unpleasant events, and so much loss of time, and unnecessary labour,
that I would not undertake to go through the business again for the
discovery of another tomb of Apis. This was merely in consequence of an
interpreter’s not choosing to take the trouble of writing a few lines.
It will be recollected, that, on my return from Thebes to Cairo, I
stopped at Siout; and that the Defterdar Bey sent a letter on board our
boat for the consul. Previous to my return into Upper Egypt, I urged to
the consul the necessity of sending some presents to the Bey, and in
particular an answer to his letter from Siout. The consul, naturally
thinking that his interpreter, who had been many years settled in the
country, should know the customs of it better than myself, consulted
him; and this man, merely to save writing, told the consul there was no
occasion for it. Relying on him, my remonstrances were of no avail. The
Bey, whose pride was touched to the quick at not seeing any present, or
receiving any letter, was exasperated at every thing belonging to our
party. I do not mean to impute any neglect to the consul for not sending
a present to the Bey, as I know he intended to make him one; but the
avaricious mind of the Defterdar did not place any reliance on the
future, particularly when he found no reply to his letter, which he
certainly had a right to expect. On the other hand, our opponents took
every advantage, and neglected no means of attracting the good will of
the Bey, sending him continually something or other, so that he openly
promoted their interest in every respect. Such, with what follows, is
the real state of the case; and let the Count de Forbin invent some
other story to disguise the truth, if he can. On my arrival at Luxor, I
found the Defterdar Bey had just passed, and, after having inquired
which was the ground where I discovered the sphinxes, ordered it to be
excavated, and returned to Siout; leaving his physician, Doctor Moroki,
a Piedmontese, and countryman of Mr. Drouetti, to superintend the work.
I was not a little surprised, to see the advantage which had been taken
of us by this intrigue; and the Doctor, who was in the plot, ashamed, I
suppose, of his own mean conduct, told me, that what he found was for
the Bey, who had taken it into his head to be an antiquary. Several
sphinxes had been uncovered, and more were to be found, while I was
obliged to be a mere spectator of the operation, made on the very ground
I first opened. Yet the Count de Forbin had impudence enough to assert,
that they were discovered by a gentleman, and covered up again, with
other idle stories from his own school. Many sphinxes had been found in
the Doctor’s excavation, but only four were worth taking out. Having
finished his operation, he left a guard to the statues, and returned to
Siout, as he was ordered by his master; but previous to his departure he
went to the west side of Thebes, and forbade the Fellahs with threats to
sell any thing to the English. On finding that I had already purchased
some articles, which I did immediately on my arrival, he took such a
spite against me, as he has not forgotten to this day. The conclusion of
all this parade about the Bey, the Doctor, the statues, and the
excavation, was, that though the statues were for the Bey, yet on the
arrival of the agents of Mr. Drouetti (as will be seen hereafter), they
took possession of them. Some time after the Doctor wrote me a letter,
to inquire whether it were really true, that the agents of Mr. Drouetti
had taken away the statues he had found in Carnak, and pretending to be
quite shocked at their proceeding. I plainly saw that the Doctor did not
wish to open my eyes, but, on the contrary, sent me the letter to blind
me entirely, and make me believe, that he had no hand in the plot. But
what could he say, when he as well as we saw Mr. Drouetti himself come
to Luxor, and with great coolness take away these very statues or
sphinxes, pretended to have been found for the Defterdar? I leave the
farce to be explained by the veracious Count de Forbin, who may invent
some other puff to cover a trick so openly executed.
During this time I was not idle. I set a few men to work on both sides
of Thebes, and went to Erments to present to the Cacheff the letter I
had from Cairo. On my arrival he received me with much politeness; and
after the usual ceremonious protestation of friendship, I took the first
opportunity of presenting to him the letter of the Bashaw. He was a
little alarmed at first, and very anxious to know the contents; but was
relieved when he heard, that I had made no complaint against him, as his
good behaviour just before my departure retrieved in part the faults he
had committed before. I then reminded him of the behaviour of the
Caimakan of Gournou. He swore that he would punish him, and, if I
pleased, would turn him out of his place. I said I did not desire him to
do either on my account, but for the future wished to proceed in my
business undisturbed, and we concluded, that the next morning he should
come to Gournou, and settle the affair in a proper manner.
