f funeral hymns, and above, on the terrace, away from
the world of the living, and with no other witnesses than the stars of
heaven, the faithful celebrated mysteriously the rites of the divine
death and embalming. The "vassals of Osiris" flocked in crowds to these
festivals, and took a delight in visiting, at least once during their
lifetime, the city whither their souls would proceed after death, in
order to present themselves at the "Mouth of the Cleft," there to embark
in the "bari" of their divine master or in that of the Sun. They
left behind them, "under the staircase of the great god," a sort of
fictitious tomb, near the representation of the tomb of Osiris, in the
shape of a stele, which immortalized the memory of their piety, and
which served as a kind of hostelry for their soul, when the latter
should, in course of time, repair to this rallying-place of all
Osirian souls. The concourse of pilgrims was a source of wealth to
the population, the priestly coffers were filled, and every year the
original temple was felt to be more and more inadequate to meet the
requirements of worship. Usirtasen I. desired to come to the rescue:
he despatched Monthotpu, one of his great vassals, to superintend the
works. The ground-plan of the portico of white limestone which preceded
the entrance court may still be distinguished; this portico was
supported by square pillars, and, standing against the remains of these,
we see the colossi of rose granite, crowned with the Osirian head-dress,
and with their feet planted on the "Nine Bows," the symbol of vanquished
enemies. The best preserved of these figures represents the founder, but
several others are likenesses of those of his successors who interested
themselves in the temple. Monthotpu dug a well which was kept fully
supplied by the infiltrations from the Nile. He enlarged and cleaned
out the sacred lake upon which the priests launched the Holy Ark, on the
nights of the great mysteries. The alluvial deposits of fifty centuries
have not as yet wholly filled it up: it is still an irregularly shaped
pond, which dries up in winter, but is again filled as soon as the
inundation reaches the village of El-Kharbeh.

[Illustration: 384.jpg USIRTASEN I. OF ABYDOS]

Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a photograph by M. de Banville.

A few stones, corroded with saltpetre, mark here and there the lines
of the landing stages, a thick grove of palms fringes its northern and
southern banks,