Wilkinson, John Gardner: Topographie of Thebes, and general view of Egypt: being a short account of the principal objects worthy of notice in the valley of the Nile, to the second cataracte and Wadi Samneh, with the Fyoom, Oases and eastern desert, from Sooez to Bertenice (London, 1835)

Chap. II.] THE HARPER'S TOMB. 109

the rest of this grand sepulchral monument. A
chamber connected with it, on the left, is remarkable
for the variety of the subjects, many of which,
especially those appearing to represent human
sacrifices, probably refer to the initiation into the
higher mysteries, by the supposed death and rege-
neration of the Neophyte.

Number 11, called Bruce's,*or the Harper's Tomb,
is, from the nature, though not from the execution,
of the subjects, of far greater interest than the last
mentioned. The monarch, whose name here occurs,
is Remeses III., but that of his father and prede-
cessor is traced beneath the ovals of Remeses, who
appropriated and completed the subjects on its walls.

The line of direction in this catacomb, after the
first one hundred and thirty feet, is interrupted by
the vicinity of the adjoining tomb, and makes
in consequence a slight deviation to the right of
thirteen feet, when it resumes the same direction
again for other two hundred and seventy-five,
making its total length four hundred and five feet.

Its plan differs from that of Number 17, and the
rapidity of its descent is considerably less, being
perpendicularly only thirty-one feet.

The most interesting part is unquestionably the
series of small chambers in the two first passages,
since they throw considerable light on the style of

* Having been first mentioned by that injured traveller, whose
fault seems to have been that he visited and examined more
than his readers, judging from themselves, would allow him
credit for.