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MR. W. G. BROWNE TO MR. PINKERTON.

Cairo, July 28th, 1792.

I should not have been easily induced to suspend my communications to you, but by the hope that a little delay would enable me to say something, not only of what I have done, but of what I may be able to do. But this is a species of gratification not at present allowed to travellers in Africa, who, if they find not obstacles sufficient to defeat their purposes, always meet with enough to procrastinate the execution of them.

Not long after my arrival at Alexandria, I determined to commence a journey from that place to the westward, for the purpose of ascertaining the site of the temple of Jupiter.* Perhaps you will not agree with me in thinking that the account we have of it in three or four of the ancient writers, is sufficiently clear and precise to afford to such an attempt much prospect of success. I, however, saw the matter as I wished to find it, in a favorable light; and, accordingly, after some delay from frivolous causes, but which not being in one's own power are to be yielded to with patience, I was enabled to execute my design. I proceeded along the coast for the space of near nine

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* Mr. Browne's account of this journey occupies from p. to 29 of his Travels. He was the first among the moderns who discovered the situation of this famous temple. Six years afterwards, Horneman detected the Fons Solis mentioned by Herodotus and Quintus Curtius.

days, at the end of which time I conceive myself to have been about twenty-five miles east of AlBareton, the ancient Parætonium, to which I need not tell you Alexander led his army. From thence in a direction for some time south, and then south-west, five days more brought me to the small republic called Siwa. At this place I expected to gain intelligence of the ruins, if any remained, of the temple; but in vain nothing of the kind was known to the inhabitants; and, though I directed my inquiries to persons who pretended to be acquainted with the country to a great distance, nothing which they said contributed to raise my hopes. Determined, however, not to relinquish, if it were possible to prosecute, what had been begun, I proposed to take one of the Siwese with me, and explore the country in the proper direction. But this was positively refused me by the people, who, having originally received me as a Christian with every mark of aversion, and threatened to force me to turn Mahometan or go back to Alexandria immediately, at this proposal flamed with the most furious resentment. At length, after having waited six or seven days, partly by the suaviter in modo, partly by the fortiter in re, partly by presents, partly by patience, I was enabled to effect my purpose; and, taking with me two of the inhabitants and the camels I had brought from Alexandria, advanced to the west. During this time I was constantly in latitude a little above 29°. On the sixth at noon, I found the latitude as nearly as it could be fixed 28°. 40′′. Here I was obliged

by various causes, and indeed thought it reasonable, to relinquish the pursuit; as there could be but small prospect of finding any thing more to the west. From hence I went north to the plain of Gegabib, famous for its dates; not far from which I found a salt lake with a small island in the middle of it, on which are some remains of rude buildings. Hence again due south, crossing my first route and advancing eastward by one a little more south, with a view to the temple, in twenty-two days more I arrived at Alexandria. To the west of Siwa, the country I passed through consisted only of broken lofty rocks of sand-stone with intervals of soft and drifted sand; nor could the Arabs inform me of any other appearance for the space of many days' journey.

At Siwa (whose latitude I found to be 29. 12. north, and longitude 44. 54. east, or nearly so) soon after my arrival I was told there existed some ruins at about a mile distance. You will judge that I was anxious to see them; and, having vanquished the prejudices of one of the people by bribery, I was at length led to a ruin which has formerly constituted rather a magnificent apartment: whether a temple or otherwise I shall not affirm, though some circumstances lead me to conjecture that it has been dedicated to that use. Three of the four walls are standing from the roof, which has originally consisted of six large stones: only one is displaced. It has now thirty-two feet of length, about, eighteen of height, and fifteen of breadth. Sculpture is found both internally and externally. The external is greatly defaced; but

of that withinside enough remains to discern three rows of figures, one over the other. Many of the figures are similar to those which form the Egyptian sculptures, Isis, Anubis, &c. I think I could discern two figures with the head of a ram; but I will not positively affirm, as they were both much injured. The same cause which creates this diffidence, operated to prevent my taking an exact view on the spot. I took two from memory immediately afterwards, which there is reason to believe are accurate; but the sculpture it was impossible to design in so short a time as was allowed me to remain there. The same cause prevented me from exploring the neighborhood; so that I was compelled to trust to the report of my guide, who assured me that there were no more ruins to be seen. I think the contrary probable; but none certainly appear near the building. The species of stone used, almost exactly resembles that employed on the outside of the pyramids. The only ancient building, exclusively of this, which I was able to discern in the neighborhood of Siwa, was a small Doric temple nearly six miles north-west of it. There has been no inscription, or it is obliterated; but the proportions are those of the best age of architecture, though the materials are ordinary. It was not till I had searched and inquired in vain for ruins to the west of Siwa, that I began to suspect the celebrated Oasis which contained the temple might be no other than the little territory of Siwa itself.

The corresponding circumstances are strongly

in favor of this conjecture; and there are but two that strike me as diminishing their force. The one is, that it is situated rather less to the southwest than geographers have supposed: the other, that more ruins are not to be found. If, however, it be certain that the ancients knew only two places by the name of Oasis (the greater and the less), I think the matter may be considered as nearly decided; since Elwah was one of them, and is a place still well known. The corresponding circumstances are, that the dominions of Siwa form an island in the midst of the desert of about six miles in length and four or five in breadth; that this island is very fertile, producing a number of fruit-trees; among which, exclusive of the datetrees, whose product is the staple commodity of the Siwese, are found the olive, the apricot, the pomegranate, and the fig. Corn grows well, wherever sown; and good water is found rising in several places, though there are also springs of salt. One of the first mentioned springs, which is tepid, rises near the small building that I have described; and it is currently reported of it by the inhabitants, that it is sometimes warm and sometimes cold, an observation exactly corresponding with the narratives relating to the temple, but which I attained the knowledge of previously to making any inquiry after a spring. There are two hills, or more properly rocks, close to Siwa, which are full of catacombs, cut without much regularity, but sufficiently spacious: in them are found no mummies, but a large number of bones, which have evidently undergone the opera

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