uins which are left only serve to show how great
has been the decay.

Thus, "the fashion, of this world passeth away, and the glory of man is
as the flower of the grass; but the word of the Lord endureth for ever."
The throne of our great and glorious God is in heaven; in that holy
temple his faithful servants shall worship him through endless ages. It
knows no decay and no change.

[Illustration: EGYPTIAN TEMPLE.]

After passing through several places of interest without stopping,
because our time is getting short, we anchored last night at El Kab, and
this morning started to see the tombs. They are about twenty minutes'
ride from the spot where our boat is moored. In the larger grotto we saw
curious coloured pictures of the occupations of the ancient Egyptians.
In the first line the peasants are ploughing and sowing. There is a car
in the field, which is supposed to show that the master has come out to
overlook his workpeople.

There is an inscription in hieroglyphics which was translated by
Champollion thus:

"Work, oxen, work,
Bushels for you and bushels for your master."

In the second line, the peasants are reaping wheat and barley with a
sickle, and pulling the doora, a kind of corn, up by its roots.

In the third line they are carrying the crops, and oxen are also
treading out the ears of the wheat and barley. The doora was not trodden
out. It is represented as being bound in sheaves and carried to the
threshing-floor, where the grain was stripped from the stalks with a
pronged instrument.

The hieroglyphics are thus translated by Birch in his _Egyptian
Hieroglyphics_:

"Thrash ye for yourselves,
Thrash ye for yourselves, O oxen;
Thrash ye for yourselves,
Thrash ye for yourselves,
The straw which is yours,
The corn which is your master's."

There are also pictures of winnowing, measuring, and homing the grain.

Below are the asses, pigs, goats, cattle, belonging to the owner of the
tomb. They are brought to be numbered and a list made of them by his
scribes.

In another part there are other scenes. There is a boat with a chariot
on board. There are also men fishing, catching geese, and salting fish
and geese. There is also a party of guests.

Then in the last compartment is the funeral procession of the owner of
the tomb--the end of all things for him. This, with some religious
subjects, take up the remainder of the wall. We n