the whole day in this manner, and I was nearly despairing of success;
but, repairing the next morning to the Cacheff, I begged him to give me
an order to press a courier, and he complied immediately, for he was of
a very different cast from the Cacheff of Erments. The courier received
his despatch about noon, and was to go and return from Cairo in sixteen
days. He was on the point of setting off, when a large boat appeared,
which brought Messrs. Jacque and Caliad, two agents of the French
consul, who were going to Assouan. On inquiry I found that the boat was
at liberty to be engaged after it arrived at Assouan. Accordingly I
bespoke it of the Reis, before the Aga, who made him promise not to
retract his agreement. The courier had not yet set off, and there was
now no necessity of sending to Cairo, as I was assured of having this
boat.
On our arrival at Thebes, the boat happened to be fastened to the bank,
where the colossal head was. I will not waste my time in describing the
remarks made by the two French agents of Mr. D., on seeing the head:
suffice it to say, they positively declared, in spite of the evident
mark it bore on its breast, that the French invaders did not take it
away, because they thought it not worth the taking! On hearing of my
fortunate success in collecting several valuable pieces of antiquity,
their Dragoman, a renegade Frenchman, observed to me, that, if I
persevered in my researches, I should have my throat cut, by order of
two personages; one was the Cacheff of Erments, the other I shall not
mention at present. I told him I was greatly obliged to him for his
information, but did not believe any one would make such an attempt.
They went to visit the soldiers, who lived in the tombs among the people
at Gournou, and assembled several Arabs of that place before the two
agents, who told them plainly in my presence, that, if they sold any
article of antiquity to the English party, they would have them well
beaten by the Cacheff of Erments, who commanded over them. From this
moment I perceived, that I should have much opposition and many
difficulties to encounter; but as my stay there was to be short, I did
not regard them, and continued my business, after Mrs. Belzoni had been
lodged in the house of an Arab at Luxor.
The same day I went to Carnak, and set twenty men at work on a spot of
ground, that I chose according to a simple calculation I made, of which
I shall have to speak hereafter. I re-embarked for Esne again, on board
of the same boat, as I had to conclude the contract with the Reis of it,
and to pay a part of the money as earnest. The two Frenchmen were on
board also. We proceeded during the whole night, being favoured with a
good strong wind, and arrived at Esne the next day at noon.
I hope the reader will not think that I employ my pen in useless
accounts, or to make a display of the difficulties I encountered in my
operations, merely to enhance any merit on my part: on the contrary, I
can assure him, that I study, by all means possible, to be brief, and
not to insert the least thing but what is necessary to be known, as will
be seen. I went to the house where all the owners of the boats were
assembled, who at first were of one accord, that it was impossible to
put the head on board the boat, alleging that it would break it to
pieces, if such a mass of stone were placed in it. They then strove to
persuade me to leave the stone, as they were disposed to believe that
there was no gold in it; and, if I took it, and found none after I had
spent so much, I should lose all. Notwithstanding their simplicity, when
I persuaded them that no accident would happen, and that I took all
risks upon myself, they did not fail to ask me an enormous sum for the
hire of the boat. I was in a dilemma, fearing, that, if I missed this
boat, I might lose the high water, which would have obliged me to wait
till next year; and in a country like this, changing from one day to
another its government and way of thinking, I did not know what might
happen. I therefore thought it best to secure myself from any future
extortion, and give an enormous hire for the boat. This was three
thousand piastres, equal to seventy-five pounds sterling, from that
place to Cairo.
After all this was settled, and half the money paid down, the boat was
to ascend the Nile as far as Assouan, to unload at that place, and to
return immediately. I sent my Janizary with some presents to the Aga,
and some trifles for Osseyn Cacheff, to be forwarded to him at Ybsambul,
by the first opportunity from Assouan to that place; thinking by this
trifle he would be convinced, that I intended to return to that country
to finish the operation, and be induced to keep his promise, not to let
any one undertake the accomplishment of what I had begun. The Janizary
was likewise to take on board the twelve stones which I left there to be
cut, &c. When all this was arranged, I set off for Thebes at night, and
arrived there the next morning. On my arrival, I went immediately to
Carnak, to see what had been done the day before by the twenty men.
