefa tory account of the expedition, its results, and their publication," (Berlin, 1849, 4to.) was published with the first parts of the great monumental work, which is brought out at the command of his Majesty, in a manner corresponding to the importance of the treasures brought back, and contains a short abstract of the more important results of the Expedition.

The work, there announced, " The Monuments of Egypt and Ethiopia," will contain more than 800 plates, of the largest size, of which half are already prepared, and 240 plates already published, will lay before the public these results, as far as concerns the sculptures, the topography, author's preface. VIII and architecture, while the accompanying text will explain them more fully. It however, appeared necessary (without taking the purely scientific labours into account), to lay before a larger circle of readers a picture of the external events of the expedition, of the relative operations of its members, of the obstacles, and the favourable circumstances of the journey, the condition of the countries through which it passed, and their effect upon the actual design of the under taking; finally to offer a few observations on the remarkable monuments of that most historical of all countries, as must continually recur to the well prepared traveller, and which might rouse others who have already perceived the importance of the newly founded science, to a more active interest.

If, besides, it be of the greatest utility for a just understanding of these scientific labours which are gradually coming to the light, and which have been caused by the journey ; that the circumstances under which the materials for them were collected, I think that the publication of the following letters requires no farther excuse, as they make no preten sion to any particular literary perfection, or descrip tive power, or, on the other hand, to be a strictly scientific work. The letters are almost in the original form as they were written, sometimes as a report direct to his Majesty the King, sometimes to his Excellency, the then Minister of Instruction, Eichhorn, or to other high patrons and honoured men, as A. Von Hum boldt, Bunsen, Von Olfers, Ehrenberg, and some times to my father, who followed my progress with author's preface.

IX the most lively interest. Several of them were im mediately printed in the papers on their arrival in Europe, particularly in the Preussische Staatszeitung, and thence in other papers. The unessential changes mostly relate to the editing. All the additions or enlargements have been added as notes ; and among these belong particularly the arguments and grounds as to the true position of Sinai, which, since then has been proved in various quarters, and again dis proved, and again concurred in. The thirty-sixth letter, on the arrangement of the Egyptian Museum in Berlin, turns certainly from the subject ; but we may allow the exception, as this point is not alone interesting to Berlin, but in all points the examina tion is worth while, where there is any resemblance to or comparison with modern art.

It is proposed to add a second part to these letters, in which several treatises, written during the expedition, or on different points relating to Egyp tian art or history, will be published. Berlin, 2nd June, 1852. CONTENTS. Letter I. — On board the Oriental Steamer, Sept. 5, 1842 Page 1 'j Sea voyage to Alexandria. Letter II. — Alexandria, Sept. 23, 1842 6 Malta. — Gobat. — Isenberg. — Krapf . — A lexan dria. — Mohammed Ali. Letter III. — Cairo, Oct. 16, 1842 11 Alexandria. — Pompey's Pillar. — Cleopatra's Needle. — Collection of Werne. — Departure from Alexandria. — Sais. — Naharieh. — Cairo. — Helio polis. — The king's birth-day kept at the pyramids. — View from the pyramid of Cheops. Letter IV. — At the foot op the Great Pyramid, Jan. 2, 1843 24 Pyramids of Gizeh. — Private tombs. — Sphinx. — Storm of rain. — Christmas. — Life in the Camp.

Letter V. — Pyramids of Gizeh, Jan. 17, 1843 ... 32 The hieroglyphical tablet on the pyramid of Cheops. — Historical gain. Letter VI. — Pyramids of Gizeh, Jan. 28, 1843 ... 37 The oldest royal dynasties. — Tomb of Prince Merhet. — Private tombs. — Destruction by the Arabs. — Oldest obelisk. Letter VII. — Saqara, March 18, 1843 44 Pyramids of Meidum. — Architecture of the pyramids. — The Riddle of the Sphinx. — Locust. — Comet. CONTENTS. Letter VIII. — Saqara, April 13, 1843 51 H. R. II. Prince Albrecht of Prussia. — Rejoicings in Cairo. — Return of Pilgrims. — Mulid e' Nebbi. — Doseh. — Visit of the prince to the pyramids. — Oldest use of the pointed arch in Cairo. — Oldest round arch in Egypt. — Night attack at Saqara. — Judgment day. Letter IX.— Cairo, April 22, 1843 64 Situation of the fields of pyramids. — Cairo.