He afterwards introduced to me one of those wonderful saints, who work
miracles by dozens, catching scorpions, serpents, &c. This fellow
brought a serpent without teeth, and the Cacheff was much alarmed when
he put it into his lap. I took it, and opened its mouth without uttering
a word; but the wonder-worker understood me very well. We then went into
a back room to see a miracle performed. He began with a long prayer, and
after a few minutes stretched out his hand in a corner of the room, and
to the great astonishment of the beholders produced a scorpion. I
observed closely this wonder-working saint, and saw clearly what was
passing. The scorpion was kept in the enormous large sleeve of his
garment, and being produced in an instant, it appeared as if it came out
of the wall. We were now taken to see the apartments all through the
house, and he practised the same deception over again. In a particular
lower room the son of this Santon pretended to find a small serpent, but
not being so adroit as his father, he contented himself with protesting
that it had no teeth, which made me ask how serpents could live in this
country without teeth. The Cacheff, I perceived, was a man who would
swallow the grossest impositions. He told me many stories truly
ridiculous; among the rest, he said, that this caste of Santons were
subjects to a king in the mountains of Cossara, and had such power, that
if caught in a storm at sea, a calm was restored in a minute; and if a
cannon-ball made a hole in the ship, a Santon could stop it; that the
Venetian zechins are made by the magic of these Santons; and that one of
them being with the Sultan at Constantinople, where the Persian
Ambassador had been to announce war against the Porte, he said, that
they would conquer the Persians, and that on his thrusting out his
finger, the sovereign of Persia should become blind.
I left Erments and went to Luxor; and the next morning I met the Cacheff
at Gournou, according to his promise. He gave orders to the Caimakan on
every necessary subject; not to threaten the Fellahs, if they sold me
any papyri, &c. and to furnish me with men to excavate in whatever place
I pleased. The works in Carnak were going on, and I had begun to uncover
one of the sitting colossi before the second propylæon, beyond the large
avenue of sphinxes leading into the great temple. I had it cleared all
round, and found it to be twenty-nine feet high from the bottom of the
chair; it is of a white calcareous stone, and very hard. At the foot of
the chair I found a sitting statue seven feet high. It represented a
female figure, perhaps of Isis. Its head-dress, of enormous size,
differed from that of the generality of the Egyptian statues, and from
its style appeared to be of a very remote age. The bust was divided at
the waist from the rest of the body and chair, I took out the bust, and
intended to take out the chair, as soon as the boat arrived with the
implements. Having then set the people to work in another direction,
where also I had hopes, I took the opportunity to examine at leisure the
superb ruins of this edifice. In a distant view of them nothing can be
seen but the towering propylæa, high portals and obelisks, which project
above the various groups of lofty palm-trees, and even at a distance
announce magnificence. On approaching the avenue of sphinxes, which
leads to the great temple, the visiter is inspired with devotion and
piety: their enormous size strikes him with wonder and respect to the
Gods, to whom they were dedicated. They represent lions with heads of
rams, the symbols of strength and innocence, the power and purity of the
Gods. Advancing farther in the avenue, there stand before it towering
propylæa, which lead to inner courts, where immense colossi are seated
at each side of the gate, as if guarding the entrance to the holy
ground. Still farther on was the magnificent temple dedicated to the
great God of the creation. It was the first time that I entered it
alone, without being interrupted by the noise of the Arabs, who never
leave the traveller an instant. The sun was rising, and the long shades
from the various groups of columns extended over these ruins, intermixed
with the rays of light striking on these masses in various directions,
formed such delightful views all round as baffle description. Plate 24
will give a general idea of these extensive ruins; and the small sketch,
Plate 31, exhibits a small part of the interior of the great temple. I
was lost in contemplation of so many objects; and being alone in such a
place, my mind was impressed with ideas of such solemnity, that for some
time I was unconscious whether I were on terrestrial ground, or in some
other planet.
I had seen the temple of Tentyra, and I still acknowledge, that nothing
can exceed that edifice in point of preservation, and in the beauty of
its workmanship and sculpture; but here I was lost in a mass of colossal
objects, every one of which was more than sufficient of itself alone to
attract my whole attention. How can I describe my sensations at that
moment! I seemed alone in the midst of all that is most sacred in the
world; a forest of enormous columns, adorned all round with beautiful
figures, and various ornaments, from the top to the bottom; the graceful
shape of the lotus, which forms their capitals, so well proportioned to
the columns, that it gives to the view the most pleasing effect; the
gates, the walls, the pedestals, and the architraves, also adorned in
every part with symbolical figures in basso relievo and intaglio,
representing battles, processions, triumphs, feasts, offerings, and
sacrifices, all relating no doubt to the ancient history of the country;
the sanctuary, wholly formed of fine red granite, with the various
obelisks standing before it, proclaiming to the distant passenger, “Here
is the seat of holiness;” the high portals, seen at a distance from the
openings to this vast labyrinth of edifices; the various groups of ruins
of the other temples within sight; these altogether had such an effect
upon my soul, as to separate me in imagination from the rest of mortals,
exalt me on high over all, and cause me to forget entirely the trifles
and follies of life. I was happy for a whole day, which escaped like a
flash of lightning; but the obscurity of the night caused me to stumble
over one large block of stone, and to break my nose against another,
which, dissolving the enchantment, brought me to my senses again. It was
quite late when I returned to Luxor, to the hut of an Arab, who ceded to
me part of his chamber, and a mat, which afforded me an excellent bed.
