was much higher up than at present. To satisfy ourselves on this head, little more is necessary than to refer to the ancient accounts of the situation of the apex of the Delta. This is, indeed, a fact that ought to be impressed on the mind of the reader; as without this conviction, he may not readily give credit to the reports of other changes that have taken place. This is a point, therefore, on which we mean to enlarge; but as, besides the notices concerning its position, in respect of the cities of Heliopolis and Cercasora, which stood very near it, its distance from Memphis is also given. So that it becomes necessary to ascertain the position of this latter, as a point of outset in the course of which inquiry, several very curious circumstances will arise, respecting the ancient course of the Nile, in that quarter; which will be perfectly illustrative of our subject, at large.

Position of MEMPHIS 3.

Herodotus, speaking of the inundations of the Nile, says, Euterpe, 97, as long as the flood continues, vessels do not confine themselves to the channel of the river, but traverse the fields and plains. They who go from Naucratis to Memphis, pass by the Pyramids this, however, is not the usual course, which lies through the point of the Delta, and the

* The reader is referred to Map, No. VIII. for the explanation of this part.

city of Cercasorus." Pliny also says, lib. xxxvi. 12. "The Pyramids are situated between Memphis and the Delta." Consequently, by both of these authorities, Memphis was situated above, that is, to the southward of the Pyramids.

The Antonine Itinerary gives 24 MP. between Heliopolis and Memphis, of which 12 are taken up between Heliopolis and Babylon. See pages 215, 223, vol. i. The former of these places is universally allowed by travellers to have been at Matarea, where, amongst other remains, an obelisk is yet standing and the latter is presumed to have been at Fostat, or old Cairo, where the canal attributed to Trajan, led out of the Nile, according to the authority of Ptolemy, and where a canal still exists. These places are distant from each other about 81 G. miles in direct distance; answering to 12 MP. allowing the windings of the road *.

Besides the remains at Matarea, which are by no means equivocal, in respect of the fact which they indicate, there are other circumstances, which must be allowed in proof of the position. The fountain at Matarea is named Ain Schams, or the Fountain of the Sun. A modern town, situated so near to the site of the remains at Matarea, as that the skirts of the two are within a mile and half of each other, is named Keliub; which is no doubt the same name with Heliopolis, a little changed. The province is also named Keliubie; and answers to the ancient prefecturate of Heliopolis; bounded by the Nile, and its Pelusiac branch, on the west and north.

The mound of Heliopolis, according to Dr. Pococke, is about a mile in length by half that breadth. The obelisk, now standing, occupies nearly the centre of it.

Good water is obtained by digging to the depth of a few feet

The site of Memphis, then, ought to be 81 G. miles from Fostat; or 17 from Heliopolis, through Fostat: consequently, its general position is on all hands admitted to be to the south of the Pyramids ; since these are no more than three or four such miles

to the south of the parallel of Fostat. And, following the authorities of Strabo and of Pliny, in addition to that of the Itinerary, the particular position may be ascertained. Here it is necessary to remark, that, as Memphis is said to have been a city of 150 stadia, or at least 14 English miles, in circumference; and that, it may probably have extended along the bank of the Nile, four or five miles, and inland from it, two, or more; it may be somewhat difficult to apply the distances given. It is, however, most probable that the measures in the Roman Itinerary, apply to the centre of Memphis; as it appears to have been the practice of the Romans to reckon the Milliaria from the centre of Rome. And again, the measures of Pliny and of Strabo are likely to have been from the extremity of the city, towards the Pyramids; when they spoke of the space between the Pyramids and Memphis. Ptolemy, perhaps, reckoned his latitude and longitude from the

centre.

at Matarea, and in the country between it and the foot of the hills; but towards the river they go deeper to find the springs. (Pococke, Vol. i. p. 24.) It is by no means usual to find good water by digging in Lower Egypt. It may be observed, that Heliopolis is not far from the visible base of the hills, and which, it may be supposed, extends much nearer, although covered with alluvion.

:

Pliny says, that the Pyramids were six MP. from Memphis Strabo, 40 stadia: and as his stades are of 700 to a degree, the mean of the two accounts will be about 41 G. miles and if to these be added 14 more to the centre of the city, we have an aggregate of 5 miles; which will intersect the line of distance from Fostat and Heliopolis, at a point somewhat less than three miles to the NNE of Sakkara; two from the present western bank of the Nile; and in a SE direction from the Pyramids 6.

The accompanying Map has been constructed chiefly on the authorities found in Niebuhr and Pococke; but with some additions from Norden, Bruce, and Savary; and is extended on a distinct scale, from the head of the Delta, to a point far above the site of

5 Pliny, lib. xxxvi. c. 12: and Strabo, pages 807, 808.

The Pyramids, denominated from Giza, are always intended by the Pyramids, and Herodotus describes no others. There are pyramids at intervals along the edge of the rising ground, or sand hills, that skirt the western bank of the Nile, all the way from Giza to Meduun, a space of 26 G. miles. Next to the Pyramids of Giza, those of Sakkara are the largest, and also the

most numerous.

M. Niebuhr places the Pyramids of Giza in a direction of W 35 S from Giza: and the distance, according to the mean of the different authorities, is about seven G. miles. Most persons have placed them on a less southerly bearing: but it may be observed in M. Norden's Views, that the north face of the Great Pyramid is seen from Deir Eteen, which is half a league to the S. of old Cairo, or Fostat: consequently this could not be, if the Pyramids, as M. Norden says, lay WSW from Giza; as their sides front the four cardinal points. Probably he omitted to allow the variation, which was 12 degrees westerly, in 1762. (M. Niebuhr.) This allowance would bring it near to W 35 S.