Letter X. — Ruins of the Labyrinth, May 31, 1843. 67 Departure for the Faium. — Camels and drome daries. — Lisht. — Meiduni. — Illah un. — Labyrinth. — Arab music. — Bedouins. — Turkish khawass. Letter XI. — Labyrinth, June 25, 1843 78 Ruins of the Labyrinth. — Its first builders. — Pyramid. — Lake Mœris. Letter XII. — Labyrinth, July 18, 1843 85 Excursion through the Faium. — Mœris embankments. — Birqet el Qorn. — Dimeh. — Qasr Qerun. Letter XIII. — Cairo, August 14, 1843 91 Departure of Frey. — Ethiopian manuscripts. Letter XIV. — Thebes, Oct. 13, 1843 93 Nile passage to Upper Egypt. — Rock-cave of Surarieh. Tombs of the sixth dynasty in Middle Egypt, of the twelfth at Benihassan, Sint, Ber sheh. — Arrival at Thebes. — Climate. — Departure. Letter XV. — Korusko, November 20, 1843 ... ... 100 Greek inscriptions. — Benihassan. — Bersheh.

Tombs of the sixth dynasty. — El Amarna. — Siut — Alabaster quarries of El Bosra. — Echmin (Chem mis).—Thebes. —El Kab (Eileitbyia). — Edfu.— Ombos. — Egyptian Canon of Proportion. — Assuan. — Philae. — Hieroglyphic demotic inscriptions. — Series of Ptolemies. — Entrance in Lower Nubia. — Debod. — Gertassi. — Kalabsheh (Talmis). — Dendur. — Dakkeh (Pselchis). — Korte. — Hierasy kaminos. — Mehendi. — Sebua. — Korusko. — Nubian language. CONTENTS. XIII 155 211 Letter XVI. — Korusko, January 5, 1844 133 Scarcity of camels. — Wadi Haifa. — Ahmed Pasha Menekle and the new Pashas of the Sudan. Letter XVII. — E'Damer, January 24, 1844 ... 137 Nubian desert. — Roft mountains. — Wadi E'Sufr. — Wadi Murhad. — Ababde Arabs. — Abu Hammed. — Berber. — El Mecheref. — Mogranor Atbara (Astaboras). — E'Damer. — Mandera.

Letter XVIII. — On the Blue River, Province of Sennar, 13° North Latitude, March 2, 1844 Hagi Ibrahim. — Meroe. — Begerauie. — Pyramids. — Bounds of the tropical climate. — Khawass. — — Ferlini. — Age of the monuments. — JShendi. — Ben Naga. — Naga in the desert. — Mesaurat e' Sofra. — Tamaniat. — Chartum. — Bahrel Abiad (the White River). — Dinka and Shilluk. — Soba. — Kamlin. — Bauer. — Marble inscription. — Baobab. — Abu Harras. — Rahad. — Nature of the country. — Dender. — Dil6b-palms. — Sennar. — Abdin. — Ro mali. — Sero. — Return northward. — Wed Medineh. — Soriba. — Sultana Nasr. — Gabre Mariam. — Re babi. — Funeral. — Military. — Emin Pasha. — Taiba. — Messelemieh. — Kamlin. — Soba. — Urn and in scription. Letter XIX. — Chartum, March 21, 1844 207 Military revolt in Wed Medineh. — Insurrec tion of slaves.

Letter XX. — Pyramids of Meroe, April 22, 1844 ... Tamaniat. — Qirre mountains. — Meroe. — Return of the Turkish army from Taka. — Osman Bey. — Prisoners from Taka. — Language of the Bishari from Taka. — Customs of the South. — Pyramids of Meroe. — Ethiopian inscriptions. — Name of Meroe. Letter XXI.— Keli, April 29, 1844 233 Departure from Meroe. — Groups of tombs north of Meroe. CONTENTS. Letter XXIL— Barkal, May 9, 1844 237 Desert of Gilif. — Gos Burri. — Wadi Gaqedul. — Mageqa. — Desert trees. — Wadi Abu Dom. — Wadi GazaL— Koptic church. — Greek inscriptions. — Pyramids of Nuri. — Arrival at Barkal. Letter XXIII.— Mount Barkal, May 28, 1844 ... 248 Ethiopian kings. — Temple of Ramses II. — Napata. — Meraui. — Climate. Letter XXIV.— Dongola, June 15, 1844 251 Excursion into the district of cataracts. — Ban. — Departure from Barkal. — Pyramids of Tanqassi, Kurru, and Zuma. — Churches and fortresses of Bachit, Magal, Gebel Deqa. — Old Dongola. — Nubian language.

