Chapter XXII: On the Arts of Meroe

Affluence would introduce a Taste for the Arts. — The
Heat of the Climate favourable to Sedentary Pursuits. —
Private Emulation would afford farther Encouragement. —
Desire of distinguishing themselves by Intellectual
Pursuits. — Testimony of Diodorus that Knowledge was very
generally diffused in Ethiopia. — The Pyramids of Meroe
the oldest Specimens of Ethiopian Art. — Civilisation of
the Ethiopians proved by their monumental Edifices. — The
Ethiopians Inventors of the Arch. — Egyptian Arches. —
Ethiopian Sculpture. — Probable Cause of their peculiar
Style. — Reasons for preserving it. — Deference of the
Ptolemies and Romans for the Superstitions of the
Egyptians. — Pleasing Effect of the Egyptian and
Ethiopian Sculpture. — Admirable Manner of drawing
Animals, Hieroglyphics, and their Taste in Ornaments. —
Colouring on Ethiopian Sculpture. — The Knowledge of the
Arts descended from Ethiopia. — Complexion of the ancient
and present Inhabitants. — Accuracy of Diodorus’s Account
proved by the Monuments. — Taste for the Arts in a Nation
inseparable from other Intellectual Pursuits. — Works of
the Ethiopian King Tirhaka. — Review of the Antiquities
in Ethiopia. — Folly of comparing the present with the
ancient Inhabitants of the Valley of the Nile 346

=ILLUSTRATIONS.=
* * * * *

MAP OF THE NILE from Assuan to the conflux of the Bahr El Abiad
and the Azruk.

ENGRAVINGS ON STONE.

