but to the west the prospect is open, and extends as
far as the entrance to the gorge, through which the souls set forth in
search of Paradise and the solar bark. Buffaloes now come to drink and
wallow at midday where once floated the gilded "bari" of Osiris, and the
murmur of bees from the neighbouring orchards alone breaks the silence
of the spot which of old resounded with the rhythmical lamentations of
the pilgrims.

Heracleopolis the Great, the town preferred by the earlier Theban
Pharaohs as their residence in times of peace, must have been one of
those which they proceeded to decorate _con amore_ with magnificent
monuments.

[Illustration: 385.jpg A PART OF THE ANCIENT SACRED LAKE OF OSIRIS NEAR
THE TEMPLE OF ABYDOS]

Drawn by Boudier, from a photograph by Emil Brugsch-Bey,
taken in 1884.

Unfortunately it has suffered more than any of the rest, and nothing
of it is now to be seen but a few wretched remains of buildings of the
Roman period, and the ruins of a barbaric colonnade on the site of a
Byzantine basilica almost contemporary with the Arab conquest. Perhaps
the enormous mounds which cover its site may still conceal the remains
of its ancient temples. We can merely estimate their magnificence by
casual allusions to them in the inscriptions.

[Illustration: 368.jpg THE SITE OF THE ANCIENT HERACLEOPOLIS]

Drawn by Boudier, from a photograph by Golenischeff

We know, for instance, that Usirtasen III. rebuilt the sanctuary of
Harshafitu, and that he sent expeditions to the Wady Hammamat to quarry
blocks of granite worthy of his god: but the work of this king and his
successors has perished in the total ruin of the ancient town. Something
at least has remained of what they did in that traditional dependency
of Heracleopolis, the Fayum: the temple which they rebuilt to the god
Sobku in Shodit retained its celebrity down to the time of the Caesars,
not so much, perhaps, on account of the beauty of its architecture as
for the unique character of the religious rites which took place there
daily. The sacred lake contained a family of tame crocodiles, the
image and incarnation of the god, whom the faithful fed with their
offerings--cakes, fried fish, and drinks sweetened with honey. Advantage
was taken of the moment when one of these creatures, wallowing on the
bank, basked contentedly in the sun: two priests opened his jaws, and a
third threw in the cakes, the fried morsels, and finally the li