Letter XXV.— Dongola, June 23, 1844 262 Isle of Argo. — Kerma and Defufa. — Tombos. — Inscriptions of Tuthmosis I. — Languages of Darfur. Letter XXVI. — Korusko, August 16, 1844 264 Fakir Fenti. — Sese. — Soleb. — Gebel Doshe. Sedeinga. — Amara. — Isle of Sai. — Sulphur-springs of Okmeh. — Semneh. — Elevation of the Nile, under Amenemha (Mœris). — Abu Simbel. — Greek in scription under Psammeticus I. — Ibrim (Primis). — Anibis. — Korusko. Letter XXVII. — Philae, September 1, 1844 ... 271 Wadi Kenus. — Bega language of Bishari. — Talmis. — Philae. — Meroitic-Ethiopian inscriptions. Letter XX VIII.— Thebes, Qurna, Nov. 24, 1844 ... 274 Excavations in the Temple and Rock-tomb of Ramses II. — Sudan languages. — Ethiopian history and civilisation. Letter XXIX. — Thebes, Qurna, Jan. 8, 1845 ... 277 Removal of monuments aud plaster casts.

Letter XXX. — Thebes, February 25, 1845 279 Description of Thebes. — Temple of Karnak and its history. — Luqsor. — El Asasif. — Statue of Memnon. —Memnonium. — Temple of Ramses II. — Medinet CONTENTS. XV Habu. — The Royal Tombs. — Private tombs of the time of Psammetichus. — Time of the Cæsars. — Koptic convent and church. — The present Kopts. — Revenge of the Arabs. — Dwelling in Abd el Qurna. — Visit from travellers. Letter XXXI.— On the Red Sea, March 21, 1845... 313 Immigrations from Qurna to Karnak. — Journey to the Sinai peninsula. — Qenneh. — Seid Hussen. — Stone bridge and inscriptions of Hamamat. — Gebel Fatireh. — Lost in the desert. — Quarries of por phyry at Gebel Dochan. — Gebel Zeit. Letter XXXIL— Convent of Sinai, March 24, 1845. 333 Landing in Tor. — Gebel Hammam. — Wadi Hebran. — Convent. — Gebel Musa. — Gebel Sefsaf.

Letter XXXIIL— On the Red Sea, April 6, 1845... 338 Departure from the convent. — Wadi e' Sheikh. — Ascension of Serbal. — Wadi Firan. — Wadi Mokat teb. — Copper-mines of Wadi Maghara. — Rock inscriptions of the fourth dynasty. — Sarbut el Chadem. — Slag-hills. — Wadi Nasb. — Harbour of Zelimeh. — True situation of Sinai. — Monkish traditions. — Local and historical relations. — Elim near Abu Zelimeh. — Mara in Wadi Gharandel. — Desert of Sin. — Sinai, the Mountain of Sin. — The mountain of God. — Sustenance of the Israelites. — Raphidim near Pharan. — Sinai-Choreb, near Raphidim. — Review of the Sinai question. Letter XXXIV.— Thebes, Karnak, May 4, 1845 ... 372 Return to Thebes. — Revenge. Letter XXXV.— Cairo, July, 10, 1845 374 Dendera. — El Amarna. — Dr." Bethmann. — Taking down the tombs near the pyramids.

Letter XXXVL— Cairo, July 11, 1845 376 The Egyptian Museum in Berlin. — Wall paintings. Letter XXXVII. — Jaffa, October 7, 1845 389 Journey through the Delta. — San (Tanis). — Arrival in Jaffa. CONTENTS. 391 394 Letter XXXVIII. — Nazareth, November 9, 1845... Jerusalem. — Nablus (Siehem). — Tabor. — Nazareth. — Lake of Tiberias. Letter XXXIX. — Smyrna, December 7, 1845 Carmel. — Lebanon. — Berut. — Journey to Damascus. — Zahleh. — Tomb of Noah. — Barada. — Abel's tomb. — Inscriptions at Barada. — Tomb of Seth. — Balbek. — Ibrahim. — Cedars of Lebanon. — Egyptian and Assyrian Rock-sculptures at Nahr el Kelb. Appendix ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 420 Index ... .. ... ... ... ... ... LETTERS FROM EGYPT, ETHIOPIA, AND THE PENINSULA OF SINAI.

