Though all the royal sepulchres have been violated, the French traveller, Jl. 1)enon, found the fragment of a mummy in one, and also an ancient patera. We believe that nothing besides has for ages been discovered here, which spews how carefully the later Egyptians, or more modern Arabs, have ransacked them.
The whole extent of catacombs is covered with hieroglyphics and paintings, generally in fresco, of the most fantastic figures, from which the grotesque of the Romans is supposed to have been derived. But the pre servation of these figures is wonderful, considering how probable it is, that four thousand years may have elapsed since their execution. The paintings were as fresh, to all appearance, as on the day when they were executed, in eight lately visited, except in two places where they were injured by the access of rain. It is said that the Romans endeavoured to remove one of the royal sarco phagi from its site, and levelled the ground below it, to facilitate their undertaking.
'lie other catacombs in the same chain of mountains are usually on tt similar plan, especially those conjectur ed to have been appropriated for the poor. From an opening towards the cast, a passage about 20 feet long proceeds in a straight line, or turns off at an angle, sup ported by pillars or pilasters. At the extremity of this gallery is a pit from 40 to 60 feet deep, communicating with long subterrancous passages, rudely shapen in the rock, which terminate in a chamber about 30 feet square.
The catacombs of the more opulent ranks of the an cient Thebans, or their immediate successors, were low er on the mountain. In proportion as the height of the excavation increases, they arc more richly decorated : the colours of the paintings are brilliant, and the sculp tures elegant and well de lined. Among the innumera ble subjects displayed throughout the catacombs, one chamber is devoted to warlike weapons, another to the implements of husbandry, or a representation of agricul tural operations. All ordinary occupations or amuse ments are exhibited ; hunting, fishing, trafficking, and the like. Yellow figures are executed on a blue ground in the royal catacombs, with as much taste as modern edifices would require. Headless trunks are seen; black men who had suffered decollation, and also their execu tioners holding a sword coloured red. Sometimes reli gious or funereal processions are exhibited, sometimes games or imaginary subjects. The most singular and
apparently absurd figures are displayed. Those of men larger than life, or dwindling to a pigmy size, men with the heads of birds or beasts, or asses raised on their hind legs. it has been conjectured, that the history of each of the ancient Egyptians deposited in the catacombs may be traced on the walls, and that the paintings represent their occupations in life.
Mummies are still found in the Theban catacombs, not in niches, but resting on beds formed entirely of small images of baked earth. They arc swathed up, and lie in regular order on the ground. Almost the whole of these cemeteries have been rifled of their contents, ei ther in search of treasure, or for the sake of obtaining the resin with which the head and belly of the mummies arc filled. Hence the passages are obstructed by heaps of hones and decaying fragments of mortality, and it is rarely that an entire mummy is discovered. Neverthe less there are still some, such as those just mentioned, which until lately were undisturbed ; and on ri gum in« the bands in which they were swathed, some rolls of the ancient papyrus, in good preservation, were found. The nails both of the hands and feet are gilt in many mum mies, and sometimes two rolls are seen, which arc sup posed to contain a certain form or order of prayers lor the deceased.
A mountain in the neighbourhood of the ancient Eile Una, is also penetrated by numerous catacombs, tile en trance to each of which is guarded by two figures armed with clubs, in the sides of an arch which forms the gate way. In one of these recesses arc statues of :nun and women as large as life. But it is chiefly by paintings, as before, that the walls are oframented ; and while the different operations of life are performed, persons are al ways present, apparently recording them in writing. Here are seen men harnessed to draw the plough, bird catching, vessels under sail, and the performance of music. The larger human figures arc about eighteen inches high, the smaller only eight. The men arc paint ed red, and their clothing is a girdle encircling the waist, which falls to the knees : the women are painted yellow, and are attired in a tunic reaching fi om the bosom to the alleles. The children are naked.