Wilson, Robert Thomas: The British expedition to Egypt: carefully abridged in two parts (London, 1803)

very edge of the desert, on the last flat of the
Libyan chain, the foot of which is washed by
the annual inundation of the Nile, at the dis,
tance of two miles from its bed. The Libyan
chain of mountains forms the back ground of
the landscape. Near the ruins are a few palm-
trees the remotest productions of the waters of
the Nile.
The grand door of the temple opens oppo-
site the center of the portico, and is covered
with hieroglyphics. The portico is more ele-
vated than the nave, or body of the temple ;
an austere simplicity reigns throughout the
architecture, enriched with innumerable hiero-
glyphics that do not in any sense interfere with
its beautiful lines : a large cornice majestically
crowns the whole edifice ; a torus, which ap-
pears to surround it, increases our ideas of the
solidity of the talus which exists throughout,
and serves to complete the junction, concealing
the poverty of repeated angles, without dimi-
nishing the precision and solidity of the whole,
since this solidity manifests itself where it
ought, that is to say at the extremity of the
cornices. Three sphinx-heads project from
the side of the nave : and, from their form, and
the holes between their paws, it is probable
that they were gutters by which was discharged
the water thrown upon the flat roof of the tem-
ple to cool the apartments within it ; for, under
the ruins of the Arabian buildings which still
remain on this roof, there are little private tem-
ples, decorated with the most elaborate and
scientific hieroglyphics.