DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4020#0060
48 TRAVELS IN EGYPT
The pedestals have each five feet of height, thirty-six and a hals of length, and
nineteen and a half of breadth.
The distance between the two statues, is twenty-one paces.
They are both made of divers blocks of a sort of sandy and greyish stone,
which seems to have been drawn from some of the grottos, that one remarks, in
great numbers, in the neighbouring mountains s.
Their breasts and their legs are covered with abundance of Greek and Latin
inscriptions, which have been engraven on them since they were made, and in
the time of the Romans.
The back part and the sides of the seats upon which they are sitting, are
covered with hieroglyphical figures, which in general resemble one another very
much, tho' there is some difference in the particular form of the characters.
Besides that, there is on each side a term. These seats seem to be of an en-
tire stone, and made of the same sort with the rest. They appear however
a little more brown, and harder. The two Isiac figures, which, as I have already
remarked, adorn the extremity of the seats at each corner, appear whiter and
of a finer grain than the rest; which may give suspicion, that tho' they are
adjusted in the ancient Egyptian taste, they have however been placed there
lon^ after the statues were erected.
I h av e remarked, that the pedestals are also more hard and brown than
the seats. Their inscription consists only in a single line of hieroglyphical
figures, spoilt both by injury of time, and by the violence that has been done
them. It does not appear to me, that the bodies of the colossal figures have
sufTered any thing from the hands of men. All disfigured as they are, you see
not in them the least bruise that is distinguishable; it is only the injury of time
which has rendered them deformed, and has deprived them of the parts which
had any projeclure.
Aster having finished this design, I approached nearer, in order to draw
another more particular, which would represent one of the sides of these colostal
figures, marked letter ay with the hieroglyphics and the other ornaments. But
s F. Vansleb has the sollowing remarkable obser- impoffible sor men to make them : and I dare say
vation on the [everal grottos or caves that are disperfed that when a traveller hath seen all the curiosities os
throughout Egypt: " I have wondered at the capri- Egypt, if he hath not seen these mountains and
cious designs of the ancient Egyptians, to make caves of the province os Thebes, he has feen no-
such wide caves, so high, and so numerous, yielding thing.
so little conveniency to the inhabitants, for they are " Mv guide led me into one as high as a man on
made upon the steep mountains of sand, far srom horleback, so extraordinary large, that, without
towns and water, and dug in the dark and main hyperbole, a thouiand horse might there draw up
rocks. Is I had not perufed the history os Said in battle array, which caused me to wonder not a
Ibn Patrick, who saith, that the Pharaohs, little."
kings os Egypt, employed the Israelites in digging Without having recourse to the tajk-mastcrs over the
these mountains, I should be os the opinion os the Israelites, to devils, and to conjurors ; I think these
country people, who believe that all thefe caves had caves might easily be suppofed owing to the vast quantity
been made by devils, who have been thereunto of materials that mufi have been drawn srom thence sor
sorced by conjurors, this art having been much such Jlupendous works and buildings as have been men-
.pradtised in Egypt, sor one would think that it is Honed besore.
whilst
The pedestals have each five feet of height, thirty-six and a hals of length, and
nineteen and a half of breadth.
The distance between the two statues, is twenty-one paces.
They are both made of divers blocks of a sort of sandy and greyish stone,
which seems to have been drawn from some of the grottos, that one remarks, in
great numbers, in the neighbouring mountains s.
Their breasts and their legs are covered with abundance of Greek and Latin
inscriptions, which have been engraven on them since they were made, and in
the time of the Romans.
The back part and the sides of the seats upon which they are sitting, are
covered with hieroglyphical figures, which in general resemble one another very
much, tho' there is some difference in the particular form of the characters.
Besides that, there is on each side a term. These seats seem to be of an en-
tire stone, and made of the same sort with the rest. They appear however
a little more brown, and harder. The two Isiac figures, which, as I have already
remarked, adorn the extremity of the seats at each corner, appear whiter and
of a finer grain than the rest; which may give suspicion, that tho' they are
adjusted in the ancient Egyptian taste, they have however been placed there
lon^ after the statues were erected.
I h av e remarked, that the pedestals are also more hard and brown than
the seats. Their inscription consists only in a single line of hieroglyphical
figures, spoilt both by injury of time, and by the violence that has been done
them. It does not appear to me, that the bodies of the colossal figures have
sufTered any thing from the hands of men. All disfigured as they are, you see
not in them the least bruise that is distinguishable; it is only the injury of time
which has rendered them deformed, and has deprived them of the parts which
had any projeclure.
Aster having finished this design, I approached nearer, in order to draw
another more particular, which would represent one of the sides of these colostal
figures, marked letter ay with the hieroglyphics and the other ornaments. But
s F. Vansleb has the sollowing remarkable obser- impoffible sor men to make them : and I dare say
vation on the [everal grottos or caves that are disperfed that when a traveller hath seen all the curiosities os
throughout Egypt: " I have wondered at the capri- Egypt, if he hath not seen these mountains and
cious designs of the ancient Egyptians, to make caves of the province os Thebes, he has feen no-
such wide caves, so high, and so numerous, yielding thing.
so little conveniency to the inhabitants, for they are " Mv guide led me into one as high as a man on
made upon the steep mountains of sand, far srom horleback, so extraordinary large, that, without
towns and water, and dug in the dark and main hyperbole, a thouiand horse might there draw up
rocks. Is I had not perufed the history os Said in battle array, which caused me to wonder not a
Ibn Patrick, who saith, that the Pharaohs, little."
kings os Egypt, employed the Israelites in digging Without having recourse to the tajk-mastcrs over the
these mountains, I should be os the opinion os the Israelites, to devils, and to conjurors ; I think these
country people, who believe that all thefe caves had caves might easily be suppofed owing to the vast quantity
been made by devils, who have been thereunto of materials that mufi have been drawn srom thence sor
sorced by conjurors, this art having been much such Jlupendous works and buildings as have been men-
.pradtised in Egypt, sor one would think that it is Honed besore.
whilst