The change from those ruins to the Arab’s hut was not less than that
from the elevated ideas the sight of them inspired in me, to the thought
of procuring my supper, if I could.
By this time the two agents of Mr. Drouetti had arrived. They
immediately set to work to take out the lower sphinxes, which the Doctor
had discovered, and commenced their labours on a very extensive scale.
The Bey had left his orders with the Caimakan and the Sheiks, and now
scarcely a Fellah could be gotten for us. Mr. D.’s agents had employed
them all, and my remonstrances were to little purpose. From the moment
these personages came to Thebes, I had a continual series of
disagreeable circumstances to encounter, which I could not describe,
were I to attempt it. Suffice it to say, that the Bey, who had the
command of the whole country, made it a particular point, I have no
doubt, to thwart our views; and consequently took care to express his
wishes, as to each party, to the Cacheffs and Caimakans, who could not
avoid obeying their superior. The petty advantage taken on this occasion
soon showed me the characters of the persons I had to deal with. I do
not mean the first two agents alone, who had arrived in Thebes, but
those who had given them instructions, and others who were sent after
them, consisting of European renegadoes, desperadoes, exiles, &c. People
of this sort, under no restraint in any thing they do, were sent to
obstruct my proceedings; and met with every encouragement from the Bey,
and of course from his subalterns.
The first two agents, as I have said, begun their researches
extensively; and, as I could get but a few men to employ on the east
side of the Nile, I determined to try what could be done on the west, as
I had the good will of the Cacheffs there; but unfortunately the boat
with Mr. Beechey had not arrived, and I could not proceed for want of
money, having, from prudence, as I came by land, taken but little with
me. Accordingly, I left my interpreter, with instructions how to act
with the few men I had engaged, and set off in a small boat to meet him.
In twenty-four hours I arrived at Gheneh, as the wind happened to be in
my favour, and had the good fortune to find him at that place.
It took us three days to reach Thebes, when we moored our bark at Luxor,
and I recommenced my operations with what Fellahs I could obtain. The
work at Gournou was continued also; and I must confess occupied a
greater share of my attention than that at Carnak. Could it but be
accurately known, with what a wretched set of people in these tribes
travellers have to deal, their mean and rapacious dispositions, and the
various occurrences that render the collection of antiquities difficult,
whatever came from thence would be the more prized, from the
consideration of these circumstances.
The people of Gournou are superior to any other Arabs in cunning and
deceit, and the most independent of any in Egypt. They boast of being
the last that the French had been able to subdue, and when subdued, they
compelled them to pay the men whatever was asked for their labour; a
fact which is corroborated by Baron Denon himself. They never would
submit to any one, either the Mamelukes or the Bashaw. They have
undergone the most severe punishments, and been hunted like wild beasts,
by every successive government of Egypt. Their situations and
hiding-places were almost impregnable. Gournou is a tract of rocks,
about two miles in length, at the foot of the Libyan mountains, on the
west of Thebes, and was the burial-place of the great city of a hundred
gates. Every part of these rocks is cut out by art, in the form of large
and small chambers, each of which has its separate entrance; and, though
they are very close to each other, it is seldom that there is any
interior communication from one to another. I can truly say, it is
impossible to give any description sufficient to convey the smallest
idea of those subterranean abodes, and their inhabitants. There are no
sepulchres in any part of the world like them; there are no excavations,
or mines, that can be compared to these truly astonishing places; and no
exact description can be given of their interior, owing to the
difficulty of visiting these recesses. The inconveniency of entering
into them is such, that it is not every one who can support the
exertion.
