DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4669#0332
WADY SABOUA 299
Dr. Lepsius made an important discovery here.
" I was astonished to find a posterity of King
Rameses-Meri-Amen in the outer court of this
temple. It consisted of 162 children, . . . their
names and titles." He then gives this extraordi-
nary record. " To-day we had a visit from the
blind old chief of Derr. . . . He had no less than 64
wives, of whom 42 still remain, 29 sons, and 17
daughters are living. He has probably never taken
the trouble to reckon how many children he has l<
but by the usual proportion here he must have had
about four times the number of those who have
survived; therefore two hundred children." *
As the river was falling rapidly the water was too
shallow to admit of the Atnkeh getting up to the
bank. Some of the crew therefore volunteered to
cany us on their shoulders to the land and back
again for a small backsheesh. We were received on
the shore by the inhabitants of the small village,
young and old, who accompanied us to the ruins,
about half a mile from the river.
The approach to the temple was by an avenue of
sphinxes, headed by an erect statue of the king on
either side, wearing the double crown of Upper and
Lower Egypt Four only of the eight sphinxes are
now visible, the others being buried in the sand.
Beyond them rise the towers of the propylon. It is
very evident how far the Desert has advanced from
the position of the temple and its surroundings.
Slowly and Steadily the sand advances, and will in
process of time conceal the entire avenue, and
possibly cover up the temple also!
The court had become too full of drifted sand for
■ ■ Letters," Bobn, p. i?7-
Dr. Lepsius made an important discovery here.
" I was astonished to find a posterity of King
Rameses-Meri-Amen in the outer court of this
temple. It consisted of 162 children, . . . their
names and titles." He then gives this extraordi-
nary record. " To-day we had a visit from the
blind old chief of Derr. . . . He had no less than 64
wives, of whom 42 still remain, 29 sons, and 17
daughters are living. He has probably never taken
the trouble to reckon how many children he has l<
but by the usual proportion here he must have had
about four times the number of those who have
survived; therefore two hundred children." *
As the river was falling rapidly the water was too
shallow to admit of the Atnkeh getting up to the
bank. Some of the crew therefore volunteered to
cany us on their shoulders to the land and back
again for a small backsheesh. We were received on
the shore by the inhabitants of the small village,
young and old, who accompanied us to the ruins,
about half a mile from the river.
The approach to the temple was by an avenue of
sphinxes, headed by an erect statue of the king on
either side, wearing the double crown of Upper and
Lower Egypt Four only of the eight sphinxes are
now visible, the others being buried in the sand.
Beyond them rise the towers of the propylon. It is
very evident how far the Desert has advanced from
the position of the temple and its surroundings.
Slowly and Steadily the sand advances, and will in
process of time conceal the entire avenue, and
possibly cover up the temple also!
The court had become too full of drifted sand for
■ ■ Letters," Bobn, p. i?7-