Here, reader, was the beginning of those discoveries, which have caused
me so much trouble, not from the exertion and arduous labour required in
these researches, but in the atrocious persecution they have drawn on
me, from malice, jealousy, and envy to such a degree, that to this day,
the very goddess Fortune, who has been apparently so propitious to me, I
had reason to call barbarous and unkind. Notwithstanding which, I did
not relinquish my undertaking, till I reached the accomplishment of my
wishes. Let me add, I have further enterprises in view, which, I hope,
will convince my adversaries, that their persecution has had no other
effect on me, than that of strengthening me to perseverance in my
undertakings. Had I not determined to stand, like a pyramid defying the
wind, against all their numerous attacks, which poured on me like a
torrent, I should not have been able to proceed, even from the
commencement. On the other hand, I must acknowledge, that at the moment
when I was persecuted on one side, I received marks of kindness and good
wishes on the other; and fortunately, thank God, the well disposed far
outnumbered the others, though few like to enter into, or interfere with
matters which do not concern themselves. Many travellers of various
nations, at the time of my researches, witnessed, that the greatest
difficulties I had to encounter were not in the discovery of
antiquities, which I consider the smallest part of my task, but in
controlling the complicated intrigues of my enemies and false friends. I
am more inclined to excuse Count Forbin, as the erroneous and false
accounts he gives are so confused and contradictory to the facts, that
he openly exposes himself to ridicule and contempt, than to pardon some
others, who should have been above such paltry proceedings.
The works in Carnak were begun when I returned from Esne, but nothing
was found, and there was no likelihood of finding any thing. The place
whence the French had taken their lion-headed statues, at the time of
the invasion, is where a temple stood, surrounded on three sides by a
lake. It faces the avenue of the great sphinx to the north, and not a
single wall or column remains standing. On the exterior side of the wall
are several fragments of the above statues, which were there before the
French army invaded Egypt, but they made some excavations on the east
side of the temple, and made discoveries, the fruits of which are now to
be seen in the British Museum, they having been captured at sea. The
Count de Forbin asserts, that after all these sphinxes had been
discovered they were covered up again by some French gentlemen who
superintended the work. But the Count did not mention the names of those
persons, for he knew very well that no such thing ever took place. The
account he published of the statues, which he acknowledges to have been
found twenty feet below the surface, and backed by a strong ancient
wall, was taken from my own letters, which I gave him myself in Cairo,
of which I shall have to speak hereafter, and which he promised to give
to the world as they were. Instead of this, the only use he made of them
was to throw all the facts into confusion, and prevent the real truth
from coming before the public.
Now to more obvious facts. According to a calculation I had made, I dug
on the west side of the temple, where no one had ever made any
excavation before, nor did any traveller previous to me take any thing
thence but what was in sight; the French having taken theirs from the
east. The earth, bricks, and stones, were so strongly cemented together
by time, particularly on the surface, that it clearly proved the ground
never to have been touched from the earliest ages. In the course of a
few days I discovered about eighteen lion-headed statues, six of which
were perfect, and among them a white statue as large as life, supposed
to be of Jupiter Ammon, which is now also in the British Museum.
I here beg leave to make an observation which I hope will convince the
world of the erroneous statement of Count de Forbin. The French Consul,
Monsieur Drouetti, who had been making researches for fifteen years in
that country, and who was naturally attached to the interest of France,
had been to Thebes twice previous to my arrival in Egypt. How was it,
that, in the course of so long a period, he never came to know from the
natives, that such statues had been found there by the French, and
covered up again? and how happened it, that the person who covered them
up never mentioned it to him, or to any one else, even after a general
peace took place? We should suppose, that as soon as the seas were
cleared of the English cruisers, whose watchful eyes did not let even a
water-rat pass into France, there was no fear that these statues should
have been taken, and thus a second loss incurred: but independent of all
this, there was nothing to prevent Mr. Drouetti from bringing them safe
to Alexandria, as he did other antiquities, which were the sole object
of his ascending the Nile. I should not enter on this subject, had it
not been for the petty means which have been employed to depreciate
every thing I have done, and which are a compound of erroneous
assertions, that I believe originated in the volcanic brains of Count de
Forbin himself.