Letter I

On boahd the Oriental Steamer. September 5, 1842. All our endeavours were taxed to the utmost to render our departure on the 1st of September possible ; one day's delay would have cost us a whole month, and this month it was necessary to gain by redoubled activity. My trip to Paris, where I arrived in thirty hours from London, was unavoidable ; two days were all that could be spared for the necessary purchases, letters, and notes, after which I returned richly laden from that city, ever so interesting and instructive to me. In London I obtained two other pleasant travelling companions, Bonomi and Wild, who had readily resolved to take part in the expedi tion. The former, long well known as a traveller in Egypt and Ethiopia, is not only full of prac tical knowledge of life in that country, but is also a fine connoisseur of Egyptian art, and a master B LETTERS EROM EGYPT. in Egyptian drawing ; the latter, a young genial architect, enthusiastically seeks in the Orient new threads for his rich woof of combination.

At length everything was bought, prepared, packed, and we had said farewell to all our friends. Bunsen only, with his usual kindness and untiring friendship, accompanied us to Southampton, the place of embarkation, where he spent the evening with us. As one usually arrives at a sudden, scarce comprehensible quietude, on entering a harbour from the stormy sea, after long and mighty excite ment, and yet seems to feel the earth swimming beneath one, and to hear the breakers dashing around, so did it happen to me in a contrary manner, when, from the whirl of the last days and weeks in the haven, from the immeasurable world-city, I entered on the uniform desert of the ocean, in the narrow -bounded, soon-traversed house of planks. And now there was nothing more to be provided, nothing to be hurried ; our long row of packages, more than thirty in num ber, had vanished, box by box, into the murky hold ; our sleeping-places required no preparation, as they would scarcely hold more than oiir persons.

The want of anxiety caused for some time a new and indefinite uneasiness, a solicitude without any object of solicitude. Among our fellow-passengers I mention only the missionary Lieder, who, a German by birth, is returning with his English wife to Cairo. There he has founded and conducted a school since 1828, under the auspices of the English Missionary So- SEA VOYAGE TO ALEXANDRIA. ciety, which is now destined exclusively for the children of the Koptic Christians. Lieder has introduced into this school the study of the Koptic tongue, and thus once more brought into honour that remarkable and most ancient language of the country, which for several centuries has been totally superseded among the people by the Arabic. The Scriptures are, however, yet extant in the Koptic tongue, and even used in the service, but they are only intoned, and no longer understood.

On the 1st of September, at 10 o'clock, we left Southampton. We had the wind against us, and therefore did not reach Ealmouth for four and twenty hours, where our vessel awaited the Lon don post, to take the letters. There we remained several hours at anchor in a charming bay, at each side of the entrance of which an old castle lies upon the heights, while the town, situated in the background, form a most picturesque group. About 3 o'clock we went to sea again ; the wind took us sideways, and caused much sickness amongst the passengers. I esteem myself for tunate, that in no passage, however stormy, have I had to complain of this disagreeable condition, which has, for the unsharing spectator, a comical aspect. It is, however, remarkable, that the very same movement that cradles every child to soft slumber, and forms the charm of a sail down the river, causes, by its protracted pendulum-like motion, unconquerable suffering, prostrating the strongest heroes, without, however, bringing them into any very serious danger. b Next day we reached the Bay of Biscay, and ploughed laboriously through the long deep waves that rolled to us from the far-off shore.

Sunday morning, the 4th, we had a very small company at breakfast. About 11 o'clock we assembled to prayers, notwithstanding the continual motion. Over the pulpit the English flag was spread, as the most sacred cloth on board. Herr Lieder preached, simply and well. Toward 4 o'clock we began to see the Spanish coast, in light misty out lines. The nearer we approached it, the shorter the waves became, as the wind blew from the shore. The air, the heavens, and the ocean, were incomparably beautiful. Cape Einisterre and the neighbouring coast fine came out more and more prominently. Gradually the whole company, even the ladies, assembled on deck. The sea smoothed itself to a bright mirror ; the whole afternoon we kept the Spanish coast in sight. The sunset magnificently in the sea ; the evening-star was soon followed by the whole host of heavenly stars, and a glorious night rose above us.

Then it was that the most splendid spectacle commenced that I have ever beheld at sea. The ocean began to sparkle ; all the combs of the breaking waves burnt in emerald-green fire, and from the paddles of the vessel dashed a bright greenish-white torrent of flame, which drew behind it, for a great distance, a broad flashing stripe amidst the darkling waters. The sides of the vessel and our downward-looking faces were shone upon as if by moonbeams, and I could read print with the greatest ease by this water-fire. When OCEAN INFUSORIA. the blazing mass, which, according to Ehrenberg's researches, is caused by infusoria, was most in tense, we saw flames dancing over the waves to the shore, so that it seemed as if we were travers ing a more richly-starred heaven than the one we beheld above us.

