103. LETTERS are denoted by a character which seems to represent some of the materials employed in writing ; and which is indeed not extremely unlike an inkstand figured in Caylus's Recueil, and con sisting of two parallel tubes at some distance from each other, with a cover connected by a chain instead of a hinge. Besides the very well marked passage in the Rosetta stone, the character occurs in many ma nuscripts near the representation of a Thoth employ ed in writing; and the enchorial character, corre sponding to it, is also found in the term sacred scribes at the beginning of the inscription.
104. In the numerical tablet of the great French work, believed to have been found at Karnak, a cha racter may be observed which frequently precedes a, numeral, and which resembles a weight with its handle. Hence we may conjecture, with consider able probability, that it represents some weight of un known value.
105. The enchorial character for GOLD is perfect.. ly well determined ; and its resemblance to a little vase under a sort of arch is so strong, that we may safely attribute the same sense to this hieroglyphic, although it appears to be wanting in one or two pas sages of the sacred inscription, of Rosetta, where it ought to be found. In the great ritual, we observe this character immediately preceding a shrine, as if a " golden shrine" were intended; and, in several other places, it is connected with a number, as if it meant pieces of gold ; for instance, in the green sar cophagus, with the number 860. Sometimes, also, it
appears to be used in a metaphorical sense, as a com plimentary epithet of a monarch, or perhaps in allu sion to his riches. Thus, on the black frize of Nun coreus, we have, over the king's figure, the charac ters, " Joy, Life, Stability, Power, Riches, Like the Sun, for ever." Hier. 7 p.
106. Near to the character for gold, in the margin of the great ritual, is a sort of open box, supported on a flagstaff: and a similar box, with a semicircle under it, seems to mean SILVER: at least it consider ably resembles the enchorial character for silver, which is perfectly well ascertained.
107. We find, in several inscriptions, representa tions of objects which are also observable in the ta blets accompanying them, although it is difficult to say for what they are intended. Two of these are copied from the frize of Ficoroni and Montagu, Hier. 9 old, Raki, 7 LMq. The former seems to be a sort of cloak, with a fringe at the bottom; the latter is a little like a pear; but this character does not occur so clearly in the inscription.