northwards through Egypt. This wild story indicates that the priests of Khnum at Elephantine claimed that one of that god's abodes lay here beneath the waters between Krophi and Mophi; this being, perhaps, in rivalry with the priests of Philæ, who believed that the god lived under the rocks of Bigeh Island, opposite the temple of Isis at Philæ. In very early times it is probable that the Egyptians considered that the source of the Nile was at the First Cataract, but when Lower Nubia began to be known, the source became a mystery which they believed would not be revealed to man until, after death, he had penetrated to the Twelfth Gate of the Underworld. SEHEL The island of Sehel, which lies some distance to the north of Situation, Aswân, at the foot of the cataract, may be visited by sailing boat. &c. The scenery is rugged and picturesque, and the visitor who is interested in antiquities will find much there to interest him. With a favourable wind the excursion occupies about three hours; but some will find it pleasant to take their lunch with them, and to picnic on the splendid rocks of the island. Extensive quarrying goes on at present at the east side of the island, where the visitor lands, but passing these works and walking south-westward, an open plain will be reached which lies between three groups of rocks. These rocks are covered with over 250 inscriptions, some of which are of great historical importance. Monsieur de Morgan numbered and catalogued most of these, but the numerals had in many cases faded, and there was some danger that the inscriptions might be damaged unwittingly by the quarrymen. The present writer, therefore, renumbered all of them as conspicuously as possible. By the following list of these inscriptions the reader will be able The into identify most of those which have historical value. No. 70 (de scriptions. M. 1), Chief of the Builders in the Temple of Amen, Chief Sculptor in the Temple of Ptah, and Chief Vase-maker in the Palace, Amenemapt. No. 72 (de M. 3), Viceroy of Ethiopia, Hora. No. 75 (de M. 5), High Priest of Sebek and Anpu. No. 76 (de M. 8), Viceroy of Ethiopia, Huy, adoring the cartouches of Rameses IInd. No. 78 (de M. 11), Cartouches of King Neferhotep of the XIIIth dynasty. No. 79 (de M. 12), Cartouches of Senusert IIIrd of the XIIth dynasty. No. 80 (de M. 10), Car touches of Aahmes IInd of the XXVIth dynasty. No. 81 (de M. 21) is reserved for particular mention at the end of this list. No. 82 (de M. 22), Cartouches of Neferhotep. No. 83 (de M. 20) reserved for particular mention. No. 86 (de M. 13) also to be recorded later. No. 87 (de M. 14), Cartouches of Senusert IIIrd. Nos. 88 and 89 (de M. 15 and 16), Cartouches of Neferhotep. No. 91 (de M. 18) to be discussed later, as is also No. 92 (de M. 19). No. 96 (de M. 29), Viceroy of Ethiopia, Sety, adoring the cartouches of Septah in his third (?) year. No. 99 (de M. 30), A High Priest of Khnum, Satet, and Anuket. No. 101 (de M. 31), Viceroy of Ethiopia, Paser. No. 105 (de M. 44), The relatives of King Neferhotep. No. 111 (de M. 39), Neferhotep before the goddess Anuket. No. 112 (de M. 40) to be described later. No. 117 (de M. 48), High Priest of Khnum, Satet, and Anuket. No. 133, Royal Fan-bearer, Captain of the Archers, Governor of the gold-countries of Amen in Lower Nubia. No. 137 (de M. 63), The thirty-third year of Rameses IInd, when a jubilee was celebrated. No. 145, HaPrince, Scribe of the Nome of Elephantine, Accountant of the Gold of the City. No. 146, Cartouches of Amenhotep IIIrd, and figure of the Vizir Rames, whose tomb at Thebes is described on page 160. No. 150, High Priest of Amen, Amenhotep. No.. 159 (de M. 89), Prince Usersatet, and Chief of the Builders of the North and South, Rera. No. 161 (de M. 84), Prince Thothmes. No. 164, Scribe of the account of the Gold, Aahmes. No. 165, Prince Merimes and the cartouche of Amenhotep IIIrd. No. 173 (de M. 93), Officials adoring cartouches of Merenptah. No. 177 (de M. 102), Captain of Pharaoh's archers. No. 183 (de M. 110), Chief Ritual Priest of Kubbân (near Dakkeh in Lower Nubia). No. 186 de M. 113), Scribe and overseer of the builders of “Sun of Rulers,” Merira. This is the name of the unfinished colossus of Amenhotep IIIrd in the Aswân quarries. No. 198, Viceroy of Ethiopia, Amenhotep. No. 199 (de M. 132), Figures of Rameses IIIrd and gods. No. 203 (de M. 135), Captain of the archers of Thoth, Chief of the Builders, Chief Ritual Priest, Ptah-hotepu of Memphis. No. 206 (de M. 138), Royal Ambassador, Master of the King's Horse, Menkheper, an official of the court of Rameses IInd. No. 208 (de M. 140), Partly erased inscription of the Chief of the Builders in charge of the two Great Obelisks, Amenhotep. As the name is partly erased, this may be the sculptor who was disgraced, and who left his various works unfinished in the Aswân quarries. No. 213 (de M. 148), Cartouches of Amenhotep IInd. No. 215, Rameses IInd worshipping gods, and below him a figure of the Viceroy of Ethiopia, Huy. No. 217, Cartouche of Rameses IIIrd, No. 221, Cartouches of Rameses IInd, and figure of the Chief of the Builders, Nekhtu. No. 232, Vizir Paser before cartouches of Rameses IInd. No. 237, Viceroy of Ethiopia, Setau, before Anuket, and cartouches of Rameses IInd. No. 245 (de M. 182), Figure of the Chief of the Goldsmiths of the Temple of Khnum, holding a statue of a ram, while near him are a pair of balances marked "gold." No. 254, Cartouches