meward journey down the Nile.

Wadee Halfeh, the highest point we reached on our journey up the Nile,
is very picturesque. The houses are built in groups, and most of them
are surrounded by palm-groves. They are of mud, but are generally larger
and cleaner than those of the Egyptian peasants. We went into one. Its
mistress had a double row of plaits round her forehead, oiled to an
extreme degree. The people are generally well dressed and appear
comfortable.

We left Wadee Halfeh at dawn, on our return down the river to Cairo, and
arrived at Aboo Simbel, or Ipsambul as it is sometimes called, in time
to see the temples before dusk. The sand-drifts of hundreds and hundreds
of years had once covered these temples, so much so that nothing could
be seen but the giant head of one statue. Burckhardt was the first
traveller who discovered them. In the year, 1817, Belzoni, in company
with Captain Irby and Captain Mangles, began to clear away the sand.

There are two temples. In the small temple are six giant statues, three
on each side of the door. On the walls are pictures. The temple was
dedicated to the goddess Athor, and her emblem was a sacred cow. Mr.
Roper told us that, in the inscriptions, the goddess is called "Lady of
Aboshek," Aboshek being the ancient name of Aboo Simbel.

The front of the large temple is adorned by four enormous statues. They
are seated on thrones. The heads of two are nearly perfect, and so is
the face of another. We were very much struck by them. On the arms there
is an oval bearing the name of the great Rameses. Over the entrance we
saw a large figure with a hawk's head. Mr. Roper told us that it is a
figure of the god Re. He pointed out to us the figure of Rameses
offering little images of Truth and Justice to the god.

Mohammed had provided torches for us that we might see the inner
chambers of the temple. The walls and ceilings were beautifully
ornamented with hieroglyphic figures.

These temples must have been very grand when in their beauty, for they
are grand even now in their decay. As we walked through them our
thoughts went back to the time when Egypt was in her glory, when princes
worshipped their gods in these gorgeous temples, and when priests clad
in splendid robes offered their sacrifices with all the pomp of grand
processions. All have passed away. The temples of the false gods have
fallen into ruin. The kings, and those who recorded their victories, are
all gone. The giant r