The place where I found these statues must have been the interior of the
pronaos; but there were many others in various places, and it is
difficult to determine their original stations. In another temple in
Gournou, which is yet unknown, and of which I shall speak in this work,
I found several statues of the same sort, and by the pedestals it
appears they were within the space from one column to another. The same
may have been the case in this temple. The situation in which I found
them was by no means their original place, and it was clearly to be seen
by their irregular positions, that they had been brought thither in
great hurry and confusion. Some brick walls had been built, as if to
hide them from the destructive hands of an invader, and the white statue
lay among the rest in an irregular manner.
During the time of this excavation I scrutinized the ruins of Carnak,
and perceived a great number of spots that deserve digging. I saw the
famous altar, with the six deities mentioned in the great French work,
and the colossal arm, both of which I formed the project of removing
even at that period. Fortunately on this side of the water the
difficulty of obtaining people to work was less than I had found it on
the other. The Cacheff was ready to do all he could for me, and every
thing went on very smoothly. The only impediment here was that the
Fellahs of Carnak would insist upon coming to work in greater numbers
than those of Luxor; for they said the others had no right to come to
labour on these grounds, and sometimes this dispute ended in blows.
These people were quite the reverse of those in Gournou, who, having
become opulent by the trade in antiquities, and tricking travellers,
were not so anxious to gain thirty paras a day. During the same
excavation I turned up a fine standing colossus without a head, part of
which projects above the ground, and which had not been seen by any
body. For my part I think it one of the most finished pieces of Egyptian
sculpture I ever saw.
It would be too tedious to the reader, to mention all the particulars
that occurred during my researches. Unfortunately I was again without
money to proceed, and had to go to Esne, to borrow some from a Greek I
happened to know in that place, who would supply me with any sum; but as
I expected a remittance from the consul, I only took what was necessary
to transport the lion-headed statues from Carnak to Luxor, ready for
embarkation. On my return to Carnak, I found, that an order had come
from the Cacheff of Gous to the Caimakan of Luxor, not to let me take
any thing away: this being contrary to the order I had from Mahomet Ali
Bashaw, I set off for Gous immediately; and finding, on my arrival, that
the Cacheff was gone to Gheneh, I directed my course to that place. As
the current was very strong, we went on pretty fast. About midnight we
saw two cangias coming up. I inquired what party it was, and was told it
was Calil Bey, my good friend, on his return from Cairo. I was pleased
at this circumstance, as I meant to complain against the conduct of the
Cacheff; but, on approaching the cangias, I found that the Cacheff was
there also. Calil Bey was well pleased to see me returned from Nubia,
and was anxious to inquire how they received me in that country. I told
him, that they obeyed his firman, and that I had done all I wished to do
in respect to the temple at Ybsambul; but not being able to finish my
undertaking that year, I should return the next. He desired to know,
whether the two brothers, Mahomet and Osseyn Cacheff, were friends
again; a question to which I was unable to reply; but I told him the
country was perfectly quiet at that time.
I returned to Gous with him, and the next morning took an opportunity to
inquire of the Cacheff the reason of his sending the order to the Sheik
not to let the English take away any thing that was found. He said, he
knew nothing about it; although I had seen the order myself. However, he
was ready to give me any order I pleased. No doubt this was in
consequence of the Bey being there, otherwise I should not have found
him so easy to deal with.