PLATE Page

I. Shageea of the Desert and Camel Man of the 164
Ababde Tribe

II. Sheahk Beshir, and Son of a Bishareen Sheahk 46

III. Nazr ed Deen and Sheakh Sayd, Chief of the 44
Ababde Tribe

IV. Senna and Indigo Plants 240

V. General Plan of the Pyramids of Meroe 66

VI. Principal Group of the Pyramids of Meroe 68

VII. Sections of the Pyramids of Meroe 70

VIII. View of the Pyramids of Meroe 72

IX. View of the Pyramids of Meroe 74

X. Sculpture in the Porticoes of the Pyramids of 76
Meroe

XI. Sculpture in the Porticoes of the Pyramids of 78
Meroe

XII. Sculpture in the Porticoes of the Pyramids of 80
Meroe

XIII. Plan of the Ruins of Wady Owataib 100

XIV. Picturesque View of the ruins of Wady Owataib 102

XV. Picturesque View of the ruins of Wady Owataib 104

XVI. Costumes of Moussa, Son of a Melek of Berber, 88
and a Woman of Shendy

XVII. General Plan of the Ruins of Gibel el Birkel 134

XVIII. General View of the Ruins of Gibel el Birkel 136

XIX. View of the Temple of Tirhaka 138

XX. View of the Temple of Tirhaka 140

XXI. Plan of the Temple of Tirhaka 142

XXII. Restoration of the Temple of Tirhaka 144

XXIII. View of Temple of Amun Sekon Gibel el Birkel 146

XXIV. Plan of the Great Temple at Gibel el Birkel 148

XXV. View from the Great Temple at Gibel el Birkel 150

XXVI. View of the Pyramids of Gibel el Birkel 152

XXVII. View of the Pyramids of Gibel el Birkel 154

XXVIII. Sections of the Pyramids of Gibel el Birkel 156

XXIX. Sculpture in the Portico of a Pyramid at 158
Gibel el Birkel

XXX. Melek of the Shageea Tribe 162

XXXI. View of the Pyramids of Nouri 166

XXXII. Plan of the Pyramids of Nouri 168

XXXIII. View of a Colossal Statue in the Island of 210
Argo

XXXIV. View of a Colossal Statue in the Island of 212
Argo

XXXV. Restoration of the two Colossal Statues in 214
the Island of Argo

XXXVI. View of the Exterior of a Dongolah Cottage 192

XXXVII. View of the Interior of a Dongolah Cottage 194

XXXVIII. Shageea fighting 228

XXXIX. Hassanyeh Tribe 188

XL. Plan of the Temple of Solib 246

XLI. View of the Temple of Solib 248

XLII. View of the Temple of Solib 250

XLIII. View of the Temple of Solib 252

XLIV. View of the Temple of Amarah Frontispiece.

XLV. Ruins of Semneh 276

XLVI. Part 1. Grand Ethiopian Procession in a Tomb 328
at Thebes

XLVII. Part 2. Grand Ethiopian Procession in a Tomb 330
at Thebes

XLVIII. Part 3. Grand Ethiopian Procession in a Tomb 332
at Thebes

XLIX. Part 4. Grand Ethiopian Procession in a Tomb 334
at Thebes

L. Second Cataract of the Nile 278

LI. Sculpture in the Temple of Semneh 270

LII. Osshi Plant 240

LIII.} Hieroglyphic Inscriptions and Sculpture at
} Meroe and Gibel el Birkel
LIV.} 286

WOOD ENGRAVINGS.

View of the Cottages of Berber 1

View of the Fifth Cataract of the Nile 41

View of the Pyramids of Meroe 69

View of the South-east Group of the Pyramids of Meroe 71

View of the fortified Residence of the ancient Meleks 87
or Kings of Shendy

View of the small Temple of Wady el Owataib 102

Sections of the Columns at Wady el Owataib 104

View of the Temple of Abou Naga 112

Plan of the Ruins of Abou Naga 113

Plan of the Pyramids of Gibel el Birkel 149

View of the Pyramids of Gibel el Birkel 151

View of the fortified House of Melek Tumbol 206

View of the Ruins of an Ethiopian Fort 216

View of the Cataract of Hennek 217

View of a Colossal Statue in the Quarries at Toumbos 218

Section of the Columns of Solib 247

View from a Tomb excavated out of the Rock near Solib 253

Plan of a Temple at Sukkot 254

View of a Temple at Sukkot 253

Plan of the Temple of Amarah 261

Harp of the Shageea 263

View of the Island of Dahl in the Wady el Hadjar 265

View of the Temple of Semneh, West Side of the River 269

Plan of the Temple of Semneh, West Side of the River 271

View of the Temple of Semneh, East Side of the River 273

Plan of the Temple of Semneh, East Side of the River 274

Egyptian Arch formed by approaching Stones 351

Egyptian Arch, elliptical 352

Egyptian Arch, Segment of a Circle 353

Name in Hieroglyphics of King Sabaco 296

Name in Hieroglyphics of King Sevechus 297

Name in Hieroglyphics of King Tirhaka 297

Name in Hieroglyphics of other Ethiopians of the Royal 298
Family

Name in Hieroglyphics of King Ergamenes 314

Name in Hieroglyphics of King Atarramon 315

ERRATA.

Pages 5, 6, 43, 46. _for_ “Katschef, Katshief,” _read_ “Katshef.”

18, 19, 24, 32. _for_ “Ababdis,” _read_ “Ababdes.”

11, 12, 13, 14. _for_ “Melik,” _read_ “Melek.”

20. line 1. _for_ “danger of fatigue,” _read_
“danger and fatigue.”

32. line 1. for “Mogran,” _read_ “Mogram.”

44. line 3. _for_ “Dongolar,” _read_ “Dongolah.”

69. line 18. _for_ “monuments,” _read_ “tablets.”

80. line 9. _for_ “in the second row,” _read_
“in the same row.”

126. line 25. _for_ “eleven,” _read_ “ten.”

157. line 22. _for_ “Psammeticus,” _read_ “Psammitichus.”

157. line 25. _for_ “Thotmes,” _read_ “Thothmes.”

178. the prices of grain in this page are per ardeb.

_London: London & Co. Paternoster Row. 1835._

_J. Arrowsmith._]

=TRAVELS=
IN
=ETHIOPIA.=