A traveller is generally satisfied when he has seen the large hall, the
gallery, the staircase, and as far as he can conveniently go: besides,
he is taken up with the strange works he observes cut in various places,
and painted on each side of the walls; so that when he comes to a narrow
and difficult passage, or to have to descend to the bottom of a well or
cavity, he declines taking such trouble, naturally supposing that he
cannot see in these abysses any thing so magnificent as what he sees
above, and consequently deeming it useless to proceed any farther. Of
some of these tombs many persons could not withstand the suffocating
air, which often causes fainting. A vast quantity of dust rises, so fine
that it enters into the throat and nostrils, and chokes the nose and
mouth to such a degree, that it requires great power of lungs to resist
it and the strong effluvia of the mummies. This is not all; the entry or
passage where the bodies are is roughly cut in the rocks, and the
falling of the sand from the upper part or ceiling of the passage causes
it to be nearly filled up. In some places there is not more than a
vacancy of a foot left, which you must contrive to pass through in a
creeping posture like a snail, on pointed and keen stones, that cut like
glass. After getting through these passages, some of them two or three
hundred yards long, you generally find a more commodious place, perhaps
high enough to sit. But what a place of rest! surrounded by bodies, by
heaps of mummies in all directions; which, previous to my being
accustomed to the sight, impressed me with horror. The blackness of the
wall, the faint light given by the candles or torches for want of air,
the different objects that surrounded me, seeming to converse with each
other, and the Arabs with the candles or torches in their hands, naked
and covered with dust, themselves resembling living mummies, absolutely
formed a scene that cannot be described. In such a situation I found
myself several times, and often returned exhausted and fainting; till at
last I became inured to it, and indifferent to what I suffered, except
from the dust, which never failed to choke my throat and nose; and
though, fortunately, I am destitute of the sense of smelling, I could
taste that the mummies were rather unpleasant to swallow. After the
exertion of entering into such a place, through a passage of fifty, a
hundred, three hundred, or perhaps six hundred yards, nearly overcome, I
sought a resting-place, found one, and contrived to sit; but when my
weight bore on the body of an Egyptian, it crushed it like a band-box. I
naturally had recourse to my hands to sustain my weight, but they found
no better support; so that I sunk altogether among the broken mummies,
with a crash of bones, rags, and wooden cases, which raised such a dust
as kept me motionless for a quarter of an hour, waiting till it subsided
again. I could not remove from the place, however, without increasing
it, and every step I took I crushed a mummy in some part or other. Once
I was conducted from such a place to another resembling it, through a
passage of about twenty feet in length, and no wider than that a body
could be forced through. It was choked with mummies, and I could not
pass without putting my face in contact with that of some decayed
Egyptian; but as the passage inclined downwards, my own weight helped me
on: however, I could not avoid being covered with bones, legs, arms, and
heads rolling from above. Thus I proceeded from one cave to another, all
full of mummies piled up in various ways, some standing, some lying, and
some on their heads. The purpose of my researches was to rob the
Egyptians of their papyri; of which I found a few hidden in their
breasts, under their arms, in the space above the knees, or on the legs,
and covered by the numerous folds of cloth, that envelop the mummy. The
people of Gournou, who make a trade of antiquities of this sort, are
very jealous of strangers, and keep them as secret as possible,
deceiving travellers by pretending, that they have arrived at the end of
the pits, when they are scarcely at the entrance. I could never prevail
on them to conduct me into these places till this my second voyage, when
I succeeded in obtaining admission into any cave where mummies were to
be seen.
My permanent residence in Thebes was the cause of my success. The Arabs
saw that I paid particular attention to the situation of the entrance
into the tombs, and that they could not avoid being seen by me when they
were at work digging in search of a new tomb, though they are very
cautious when any stranger is in Gournou not to let it be known where
they go to open the earth; and as travellers generally remain in that
place a few days only, they used to leave off digging during that time.
If any traveller be curious enough to ask to examine the interior of a
tomb, they are ready to show him one immediately, and conduct him to
some of the old tombs, where he sees nothing but the grottoes in which
mummies formerly had been deposited, or where there are but few, and
these already plundered; so that he can form but a poor idea of the real
tombs, where the remains were originally placed.
The people of Gournou live in the entrance of such caves as have already
been opened, and, by making partitions with earthen walls, they form
habitations for themselves, as well as for their cows, camels,
buffaloes, sheep, goats, dogs, &c. I do not know whether it is because
they are so few in number, that the government takes so little notice of
what they do; but it is certain, that they are the most unruly people in
Egypt. At various times many of them have been destroyed, so that they
are reduced from three thousand, the number they formerly reckoned, to
three hundred, which form the population of the present day. They have
no mosque, nor do they care for one; for though they have at their
disposal a great quantity of all sorts of bricks, which abound in every
part of Gournou, from the surrounding tombs, they have never built a
single house. They are forced to cultivate a small tract of land,
extending from the rocks to the Nile, about a mile in breadth, and two
and a half in length; and even this is in part neglected; for if left to
their own will, they would never take a spade in their hands, except
when they go to dig for mummies; which they find to be a more profitable
employment than agriculture. This is the fault of travellers, who are so
pleased the moment they are presented with any piece of antiquity, that,
without thinking of the injury resulting from the example to their
successors, they give a great deal more than the people really expect.
