king of Egypt. On the south-west corner are the remains of the small temple which this king dedicated to Isis. The most important ruins are those of the Temple of Isis, which was begun by Ptolemy II. Philadelphus and Arsinoë, and was added to and completed by the Ptolemies and Roman emperors who came after. On each side of the path which led to the temple is a corridor: that on the west has thirty-two pillars and that on the east sixteen; at the north end of the east corridor is the so-called chapel of Esculapius, which was built by Ptolemy V. Epiphanes and Cleopatra. The towers of the first propylon are about 65 feet high, and their southern faces are ornamented with sculptures representing Ptolemy VII. Philometor triumphing over his enemies. On the east side of the large court, which is entered through the propylon, is a portico with ten columns, and on the west side are the three chambers forming the so-called mammisi, on the walls of which are representations of the birth of Horus. In this courtyard there is a copy of the famous Rosetta Stone inscription, given, unfortunately, without the Greek text. Passing through the second propylon, a portico having ten beautifully painted capitals is entered, and north of this are three chambers, in the last of which is the monolith shrine. Round and about are several small chambers and passages with secret openings. When Strabo visited the island he saw the hawk which was worshipped there, and which was said to have been brought from Ethiopia; it was very sick and nearly dead.*

* "A little above the cataract is Philæ, a common settlement, like Elephantina, of Ethiopians and Egyptians, and equal in size, containing Egyptian temples, where a bird, which they call hierax (the hawk), is worshipped; but it did not appear to me to resemble in the least the hawks of our country nor of Egypt, for it was larger, and very different in the marks of its plumage. They said that the bird was Ethiopian, and is brought from Ethiopia when its predecessor dies, or before its death. The one shown to us when we were there was sick and nearly dead."--(Strabo, xvii., 1-49, Falconer's translation.)

On the western side of the island stands the beautiful little temple usually called Pharaoh's bed, and a little to the north of it is a small temple built by Ptolemy IX. Euergetes II.; the other ruins on the island are not of importance, but if time permits, a visit should be paid to the Nilometer built in a staircase leading down to the river. Phile was said to be one of the burial places of Osiris, and as such was held in the greatest esteem by both Egyptians and Ethiopians; it was considered a most holy place, and only priests were allowed to live there unmolested. An oath sworn by Osiris of Philæe was inviolable, and the worship of this god flourished here until A.D. 453, that is to say, seventy years after the proclamation of the famous edict of Theodosius against the religion of Egypt. In the time of the Romans a strong garrison was stationed here. In Coptic times a Christian church, remains of which are still visible, was built on the northern end of Philæ. The picturesque scenery at Philæ is too well known to need comment.

R

THE NILE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND CATARACTS.

The country which is entered on leaving Philæ is generally known by the name of Ethiopia, or Nubia; the latter name has been derived by some from nub, the Egyptian word for gold, because in ancient days much gold was brought into Egypt from that land. In the hieroglyphics, Nubia or Ethiopia, is generally called Kesh (the Cush of the Bible) and Ta-kenset; from the latter name the Arabic El-kenûs is derived. It is known that as far back as the VIth dynasty, the Egyptians sent to this country for certain kinds of wood, and that all the chief tribes which lived round about Korosko, hastened to help the Egyptian officer Unå in the mission which he undertook for King Pepi II. It seems pretty certain too, if we may trust Una's words, that the whole country was made to acknowledge the sovereignty of the Egyptian king. From the VIIth to the XIth dynasty nothing is known of the relations which existed between the two countries, but in the time of Usertsen I., the second king of the XIIth dynasty, an expedition was undertaken by the Egyptians for the purpose of fixing the boundaries of the two countries, and we know from a stele set up at Wâdi Halfah by this king, that his rule extended as far south as this place. Two reigns later the inhabitants of Nubia or Ethiopia had become so troublesome, that Usertsen III. found it necessary to build fortresses at Semneh and Kummeh, south of the second cataract, and to make stringent laws forbidding the passage of any negro ship unless it was laden with cattle or mer chandise.

The Hyksos kings appear not to have troubled greatly about Nubia. When the XVIIIth dynasty had obtained full power in Egypt, some of its greatest kings, such as Thothmes III. and Amenḥetep III., marched into Nubia and built temples there; under the rulers of the XIXth dynasty, the country became to all intents and purposes a part of Egypt. Subsequently the Nubians appear to have acquired considerable power, and as Egypt became involved in conflicts with more Northern countries, this power increased until Nubia was able to declare itself independent. For several hundreds of years the Nubians had the benefit of Egyptian civilization, and all that it could teach them, and they were soon able to organize war expeditions into Egypt with success. As early as the XXVth dynasty, the territory to the north of Syene or Aswân was a part of the Nubian or Ethiopian kingdom, the second capital of which, towards the north, was Thebes. About B.C. 730 a rebellion, headed by Tafnecht, chief of Saïs, broke out, and it was so successful, that the rebels marched into middle Egypt, i.e., the tract of land which lay between the Delta and the Ethiopian territory, and overthrew the Ethiopian governors. When Piānchi king of Ethiopia heard this, he prepared an army, and marching northwards captured the whole of Egypt as far as Memphis. The kings of Egypt of the XXVth dynasty were Ethiopians, and their capital city was Napata or Gebel Barkal; Tirhakah, the last of the dynasty, is thought to have built the pyramids at Meroë. Cambyses undertook an ill-directed expedition into Ethiopia, but he met with no success, and the result of his labour was only to open up the country to travellers. Under the rule of the Ptolemies many cities were founded in Ethiopia. In the reign of Augustus, the Ethiopians, under their Queen Candace, were repulsed, and their capital city destroyed by C. Petronius, the successor of the prefect of Egypt, Aelius Gallus, who placed a Roman garrison in Ibrîm, about B.C. 22. Candace