VEGETABLE AND ANIMAL INCONVENIENCES.

411

Animal nuisances were furnished in due proportion. With one of them he made an early acquaintance :

·

"I laid down in my clothes, but soon started up, finding myself uneasy. The guide saw me, and called out, O sir, you are covered with carapatos.' I then perceived them, and felt still more their bites. Instantly throwing off part of my clothes, but with the remainder upon me, ran into the water, and there began to take them off. The carapato, or tick, is a small flat insect of a dark brown colour, about the size of four pin-heads placed together; it fastens upon the skin, and will in time eat its way into it. It is dangerous to pull it out quickly, when already fixed; for if the head remains, inflammation is not unfrequently the consequence."

RAPID VEGETATION IN THE BRAZILS.

It was pleasing to observe, in the sudden effect of the rain, the wonderfully sensitive state of a soil in all appearance utterly burnt up :—

"The rapidity of vegetation in Brazil is truly astonishing Rain in the evening upon good soil will by sun-rise have given a greenish tinge to the earth, which is increased, if the rain continues on the second day, to sprouts of grass of an inch in length, and these on the third day are sufficiently long to be picked up by the half-starved cattle."

IGNORANCE AND CREDULITY OF THE SERTANEJOS.

The ignorance of Sertanejos is extreme, few of them possessing even the commonest rudiments of knowledge. Their religion is confined to a few ceremonies, relics, and charms; some of which last are the resource of persons bitten by serpents; and as all serpents are believed by these people to be venomous, while, in fact, many of them are not, there will be plenty of reputed proofs of the efficacy of the charm. There was an amusing instance of fantastic credulity, at a house where the travellers were answered by a man from within the door, but who did not open it, nor in any way venture to look out :

"The guide explained, that the man had been bitten by a snake, and that the bite of this species only became fatal if the man who had received it saw any female animal, and particuarly a woman, for thirty days after the misfortune."

THE MUMMY-PITS OF THEBES.*

The long descent from Essouan to the Mediterranean, was performed by the travellers without many difficulties or adventures, and with an active attention to the stupendous monuments of the labours and superstition of the ancient inhabitants. The aspirants to a personal acquaintance with the darkest solemnity of antiquity, in the sepulchral retirements inhabited now by the forms of those beings that finished their living career several thousands of years since, will be gratified to be assured that many of the remotely interior recesses of the grand excavated cemetery of Thebes, remain yet unprofaned by research. These repositories of the dead are called mummy-pits. The following scene forms a most striking picture :—

"Our curiosity induced us, during our stay here" (it was near Thebes), "to descend into one of the mummy-pits that abound in this neighbourhood; but it would be difficult to convey an adequate idea of the disgusting scene of horror we had to encounter. The entrance was through a very narrow hole, nearly filled up with rubbish, by which we made our way into a small room about fifteen feet long and six wide; beyond, we reached a chamber somewhat larger, and containing two rows of columns. The walls were covered with paintings, and at the farther end stood two full length statues, male and female, dressed in very gay apparel, and having on one side the figures of two boys, and on the other those of two girls.

"The whole of this chamber was strewed with pieces of cloth, legs, arms, and heads of mummies, left in this condition by the Arabs who visit these places for the purpose of rifling the bodies, and carrying off the bituminous substances with which they have been embalmed. From the chamber above described, two passages lead into the interior and lower part of the mountain, and we penetrated about a hundred yards into that which appeared the longest. Slipping and crawling among the various fragments of these mutilated bodies, we were only able to save ourselves from falling by catching hold of the leg, arm, or skull of a mummy, some of which were lying on the ground, but many still standing in the niches where they had been originally placed."

Narrative of a Journey in Egypt and the Country beyond the Cataracts. By Thomas Legh, Esq., M.P. 4to. 1816.

THE MUMMY-PITS OF THEBES.

413

So that our countrymen obtained a sight which had been permitted to none of the French explorers during their occupation of the country,-that of entire mummies, standing in their ancient position.

DANGEROUS ADVENTURE IN THE MUMMY-PITS.

We now transcribe the account of an adventure, which we think is one of the most interesting stories to be found in any book of travels.

