six　in　height；　hewn　out　of　the　living　rock；　of　which
  it　had　formed　part；　and　was　still　attached　to　at　the
  base。　These　tables　were　slightly　hollowed　out　or
  curved　inward；　to　give　room　for　the　knees　of　any　one
  sitting　on　the　stone　ledge　that　had　been　cut　for　a
  bench　along　the　side　of　the　cave　at　a　distance　of
  about　two　feet　from　them。　Each　of　them；　also；　was　so
  arranged　that　it　ended　right　under　a　shaft　pierced　in
  the　rock　for　the　admission　of　light　and　air。　On
  examining　them　carefully；　however；　I　saw　that　there
  was　a　difference　between　them　that　had　at　first
  escaped　my　attention；　viz。；　that　one　of　the　tables；
  that　to　the　left　as　we　entered　the　cave；　had　evidently
  been　used；　not　to　eat　upon；　but　for　the　purposes　of
  embalming。　That　this　was　beyond　all　question　the　case
  was　clear　from　five　shallow　depressions　in　the　stone
  of　the　table；　all　shaped　like　a　human　form；　with　a
  separate　place　for　the　head　to　lie　in；　and　a　little
  bridge　to　support　the　neck；　each　depression　being　of　a
  different　size；　so　as　to　fit　bodies　varying　in　stature
  from　a　full…grown　man's　to　a　small　child's；　and　with
  little　holes　bored　at　intervals　to　carry　off　fluid。
  And；　indeed；　if　any　further　confirmation　were
  required；　we　had　but　to　look　at　the　wall　of　the　cave
  above　to　find　it。　For　there；　sculptured　all　round　the
  apartment；　and　looking　nearly　as　fresh　as　the　day　it
  was　done；　was　the　pictorial　representation　of　the
  death；　embalming；　and　burial　of　an　old　man　with　a　long
  beard；　probably　an　ancient　king　or　grandee　of　this
  country。
  The　first　picture　represented　his　death。　He　was　lying
  upon　a　couch　which　had　four　short　curved　posts　at　the
  corners　coming　to　a　knob　at　the　end；　in　appearance
  something　like　a　written　note　of　music；　and　was
  evidently　in　the　very　act　of　expiring。　Gathered　round
  the　couch　were　women　and　children　weeping；　the　former
  with　their　hair　hanging　down　their　backs。　The　next
  scene　represented　the　embalmment　of　the　body；　which
  lay　nude　upon　a　table　with　depressions　in　it；　similar
  to　the　one　before　us；　probably；　indeed；　it　was　a
  picture　of　the　same　table。　Three　men　were　employed　at
  the　workone　superintending；　one　holding　a　funnel
  shaped　exactly　like　a　port…wine　strainer；　of　which　the
  narrow　end　was　fixed　in　an　incision　in　the　breast；　no
  doubt　in　the　great　pectoral　artery；　while　the　third；
  who　was　depicted　as　standing　straddle　legged　over　the
  corpse；　held　a　kind　of　large　jug　high　in　his　hand；　and
  poured　from　it　some　steaming　fluid　which　fell
  accurately　into　the　funnel。　The　most　curious　part　of
  this　sculpture　is　that　both　the　man　with　the　funnel
  and　the　man　who　poured　the　fluid　are　drawn　holding
  their　noses；　either　I　suppose　because　of　the　stench
  arising　from　the　body；　or　more　probably　to　keep　out
  the　aromatic　fumes　of　the　hot　fluid　which　was　being
  forced　into　the　dead　man's　veins。　Another　curious
  thing　which　I　am　unable　to　explain　is　that　all　three
  men　were　represented　as　having　a　band　of　linen　tied
  round　the　face　with　holes　in　it　for　the　eyes。
  The　third　sculpture　was　a　picture　of　the　burial　of　the
  deceased。　There　he　was；　stiff　and　cold；　clothed　in　a
  linen　robe；　and　laid　out　on　a　stone　slab　such　as　I　had
  slept　upon　at　our　first　sojourning…place。　At　his　head
  and　feet　burned　lamps；　and　by　his　side　were　placed
  several　of　the　beautiful　painted　vases　that　I　have
  described；　which　were　perhaps　supposed　to　be　full　of
  provisions。　The　little　chamber　was　crowded　with
  mourners；　and　with　musicians　playing　on　an　instrument
  resembling　a　lyre；　while　near　the　foot　of　the　corpse
  stood　a　man　with　a　sheet；　with　which　he　was　preparing
  to　cover　it　from　view。
  These　sculptures；　looked　at　merely　as　works　of　art；
  were　so　remarkable　that　I　make　no　apology　for
  describing　them　rather　fully。　They　struck　me　also　as
  being　of　surpassing　interest　as　representing；　probably
  with　studious　accuracy；　the　last　rites　of　the　dead　as
  practised　among　an　utterly　lost　people；　and　even　then
  I　thought　how　envious　some　antiquarian　friends　of　my
  own　at　Cambridge　would　be　if　ever　I　got　an　opportunity
  of　describing　these　wonderful　remains　to　them。
  Probably　they　would　say　that　I　was　exaggerating；
  notwithstanding　that　every　page　of　this　history　must
  bear　so　much　internal　evidence　of　its　truth　that　it
  would　obviously　have　been　quite　impossible　for　me　to
  have　invented　it。
  To　return。　As　soon　as　I　had　hastily　examined　these
  sculptures；　which　I　think　I　omitted　to　mention　were
  executed　in　relief；　we　sat　down　to　a　very　excellent
  meal　of　boiled　goat's…flesh；　fresh　milk；　and　cakes
