DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11636#0410
37& TRAVELS IN EGYPT.
seum, in which it is worthy of occupying a disfin-r
guished place.
Furthermore, the opinion that the researches of
Europeans had no other object than the discovery
of treasures buried or shut up in the monuments of
antiquity, was that of all the inhabitants of Egypt;
and it was become one of the greatest obstacles
which the traveller had to overcome. A Turk of
Rossetta had, at the door of his magazine, a very
beautiful piece of granite, upon which hieroglyphic
figures were engraved in perfect preservation.
After having a drawing of it taken *, I proposed
to the owner that he should sell me the granite
itself; I offered besides to have another stone set
up in its place at my own expense. The Turk
would never listen to any proposal: he alleged as
the motive of his refusal, that this granite was
full of gold. The man was poor, and when I de-
manded why he did not break his stone, in order
to extract those riches for which he appeared to
have so much occasion, he replied, that this would
be a wicked and dangerous action, because his
&tone was a talisman.
* This drawing is one of those which, at different epochas, I
sent into France, and which have disappeared. I regret no,t
having preserved them; several of them were interesting, and
would have been suitable ornaments for this work.
END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
Primed by S. Gosnsll, Little Queen Street.
seum, in which it is worthy of occupying a disfin-r
guished place.
Furthermore, the opinion that the researches of
Europeans had no other object than the discovery
of treasures buried or shut up in the monuments of
antiquity, was that of all the inhabitants of Egypt;
and it was become one of the greatest obstacles
which the traveller had to overcome. A Turk of
Rossetta had, at the door of his magazine, a very
beautiful piece of granite, upon which hieroglyphic
figures were engraved in perfect preservation.
After having a drawing of it taken *, I proposed
to the owner that he should sell me the granite
itself; I offered besides to have another stone set
up in its place at my own expense. The Turk
would never listen to any proposal: he alleged as
the motive of his refusal, that this granite was
full of gold. The man was poor, and when I de-
manded why he did not break his stone, in order
to extract those riches for which he appeared to
have so much occasion, he replied, that this would
be a wicked and dangerous action, because his
&tone was a talisman.
* This drawing is one of those which, at different epochas, I
sent into France, and which have disappeared. I regret no,t
having preserved them; several of them were interesting, and
would have been suitable ornaments for this work.
END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
Primed by S. Gosnsll, Little Queen Street.