A Greek, whom the travellers met at Thebes, informed them that, in pursuit of some predatory Arabs, of the village of Amabdi, not far from Manfalout, he had observed several of them disappear by descending into a mummypit. He and his soldiers went down in search of them, but in vain. At the bottom they observed fragments of mummies of crocodiles scattered about; and the pit appeared to communicate with lateral galleries of unknown extent, where were probably deposited the crocodile mummies from among which these fragments had been rifled. Our author and his companions were determined to see what these caves did actually contain, and with considerable difficulty induced some Arabs of Amabdi to become their guides. The descent was a circular hole, of ten feet diameter, and about eighteen deep. Our author, Mr. Smelt, and an American named Barthow, descended with three Arabs, leaving one at the top with an Abyssinian merchant, and the sailors, who were to take care of the clothes; for the Arabs had recommended them to strip, which they did in part, keeping on their shirts and trowsers, in the latter of which Mr. Legh concealed a brace of pocket pistols, as he by no means liked the manner, and a previous muttering consultation of the Arabs. Each had a torch, and they found their way from the bottom of this hole into a larger chamber, strewed, as the Greek had described, with fragments of crocodile mummies. From this they passed through the windings of a low gallery, and after proceeding for more than an hour, came out into a large apartment, which they recognised as the same from which they had set out. The conductors at first denied this, but, on the travellers persisting, acknowledged that it was, and said they had lost their way; but assured the party of being

THE MUMMY-PITS OF THEBES.*

The long descent from Essouan to the Mediterranean, was performed by the travellers without many difficulties or adventures, and with an active attention to the stupendous monuments of the labours and superstition of the ancient inhabitants. The aspirants to a personal acquaintance with the darkest solemnity of antiquity, in the sepulchral retirements inhabited now by the forms of those beings that finished their living career several thousands of years since, will be gratified to be assured that many of the remotely interior recesses of the grand excavated cemetery of Thebes, remain yet unprofaned by research. These repositories of the dead are called mummy-pits. The following scene forms a most striking picture :—

"Our curiosity induced us, during our stay here" (it was near Thebes), "to descend into one of the mummy-pits that abound in this neighbourhood; but it would be difficult to convey an adequate idea of the disgusting scene of horror we had to encounter. The entrance was through a very narrow hole, nearly filled up with rubbish, by which we made our way into a small room about fifteen feet long and six wide; beyond, we reached a chamber somewhat larger, and containing two rows of columns. The walls were covered with paintings, and at the farther end stood two full length statues, male and female, dressed in very gay apparel, and having on one side the figures of two boys, and on the other those of two girls.

"The whole of this chamber was strewed with pieces of cloth, legs, arms, and heads of mummies, left in this condition by the Arabs who visit these places for the purpose of rifling the bodies, and carrying off the bituminous substances with which they have been embalmed. From the chamber above described, two passages lead into the interior and lower part of the mountain, and we penetrated about a hundred yards into that which appeared the longest. Slipping and crawling among the various fragments of these mutilated bodies, we were only able to save ourselves from falling by catching hold of the leg, arm, or skull of a mummy, some of which were lying on the ground, but many still standing in the niches where they had been originally placed."

Narrative of a Journey in Egypt and the Country beyond the Cataracts. By Thomas Legh, Esq., M.P. 4to. 1816.

THE MUMMY-PITS OF THEBES.

413

So that our countrymen obtained a sight which had been permitted to none of the French explorers during their occupation of the country,-that of entire mummies, standing in their ancient position.

DANGEROUS ADVENTURE IN THE MUMMY-PITS.

We now transcribe the account of an adventure, which we think is one of the most interesting stories to be found in any book of travels.

A Greek, whom the travellers met at Thebes, informed them that, in pursuit of some predatory Arabs, of the village of Amabdi, not far from Manfalout, he had observed several of them disappear by descending into a mummypit. He and his soldiers went down in search of them, but in vain. At the bottom they observed fragments of mummies of crocodiles scattered about; and the pit appeared to communicate with lateral galleries of unknown extent, where were probably deposited the crocodile mummies from among which these fragments had been rifled. Our author and his companions were determined to see what these caves did actually contain, and with considerable difficulty induced some Arabs of Amabdi to become their guides. The descent was a circular hole, of ten feet diameter, and about eighteen deep. Our author, Mr. Smelt, and an American named Barthow, descended with three Arabs, leaving one at the top with an Abyssinian merchant, and the sailors, who were to take care of the clothes; for the Arabs had recommended them to strip, which they did in part, keeping on their shirts and trowsers, in the latter of which Mr. Legh concealed a brace of pocket pistols, as he by no means liked the manner, and a previous muttering consultation of the Arabs. Each had a torch, and they found their way from the bottom of this hole into a larger chamber, strewed, as the Greek had described, with fragments of crocodile mummies. From this they passed through the windings of a low gallery, and after proceeding for more than an hour, came out into a large apartment, which they recognised as the same from which they had set out. The conductors at first denied this, but, on the travellers persisting, acknowledged that it was, and said they had lost their way; but assured the party of being