Chapter I: Front Matter

Malta.--Gobat.--Isenberg.--Krapf.--Alexandria.--Mohammed Ali.

LETTER III.--CAIRO, OCT. 16, 1842 11

Alexandria.--Pompey’s Pillar.--Cleopatra’s Needle.--Collection of Werne.--Departure from Alexandria.--Sais.--Nabarîeh.--Cairo. --Heliopolis.--The king’s birth-day kept at the pyramids.--View from the pyramid of Cheops.

LETTER IV.--AT THE FOOT OF 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 Meidûm.--Architecture of the pyramids.--The Riddle of the Sphinx.--Locust.--Comet.

LETTER VIII.--SAQARA, APRIL 13, 1843 51

H. R. H. 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 Saqâra.--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 Faiûm.--Camels and dromedaries.--Lisht. --Meidûm.--Illahun.--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 Faiûm.--Mœris embankments.--Birqet el Qorn.--Dimeh.--Qasr Qerûn.

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 Surarîeh. Tombs of the sixth dynasty in Middle Egypt, of the twelfth at Benihassan, Sint, Bersheh.--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 (Chemmis).--Thebes.--El Kab (Eileithyia).--Edfu.--Ombos.--Egyptian Canon of Proportion.--Assuan.--Philae.--Hieroglyphic demotic inscriptions.--Series of Ptolemies.--Entrance in Lower Nubia.--Debôd.--Gertassi.--Kalabsheh (Talmis).--Dendûr.--Dakkeh (Pselchis).--Korte.--Hierasykaminos.--Mehendi.--Sebûa.--Korusko.--Nubian language.

LETTER XVI.--KORUSKO, JANUARY 5, 1844 133

Scarcity of camels.--Wadi Halfa.--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.--Abâbde Arabs.--Abu Hammed.--Berber.--El Mechêref.--Mogran or Atbara (Astaboras).--E’Damer.--Mandera.

Letter XVIII.--On the Blue River, Province of Sennar, 13° North Latitude, March 2, 1844 155

Hagi Ibrahim.--Meroe.--Begerauie.--Pyramids.--Bounds of the tropical climate.--Khawass.--Ferlini.--Age of the monuments.--Shendi.--Ben Naga.--Naga in the desert.-- Mesaurât e’ Sofra.--Tamaniât.--Chârtum.--Bahrel Abiad (the White River).--Dinka and Shilluk.--Soba.--Kamlîn.--Bauer.--Marble inscription.--Baobâb.--Abu Harras.--Rahad.--Nature of the country.--Dender.--Dilêb-palms. --Sennâr.--Abdîn.--Româli.--Sero.--Return northward.--Wed Médineh.--Soriba.--Sultana Nasr.--Gabre Mariam.--Rebâbi.--Funeral.--Military.--Emin Pasha.--Taiba.--Messelemieh.--Kamlîn.--Soba.--Urn and inscription.

LETTER XIX.--CHARTUM, MARCH 21, 1844 207

Military revolt in Wed Médineh.--Insurrection of slaves.

LETTER XX.--PYRAMIDS OF MEROE, APRIL 22, 1844 211

Tamaniât.--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.

LETTER XXII.--BARKAL, MAY 9, 1844 237

Desert of Gilif.--Gôs Burri.--Wadi Gaqedûl.--Mágeqa.--Desert trees.--Wadi Abu Dôm.--Wadi Gazâl.--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.--Bân.--Departure from Barkal.--Pyramids of Tanqassi, Kurru, and Zûma.--Churches and fortresses of Bachît, Magal, Gebel Dêqa.--Old Dongola.--Nubian language.

LETTER XXV.--DONGOLA, JUNE 23, 1844 262

Isle of Argo.--Kermâ and Defûfa.--Tombos.--Inscriptions of Tuthmosis I.--Languages of Darfur.

LETTER XXVI.--KORUSKO, AUGUST 16, 1844 264

Fakir Fenti.--Sese.--Soleb.--Gebel Doshe. Sedeinga.--Amâra.--Isle of Sâi.--Sulphur-springs of Okmeh.--Semneh.--Elevation of the Nile, under Amenemha (Mœris).--Abu Simbel.--Greek inscription under Psammeticus I.--Ibrîm (Primis).--Anibis.--Korusko.

LETTER XXVII.--PHILAE, SEPTEMBER 1, 1844 271

Wadi Kenus.--Bega language of Bishari.--Talmis.--Philae. --Meroitic-Ethiopian inscriptions.

LETTER XXVIII.--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 and 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.--Medînet 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.--Seîd Hussên.--Stone bridge and inscriptions of Hamamât.--Gebel Fatireh.--Lost in the desert.--Quarries of porphyry at Gebel Dochân.--Gebel Zeit.

LETTER XXXII.--CONVENT OF SINAI, MARCH 24, 1845 333

Landing in Tôr.--Gebel Hammâm.--Wadi Hebrân.--Convent.--Gebel Mûsa.--Gebel Sefsaf.

LETTER XXXIII.--ON THE RED SEA, APRIL 6, 1845 338

Departure from the convent.--Wadi e’ Sheikh.--Ascension of Serbâl.--Wadi Firan.--Wadi Mokatteb.--Copper-mines of Wadi Maghâra.--Rock inscriptions of the fourth dynasty.--Sarbut el Châdem.--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.--Raphidîm near Pharan.--Sinai-Choreb, near Raphidîm.--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 XXXVI.--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.

LETTER XXXVIII.--NAZARETH, NOVEMBER 9, 1845 391

Jerusalem.--Nablus (Sichem).--Tabor.--Nazareth.--Lake of Tiberias.

LETTER XXXIX.--SMYRNA, DECEMBER 7, 1845 394

Carmel.--Lebanon.--Berut.--Journey to Damascus.--Zahleh.--Tomb of Noah.--Barada.--Abel’s tomb.--Inscriptions at Barada.--Tomb of Seth.--Bâlbek.--Ibrahim.--Cedars of Lebanon.--Egyptian and Assyrian Rock-sculptures at Nahr el Kelb.

APPENDIX 420

INDEX 449

MAP of EGYPT, _and the higher Nile Countries_ to LEPSIUS’S LETTERS FROM EGYPT & ETHIOPIA. 1852.

_View of Mount Sinai from the Sea at Gebel Zeit._

_London, Richard Bentley, 1852._ _T. Brooker sc._ ]

LETTERS

FROM

EGYPT, ETHIOPIA, AND THE PENINSULA

OF SINAI.