Hence it has arisen, that they now set such an enormous price on
antiquities, and in particular on papyri. Some of them have accumulated
a considerable sum of money, and are become so indifferent, that they
remain idle, unless whatever price they demand be given them; and it is
to be observed, that it is a fixed point in their minds, that the Franks
would not be so liberal, unless the articles were worth ten times as
much as they pay for them.
The Fellahs of Gournou who dig for antiquities are sometimes divided
into parties, and have their chiefs over each; so that what is found by
any of the party is sold, and the money divided among them all. They are
apparently very true to each other, and particularly in cheating
strangers; but when they can find a good opportunity, they do not
scruple to cheat each other also. One day when I had to purchase some
antiquities according to appointment, and was going to the tomb of one
of these companies, my guide told me by the way, that he had some papyri
to sell, which he had himself found, previous to his entering into
partnership with his associates; and it was agreed, that I was to repair
to his house alone to see them. However, I took Mr. Beechey with me, and
we had great difficulty to prevent those by whom we were observed from
following us; as it is the common custom among these people to enter
each other’s houses as they please, and see and hear all that passes. In
spite of all his caution, they suspected that the old man had a
considerable hoard of papyri, and were persuaded that he wished them not
to know the large sum he was to receive for them. Accordingly they did
not fail to watch our coming out, so that they might see what we
purchased; and when they saw we had nothing, they were all surprised and
disappointed. One of the chiefs, who was a favourite with the English,
approached the interpreter, to know what had passed; and when he heard
that nothing had passed but words, he said, the old man dared not sell
any papyri without the consent of the company, and that all they had to
sell, and all he had, must be brought to us conjointly. They had no idea
how this veteran had deceived them; for other articles of consequence
are so very seldom found, that they did not suspect his having any thing
but papyri to dispose of. Age and experience, however, had naturally
rendered him a greater adept in the art of deceit. When Mr. Beechey,
myself, and the interpreter, entered his cave, his wife walked out to
watch if any one approached. The donkeymen, who brought us, were at some
distance from the cave, and not a single being was near us. His dwelling
was a grotto cut in the rock like the rest, and black as any chimney. He
made us sit down on a straw mat, which is a luxurious thing in Gournou,
and after a little ceremony, put into my hands a brazen vessel, one of
the finest and most perfect pieces of Egyptian antiquity I have ever
seen of the kind. It was covered with engraved hieroglyphics, very
finely executed. It was about eighteen inches high and ten in diameter.
The composition is extremely fine, and it sounds not unlike the
Corinthian brass. I was most agreeably surprised, and could scarcely
believe that I had such a treasure in my hands. I conceive it to be a
sacred vessel used by the Egyptians. It has a handle something like our
common baskets. We were examining it with astonishment, when the old man
took it from our hands, and presented us with another exactly similar to
it. The sight of a pair of antiques like these, their admirable
preservation, and the opportunity we had of purchasing them, delighted
us so much, that the bargain with the old man was made in a few words.
The great difficulty was to take them to our boat, which the old man
promised to do in the night, after all were asleep. We returned to Luxor
in high glee, from the expectation of having in our possession two of
the finest articles of metallic composition, that ever were to be found
in Egypt. At night the old man did not come, which made me uneasy; but
he came in the morning, and said, that he could not bring the vases with
him, as his companions were watching, but that he would not fail to
bring them at night; meanwhile he should be glad, he added, to receive
the money and the present we had promised; and we paid him without
hesitation, that he might not retract his bargain. At night, however, no
old man came; nor the next day did he make his appearance. I thought it
necessary therefore to go to his habitation. I found him at home, and he
said, as before, he would not fail to come to us at night. Night,
however, again arrived without him; but early the next morning he
brought the vessels to our boat. Some time after, one of his companions
inquired of me what the old man had received for his antiques. We
wondered how he came to know any thing of the matter; when he informed
us, the vessels belonged to the company, and the pretence of secrecy was
a scheme of the old man to extract from us the present of a turbouse[4],
in which he had succeeded.
Footnote 4:
A red cap, or bonnet.