Calil Bey was an Albanian, who had married the sister of Mahomet Ali
Bashaw of Egypt, and held the command of the provinces in Upper Egypt
from Esne to Assouan; and for a Turk was much attached to European
travellers. He was continually inquiring concerning things he did not
know, and had a degree of sound judgment; a quality very scarce among
Turks: but for all this he was a complete slave to superstition, and to
the belief of magical powers. On our arrival at Gous, he took his seat
in the garden of the Cacheff, under an arbour of vines, shaded all round
by banana trees, which formed a very pleasing and cool recess. A large
mat was spread on the ground, and on this a fine carpet, and cushions,
as usual. The Cacheff was seated at his right, and a Turkish Sheik on
his left. Two Hadgees sat by the Cacheff, and I was requested to take my
seat near the Holy-man. Next to me was a Turkish merchant, and after him
a fool or Santon quite naked. All the rest of the followers, soldiers,
and attendants, stood in a crescent before us. Pipes were brought in for
the Bey, the Cacheff, the Holy-man, and myself. Coffee was served all
round to the persons who were seated, and the conversation turned on the
harvest, that was to be the next season, according to the inundation of
that year. It was then the beginning of November. They were wondering at
the great quantity of corn the Bashaw was sending continually to be
embarked at Alexandria, particularly at this season. Some supposed, that
the Europeans were about to make war against the Porte, and that,
previous to the declaration, they made provision of corn, as without a
supply from Egypt they would be unable to maintain their troops. Others
observed, if this were the case, Mahomet Ali would not send them corn,
till he knew for what purpose it was wanted. One said, he thought the
corn was sent into Russia, as he heard that the French had set all that
country on fire; and he then inquired of me, whether it were not so. I
told him, that I did not know what the French did in that country; but I
knew that the corn was sent into Europe, in consequence of a scarcity in
the harvest that year, through the whole of that quarter of the globe.
The Bey agreed it must be so, and asked whether it would be the same the
next season. I told him I hoped not, for, in general, after a scarcity
came a plenty. Yes, says the Bey, but the Bashaw will sell the corn at a
high price for three or four years to come, till your granaries are
filled again. “But pray,” added he, smiling, “have you a scarcity of
stones also in Europe, that you come here to fetch them away?” I
answered, that we had plenty of stones, but we thought those of Egypt
were of a better sort. “O ho!” replied he, “it is because you find some
gold in them perhaps, thank God!” This is the first instance of my
hearing the word “perhaps” employed; for they are so positive on this
point, that they never make any doubt of it.
The dinner was brought in a large tray. It consisted, as usual, of very
poor rice soup, which, after eating three spoonsful, was taken away, and
a dish of roast mutton brought forward. No sooner had we begun to eat of
that, than a man came in with his hand full of large green peppercorns,
and let them fall on the tray, which, being of metal, sounded like a
drum-head. After him came another, with half-a-dozen onions peeled,
which he let fall in like manner, and they rolled about the tray like
billiard balls; and a third followed with peeled garlic, &c. After
eating the mutton, a dish of very small fried fish was served up. They
were about half-a-dozen, and we were eight of us, so that we could not
eat too much of this. It was soon removed, and a kind of tart was
produced; but neither the Bey, the Cacheff, the Sheik, nor myself, could
eat a single bit of it. The fruit consisted of a water melon, which
having demolished, they finished their repast by washing their beards.
It was rather too mean to set before the Bey, as I have seen the Cacheff
take a better for himself at other times; but it is a general system
among these people, both Turks and Arabs, always to make themselves
appear poor in the presence of their superiors. As the Cacheff had
furnished me with an order for the Caimakan of Luxor to let me carry
away what stones I pleased, I took my leave of the Bey and set off.
On my arrival at Carnak, the work to be done consisted only in
transporting the six sphinxes and the white statue to Luxor for
embarkation, a distance of nearly a mile, without a road. In many parts
the water had left a soft ground where the statues had to pass; and, as
there was no mechanical power to assist, the Arabs had enough to do to
carry them to the place of destination. With this all my labour at
Carnak ended, in this voyage; and while thus waiting for the boat from
Assouan, and the cash from Cairo, I paid a daily visit to the tombs in
Gournou. These sepulchres are excavated in all directions in the rocks,
but generally with the entrance facing the east, as the chain of these
mountains runs from north to south. They are intermixed of all sizes;
and some of them have porticoes hewn out of the rocks before the
entrance; but, generally, they are within the outer door, which is most
adorned with well-finished figures and hieroglyphics, and generally the
watchful fox is represented at each side of the inner door leading to
the grotto. Some of them are very extensive, and run down in various
directions, something like winding stairs, having on each side, at
regular distances of a few paces, small chambers to deposit the mummies.
