DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11638#0036
2 2
TRAVELS IN UPPER
stance would have been sufficient to overthrow
the opinion of some of the moderns, who imagined
that these pyramids were only composed of facti-
tious stones, though besides the most ancient of the
historians who have written on Egypt, Herodotus,
had not positively said, that upon the mountains
of Arabia (that chain which is on the side of the
Red Sea) may be seen the quarries from whence
were hewn the pyramids of Memphis*.
At a full quarter of a league before your arrival
at Scheick Itmann, on the eastern shore of the river,
is Toara, which has retained something of the an-
cient name Tnoja, which it formerly bore. On
each side, and from distance to distance, you see
those useless buildings, which, under the name of
monasteries, enclose societies of men more useless
still. They were peopled by Cophtish monks.
Opposite to Scheick Itmann, a village called Ma-
zara (a press) appears on the same side with Toura;
but retreating somewhat farther into the land.
Above the first mentioned place there is a pretty
large canal, the direction of which to the west-
ward does not extend very far,
I bought some little lenti'is, fishes which T have
made mention of at the conclusion of the preced-
* Book II. sect. 8. Marcher's translation, vol. ii. p. 7.
ing
TRAVELS IN UPPER
stance would have been sufficient to overthrow
the opinion of some of the moderns, who imagined
that these pyramids were only composed of facti-
tious stones, though besides the most ancient of the
historians who have written on Egypt, Herodotus,
had not positively said, that upon the mountains
of Arabia (that chain which is on the side of the
Red Sea) may be seen the quarries from whence
were hewn the pyramids of Memphis*.
At a full quarter of a league before your arrival
at Scheick Itmann, on the eastern shore of the river,
is Toara, which has retained something of the an-
cient name Tnoja, which it formerly bore. On
each side, and from distance to distance, you see
those useless buildings, which, under the name of
monasteries, enclose societies of men more useless
still. They were peopled by Cophtish monks.
Opposite to Scheick Itmann, a village called Ma-
zara (a press) appears on the same side with Toura;
but retreating somewhat farther into the land.
Above the first mentioned place there is a pretty
large canal, the direction of which to the west-
ward does not extend very far,
I bought some little lenti'is, fishes which T have
made mention of at the conclusion of the preced-
* Book II. sect. 8. Marcher's translation, vol. ii. p. 7.
ing