of Rameses IInd. No. 262 (de M. 197), Scribe of the Temple of Amen and Superintendent of the Seal of the Lands of the South, Khnum-em-heb, adoring Rameses IInd. No. 278 (de M. 218), Thothmes IIIrd worshipping Khnum, Satet, and Anuket. No. 282 (de M. 214), Guardian of the Temple of Khnum and Satet of Sehel, Nebmeh. No. 290, Guardian of the Temple of Anuket of Sehel, Mersu. No. 295 (de M. 204), High Priest and Divine Father of Khnum. No. 297 (de M. 203), Captain of the Archers, Chief of the Builders in the Temples of Ra, Amen, and Ptah, May. No. 303, Chief Sculptor of the Temple of Ra, &c., Amenemapt. tions. In the above list there are certain inscriptions which require The Zeser a further explanation. No. 81 is a long inscription cut on the rocks inscripat the north end of the island, high above the cataract. It was written in Ptolemaic times, but tells the story of a great famine which devastated Egypt in the reign of King Zeser of the IIIrd dynasty, 3000 B.C. It states that Zeser, being at a loss to know what to do, sent up to Elephantine, where he believed the source of the Nile to be located ; and the priests there told him that the famine was due to the anger of the god Khnum. Zeser therefore dedicated to him the land between the Egyptian frontier and the island of Takompso, near Dakkeh, in Lower Nubia; and he restored his ruined temples at Elephantine. The fact that the inscription was placed at the southern extremity of Sehel, combined with the fact that at this point so many persons have inscribed their names, indicates that this point was actually the frontier of Egypt. Canal. Inscriptions Nos. 83, 86, 91, 92, and 112 all refer to a canal which The was constructed by Senusert IIIrd of the XIIth dynasty during his Cataract great campaigns against the Ethiopians. An inscription on the west side of the island towards its south end states that the canal was made in the king's eighth year, and was 150 cubits in length, 20 in breadth, and 15 in depth. It was called "Beautiful are the ways of Senusert IIIrd." Another inscription of Senusert IIIrd referring to this canal is written at the south end of the island, and Temples at thus one may suppose that the canal passed along the west and south sides of Sehel. The first inscription overlooks the water at a narrow point of the river between the island and the village of Mahetta on the mainland. There are here many rocks rising from the water, and it is probable that the canal ran between one of these rocky islands and Sehel, thus avoiding the great rush of water which passed down under the rocks of the mainland. The canal, of course, was merely a passage so levelled and protected that a rapid but steady flow of water ran down it, against which the galleys could be pulled with relative ease. Thothmes Ist found the canal choked with stones, and ordered it to be cleared; and Thothmes IIIrd again caused it to be cleared of stones, giving instructions that the fishermen of Elephantine should each year remove all obstructions from it. From the various inscriptions on the rocks one sees at once that Khnum, Satet, and Anuket were the gods of the island; but it is perhaps to Anuket that the greatest honour is here paid. A small shrine, now almost entirely destroyed, was erected to her by Amenhotep IInd; and the name of a guardian of this temple has already been noticed amongst the rock inscriptions. On the west side of the island, near a modern village, there are a few blocks of stone, covered with reliefs, which formed part of a temple built by Ptolemy IVth Philopator, apparently in honour of the same gods. A few late inscriptions, some written in Greek, show that the island was still visited by many travellers and officials in late times. CHAPTER XX THE TOMBS OF THE PRINCES OF ELEPHANTINE THE THE TOMBS HE tombs of the princes of Elephantine, sometimes called Situation. the Grenfell tombs, owing to the fact that some of them were opened by Sir Francis Grenfell (assisted by Dr. Budge) in 1885, should be visited by all those who take any interest in antiquities. They are situated on the slope of the high sand-covered hills which form the west bank of the river, at a point almost opposite the northernmost end of the island of Elephantine. High above the tombs stands the Mohammedan shrine known as Koubet Ali el Howa, which is a landmark for many miles around, and after which the tombs are now generally named. At the water's edge there are tumbled granite rocks, half buried in golden sand, from above which an ancient double stairway of about ninety steep steps leads up to the terrace of the tombs. These monuments should be visited in the afternoon, as the hillside is then in shadow, and the ascent is thus less trying. Ample time should be allowed for the excursion, as the small sailing boats have some difficulty in rounding the island of Elephantine and reaching the western shore, unless the wind is entirely favourable. Tickets of admission should not be forgotten. On reaching the summit of the stairway the visitor finds himself The tomb of Mekhu. in the courtyard of the joint tombs of Prince Mekhu, and his son, Prince Sabna. The doorway at the south end of this court is entered, which brings one into the great and sombre tomb of the former prince, numbered 25. As has already been stated in Chapter XVIII, Prince Mekhu lost his life while travelling in Lower Nubia, during the reign of Pepy IInd of the VIth dynasty. It |