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)

388 CROCODILE MUMMIES. [Chap. VI.

Formerly, the course of the Nile lay beneath this
mountain; but having since changed its bed, it has
nearly swept away the town of Manfaloot, in spite
of all the precautions of the government.

In the vicinity of Maabdeh, opposite Manfaloot,
are some extensive caverns, cut in the rock, where
the mummies of crocodiles are deposited; which,
from the specimens I have seen taken from them,
are frequently in a very perfect state of preservation.

Manfaloot, in Coptic, Manballou,* is a market-
town, and the residence of a provincial governor;
and Beni Adee, at the edge of the Libyan desert, is
only known as having long been the head-quarters
of the new troops, previous to the war of the Morea,
and as the usual point of departure for the Oasis of
Dakhleh.

At the edge of the eastern desert, between Beni
Mohammed and El Wasta, are the remains of
several small towns, one of which probably occupies
the site of Isium.

E'Sioot.—E'Sioot, which stands on the site of
Lycopolis, has succeeded Girgeh as the capital of
Upper Egypt. It is of considerable extent, with
several large bazars, baths, and some handsome
mosks; nor do the gardens planted around it fail
to improve its appearance.

Aboolfidda erroneously supposes the proper or-
thography to be Osioot, though he allows there is

* I think this should be Manballout; the * may have been
omitted in the MS. by an error of the copyist.