  made　of　meal；　the　whole　being　served　upon　clean　wooden
  platters。
  When　we　had　eaten　we　returned　to　see　how　poor　Leo　was
  getting　on；　Billali　saying　that　he　must　now　wait　upon
  _i_　She　_i_　；　and　hear　her　commands。　On　reaching　Leo's
  room　we　found　the　poor　boy　in　a　very　bad　way。　He　had
  woke　up　from　his　torpor；　and　was　altogether　off　his
  head；　babbling　about　some　boat…race　on　the　Cam；　and
  was　inclined　to　be　violent。　Indeed；　when　we　entered
  the　room　Ustane　was　holding　him　down。　I　spoke　to　him；
  and　my　voice　seemed　to　soothe　him；　at　any　rate　he　grew
  much　quieter；　and　was　persuaded　to　swallow　a　dose　of
  quinine。
  I　had　been　sitting　with　him　for　an　hour；　perhapsat
  any　rate　I　know　that　it　was　getting　so　dark　that　I
  could　only　just　make　out　his　head　lying　like　a　gleam
  of　gold　upon　the　pillow　we　had　extemporized　out　of　a
  bag　covered　with　a　blanketwhen　suddenly　Billali
  arrived　with　an　air　of　great　importance；　and　informed
  me　that　_i_　She　_i_　herself　had　deigned　to　express　a
  wish　to　see　mean　honor；　he　added；　accorded　to　but
  very　few。　I　think　that　he　was　a　little　horrified　at　my
  cool　way　of　taking　the　honor；　but　the　fact　was　that　I
  did　not　feel　overwhelmed　with　gratitude　at　the
  prospect　of　seeing　some　savage；　dusky　queen；　however
  absolute　and　mysterious　she　might　be；　more　especially
  as　my　mind　was　full　of　dear　Leo；　for　whose　life　I
  began　to　have　great　fears。　However；　I　rose　to　follow
  him；　and　as　I　did　so　I　caught　sight　of　something
  bright　lying　on　the　floor；　which　I　picked　up。　Perhaps
  the　reader　will　remember　that　with　the　potsherd　in　the
  casket　was　a　composition　scarabaeus　marked　with　a
  round　O；　a　goose；　and　another　curious　hieroglyphic；
  the　meaning　of　which　signs　is　〃Suten　se　Ra^；〃　or
  〃Royal　Son　of　the　Sun。〃　This　scarab；　which　is　a　very
  small　one；　Leo　had　insisted　upon　having　set　in　a
  massive　gold　ring；　such　as　is　generally　used　for
  signets；　and　it　was　this　very　ring　that　I　now　picked
  up。　He　had　pulled　it　off　in　the　paroxysm　of　his　fever；
  at　least　I　suppose　so；　and　flung　it　down　upon　the
  rock…floor。　Thinking　that　if　I　left　it　about　it　might
  get　lost；　I　slipped　it　on　to　my　own　little　finger；　and
  then　followed　Billali；　leaving　Job　and　Ustane　with
  Leo。
  We　passed　down　the　passage；　crossed　the　great　aisle…
  like　cave；　and　came　to　the　corresponding　passage　on
  the　other　side；　at　the　mouth　of　which　the　guards　stood
  like　two　statues。　As　we　came　they　bowed　their　heads　in
  salutation；　and　then　lifting　their　long　spears　placed
  them　transversely　across　their　foreheads；　as　the
  leaders　of　the　troop　that　had　met　us　had　done　with。
  their　ivory　wands。　We　stepped　between　them；　and　found
  ourselves　in　an　exactly　similar　gallery　to　that　which
  led　to　our　own　apartments；　only　this　passage　was；
  comparatively　speaking；　brilliantly　lighted。　A　few
  paces　down　it　we　were　met　by　four　mutestwo　men　and
  two　womenwho　bowed　low　and　then　arranged　themselves；
  the　women　in　front　and　the　men　behind　us；　and　in　this
  order　we　continued　our　procession　past　several
  doorways　hung　with　curtains　resembling　those　leading
  to　our　own　quarters；　and　which　I　afterwards　found
  opened　out　into　chambers　occupied　by　the　mutes　who
  attended　on　_i_　She　_i_　。　A　few　paces　more　and　we　came
  to　another　doorway　facing　us；　and　not　to　our　left　like
  the　others；　which　seemed　to　mark　the　termination　of
  the　passage。　Here　two　more　white；　or　rather　yellow；
  robed　guards　were　standing；　and　they　too　bowed；
  saluted；　and　let　us　pass　through　heavy　curtains　into　a
  great　ante…chamber；　quite　forty　feet　long　by　as　many
  wide；　in　which　some　eight　or　ten　women；　most　of　them
  young　and　handsome；　with　yellowish　hair；　sat　on
  cushions　working　with　ivory　needles　at　what　had　the
  appearance　of　being　embroidery…frames。　These　women
  were　also　deaf　and　dumb。　At　the　farther　end　of　this
  great　lamp　lit　apartment　was　another　doorway　closed　in
  with　heavy　Oriental…looking　curtains；　quite　unlike
  those　that　hung　before　the　doors　of　our　own　rooms；　and
  here　stood　two　particularly　handsome　girl　mutes；　their
  heads　bowed　upon　their　bosoms　and　their　hands　crossed
  in　an　attitude　of　the　humblest　submission。　As　we
  advanced　they　each　stretched　out　an　arm　and　drew　back
  the　curtains。　Thereupon　Billali　did　a　curious　thing。
  Down　he　went；　that　venerable…looking　old　gentleman
  for　Billali　is　a　gentleman　at　the　bottomdown　on　to
  his　hands　and　knees；　and　in　this　undignified　position；
  with　his　long　white　beard　trailing　on　the　ground；　he
  began　to　creep　into　the　apartment　beyond。　I　followed
  him；　standing　on　my　feet　in　the　usual　fashion。　Looking
  over