Some have deep shafts, or wells, with excavations on each side of the
shaft to receive the mummies; and at the bottom of the wells are
passages leading to smaller apartments, with endless winding recesses.
It was here that I had first leisure to examine and find the means of
ascertaining where the entrances were to many of the tombs, which had
been hidden for centuries from the eye of mankind.
The extensive ruins of Medinet Aboo are, in my humble opinion, best
worthy the attentive scrutiny of a traveller of any on the west of
Thebes. The descriptions given by Messrs. Hamilton and Denon are
sufficient to convey a correct idea of these edifices, which contain
propylæa, temples, and dwelling-places. It seems that here was the
residence of some of the sovereigns of Egypt; for in no other edifices
of ancient Egypt have I seen the remains of habitations as they are in
this place. There are two separate temples, of which the first that
meets the view going from the Memnonium is of a less ancient date than
the other. On the west side of the portal are stones with hieroglyphics
upside down, evidently belonging to a former temple. The pronaos is
surrounded by a portico of pilasters, at each side of which are two
chambers: one on the right of the entrance has been used as a Christian
chapel. The cella contains various apartments, quite dark; in one of
which, on the right side, is a monolite temple of red granite, without
hieroglyphics. It is wider than the door, and must have been placed
there before the cella was erected. The hieroglyphics and figures of
this edifice differ from those of the other temple in proportion as the
two temples differ from each other. On the north side of this little
temple was a small lake, or rather a tank for water, which is now filled
up with earth and rubbish; and there must have been statues all round
it, as I found part of one and fragments of others in an excavation I
made in that place. Perhaps it might have been used for the same
purposes as the small lakes near the temple of Carnak, which may be
supposed to have been the public baths destined for the religious
visitors to the temple. On the south of these ruins is a building
something like a square tower, with a large gateway, which I opened and
went through. It is nearly in a line with the gates leading into the
great temple. Above the gateway is a chamber with two square windows,
looking over it at each side. There are also two doors opposite each
other on the sides. Above this chamber was another, with two windows
like those below; but the fore part of the upper chamber is fallen in.
There are recesses at the sides of the windows, no doubt to place the
shutters. No hieroglyphics are to be seen within this building, though
on the outside it is every where covered with them. The two lateral
walls in front of this place form an avenue to the gateway.
Further on, about two hundred yards to the west, stands the great
temple. There is a large propylæon, with the entrance into the inner
yard. The walls are covered with hieroglyphics, deeply cut. The gateway,
which is also adorned in like manner, leads into a large yard, with a
wall opposite to the propylæon, and a gateway into another yard. At each
side of this yard is a portico. On the right are seven pilasters, with
colossal figures before them; and on the left eight columns, with
capitals in the form of the lotus. Both of these porticoes are also
adorned with hieroglyphics, deeply cut. The next yard has a gallery, or
area, all round it, of pilasters and columns. The walls are beautifully
embellished with battles, men on chariots, captives, and slaves;
together with which are distinctly visible procession offerings,
initiations, and sacrifices so well described by Mr. Denon. The
excavation of these works shows, that they are of a very ancient period.
The hieroglyphics are uncommonly deep, more so than any I have seen in
other buildings in Egypt. In some parts the figures retain their colours
pretty well, particularly in the ceiling on the capitals of the columns.
This edifice has been used as a Christian church; and the rude columns,
employed in a more modern building within this yard, show the wonderful
difference between the arts of the two ages. Further on, through the
last gate, was the entrance to the pronaos and cella: but now these are
buried under the earth, and several Saracenic buildings have been raised
on it. The exterior wall of these ruins is filled with historical
subjects, such as land and sea fights, lion hunting, processions of
captives, and various national emblems. Further to the south of the town
is a small temple, which now serves for the shepherds to keep their
cattle in at night. The whole town, in my opinion, appears to have been
rebuilt twice or three times successively on the ruins of the former.