I have also beheld the ocean light in the Mediterranean, but never in such extraordinary perfection as this time : the scene was magical. Suddenly I saw new living fire-forms among the waves, that fled radiantly from the sides of the vessel. Like two giant serpents, which, judging from the length of the vessel, must have been from sixty to eighty feet long, they went trailing along beside the ship, crossing the waves, dipping in the foam of the wheels, coming forth again, retreating, hurrying, and losing themselves at last in the distance. Eor a long time I could assign no cause for this phenomenon. I recollected the old and oft-told tales of monstrous sea snakes that are seen from time to time. What I here beheld could not have resembled them more than it did. At length I thought that it might only be fishes, who, running a race with the steamer, and breaking the uniform surface of the water, caused the long streams of bight behind them by their rapid motions.

Still the eye was as much deceived as ever ; I could discover nothing of the dark fishes, nor guess their probable size, but I contented myself at length with my supposition.

Letter II

Alexandria. September 23, 1842. My last letter I posted on the 7th of Septem ber, at Gibraltar, where we employed the few hours allotted to us in examining the fortress. The African continent lay before us, a bright stripe on the horizon ; on the rocks beneath me climbed monkeys, the only ones in Europe in a wild state, for which reason they are preserved. In Malta, where we arrived on the eleventh of September, we found the painter Erey, from Basle, whose friendship I had made at Borne. He brought me intelligence by word of mouth that he would take part in the expedition, and for that purpose he had arrived several days before from Naples. We had to wait almost three days for the Marseilles post at this place. This gave us, at all events, the opportunity to visit the curi osities of the island, particularly the Cyclopean walls discovered some years before in the neigh bourhood of Lavalette, and also to make some purchases.

Through Lieder I made the acquaintance of Gobat,* who until now had been the principal person at the Maltese station of the * On the sudden death, soon after our departure from Pales tine, of Bishop Alexander, Gobat -was selected by H.M. the King of Prussia as the Protestant bishop of Jerusalem, which post he has filled with good success since 1846. ALEXANDRIA. English Missionary Society, but who was now awaiting some new destination, as pecuniary circumstances had caused the Society to give up this station altogether. I had great pleasure in knowing so distinguished a person. From Malta we were accompanied by the missionary Isenberg, who resided for a long time with Gobat in Abyssinia, and who is favourably known to philologists by his grammar of the Amharic language. Under his protection there was a young lady of Basle, Rosine Dietrich, the bride of the missionary Krapf, who has married her here, and will now return to the English missionary station at Shoa, by the next Indian steamer, with her and his colleagues, Isenberg and Muhleisen.

He was married in the English chapel, and I was present as a witness at the solemnity, which was celebrated in a simple and pleasing manner. On our arrival, on the 18th of September, we found Erbkam, Ernst Weidenbach, and Eranke, who had been awaiting us for some days. Mohammed Ali had sailed out in the fleet, as he looked anxiously forward to the arrival of Sami Bey, who 'was to bring him the desired reduction in tribute : instead of it he obtained the appointment of Grand Vizier. The Swedish General Consul D'Anastasi, who manages the Prussian Consulate for our absent Consul Von Wagner, and who interests himself zealously in our behalf, presented us to-day to the Viceroy, and we have just returned from the audience. The Pasha expressed great pleasure at the vases which I had brought him in the name of His Majesty.

Still more did he feel himself honoured by the letter of the King, of which he immediately had a translation prepared, reading it very attentively through in our presence. He signified to me his intention of giving us the reply when we again left the country. He received and dismissed us standing, had coffee presented, and showed us other attentions, which were afterwards carefully explained to me by D'Anastasi. Boghos Bey, his confidential minister, was the only person present, nor did he seat himself. Mohammed Ali showed himself brisk and youthful in his motions and conversation ; no weakness was to be seen in the countenance and flashing eye of the old man of three-and-seventy springs. He spoke with interest of his Nile expeditions, and assured us that he should continue them until he had disco vered the sources of the White River.

