le the Serapeum is a triumph of engineering, the neighbouring tomb
of Thi is of rare beauty, for though its design is simple, the walls,
which are of fine limestone, are covered by panels enclosing carvings
in low relief, representing every kind of agricultural pursuits, as
well as fishing and hunting scenes. The carving is exquisitely
wrought, while the various animals depicted--wild fowl, buffaloes,
antelopes, or geese--are perfect in drawing and true in action.

Close to Sakkara are the dense palm-groves of Bedrashen, which
surround and cover the site of ancient Memphis. At one time the most
important of Egypt's capitals, Memphis has almost completely
disappeared into the soft and yielding earth, and little trace of the
former city now remains beyond a few stones and the colossal statue of
Rameses II., one of the oppressors of Israel, which now lies prostrate
and broken on the ground.

Though there have been many ancient cities in the Delta, little of
them now remains to be seen, for the land is constantly under
irrigation, and in course of time most of their heavy stone buildings
have sunk into the soft ground and become completely covered by
deposits of mud. So, as at Memphis, all that now remains of ancient
Heliopolis, or On, is one granite obelisk, standing alone in the
fields; while at other places, such as Tamai or Bete-el-Haga near
Mansurah, practically nothing now remains above ground.

In Upper Egypt, where arable land was scarce and the desert close at
hand, the temples have generally been built on firmer foundations, and
many are still in a very perfect state of preservation, though the
majority were ruined by the great earthquake of 27 B.C.

The first temple visited on the Nile trip is Dendereh, in itself
perhaps not of the greatest historical value, as it is only about
2,000 years of age, which for Egypt is quite modern; but it has two
points of interest for all. First, its association with Cleopatra,
who, with her son, is depicted on the sculptured walls; and, secondly,
because it is in such a fine state of preservation that the visitor
receives a very real idea of what an Egyptian temple was like.

First let me describe the general plan of a temple; it is usually
approached by a series of gateways called pylons or pro-pylons, two
lofty towers with overhanging cornices, between which is the gate
itself, and by whose terrace they are connected. Between these
different pylons is generally a pro-naos,