To my question . concerning his museum in Cairo, he replied that it was not yet very considerable ; that many unjust requisitions were made of him in Europe, in desiring rapid progress in his under takings, for which he had first to create the foundation, that had been prepared long since with us in Europe. I touched but slightly on our excava tions, and took his permission for granted in con versation, expecting it to be soon given me in due form.* * The firman of the Viceroy, with the most unlimited per mission to carry on all excavations that I should think desirable, with a recommendation addressed to the local govern ments to support me, was given to me before my departure from THE PRUSSIAN EXPEDITION. Alexandria. All the work-people and tools that were necessary for the formation and transportation of our collection of anti quities, were demanded for wages by the Khawass given us by the government, under the authority of the firman, from the Sheikh of the next village, and nowhere refused.

The monuments from the southern provinces were transported in government barks from Mount Barkal to Alexandria, and to them were added three tombs from the neighbourhood of the great Pyramid of Gizeh, which, with the assistance of the four workmen pur posely sent from Berlin, were carefully taken to pieces, and embarked opposite Old Cairo. At ' my departure from Egypt, a written permission was given me to export the collection, and the articles were formally presented to his Majesty the King of Prussia by the* Viceroy. These peculiar favours, at a time when all private travellers, antiquarian speculators, and even diplomatists, were especially interdicted by the Egyptian government from obtaining and taking away antiquities, did not fail to gain our expedition some unfavourable opinions. We were particularly blamed for having a destructive energy, which, under the ascribed circum stances, would have taken for granted a species of peculiar barbarism among our company.

For, as we did uot, like many of our rivals, dig out and remove the monuments, which had mostly been hidden below the surface, in haste by night, and with bribed assistance, but at our leisure, and with the open co operation of the authorities, as well as under the eyes of many travellers — every carelessness with respect to these monuments left behind us, of which they had formed a part, would have been the more reprehensible, the easier such carelessness was to be avoided. But on the value of the monuments, we might esteem ourselves to have a more just judgment than the greater number of the generality of travellers or collectors usually possess ; and we were not in danger of allowing it to be dulled by self-interest, as we did not select the monuments for our selves, but as the agents of our government, for the Boyal Museum at Berlin, and therefore for the benefit of science and an inquiring public.

The collection, which, principally by its historical value, may be compared with the most extensive in Europe, was, immediately upon its arrival, incorporated with the royal collections, without my being placed in any official connection with it. It is already opened and accessible to the public. A careful exa mination of it will conduce more than anything to place the remarks of later tourists, — among whom there are even Germans, — in their true light; who have even gone so far, as in the case of a Herr Julius Braun, in the General Augsburg Journal {Allge nieine Augsburger Zeitunq), to ascribe to us the mutilation of the gods in the temple at El Kab, done 3,000 years ago ! Besides, it would show a total ignorance of present Egyptian relations, or that which gives the actual interest to the monu ments of antiquity, if any one did not wish to see the as precious as unestimated and daily destroyed treasures of those lands, preserved in European museums as much as possible. ALEXANDRIA. 11

Letter III

Cairo. October 16, 1842. We were detained nearly fourteen days in Alexandria. The whole time went in preparations for our journey ; the Pasha I saw several times more, and I found him ever favourably disposed towards our expedition. Our scientific researches were inconsiderable. We visited the Pompeian pillar, which, however, stands in no relation to Pompey, but, as the Greek inscription on the base informs us, was erected to the Emperor Diocletian by the Præfect Publius. The blocks of the foundation are partly formed of the fragments of older buildings ; on one of them the throne-cartouche of the second Psammetichus was yet distinguishable. The two obelisks, of which the one still standing is named Cleopatra's Needle, are much disinte grated on the weather side, and in parts have become quite illegible.* They were erected by Tuthmosis III. in the sixteenth century A.c. ; at a later period, Ramses Miamun has inscribed [* The mention of Cleopatra's Needle gives me an opportu nity of asking whether the storm of public applause will ever wipe away the incomprehensible opinions of those who refuse to preserve this memento by bringing it, our own property, to our own Museum, and placing it under proper shelter ?

The authorities seem to stand as stiffly against such a course as the obelisk itself does against the sky. — K. R. H. M.] himself ; and still later, on the outermost edges, another King, who was found to be one, till now, totally unknown, and who was therefore greeted by me with great joy. I must yet mention an interesting collection of ethnographical articles and specimens of natural history of every kind which have been collected by a native Prussian, Werne,* on the second Nile expedition of the Pasha to the White River, in countries hitherto quite unknown, and have been transported to Alexandria but a few months ago. It appeared to me to be so important and so unique of its kind that I have purchased it for our museum. While we were yet there it was packed up for transport: I think it will be welcome in Berlin.