GRAND HARP.
We saw, too, the famous colossal statues; they are made of a hard stone, marked with black and red oxide of iron. The northern statue is called Salamet by the Arabs. It is the celebrated statue of Memnon, which was said to utter a sound of melody every morning at sunrise, and a mournful sound at sunset. The sides of the throne are ornamented with figures; they represent the god Nilus winding up a pedestal, over which is the name of the king who made them. The statues of his wife and mother are attached to the throne. We then went to the Temple of Medeénet Háboo. The early Christians had a settlement here, and they used one of the deserted courts of the great temple for a church, hiding the idolatrous sculptures with a coat of mud. But a time of persecution came. The colony was invaded by Arabs, the Christians fled to the neighbourhood of Esneh, and the village of Medeénet Háboo fell into ruins.
We passed the palace of Rameses the Third, and went into the temple. Two fine pillars ornament the doorway which leads from the court into a corridor before the second doorway. Over this doorway there is a beautiful winged globe and serpent, the colouring of which still remains.
This doorway leads into another corridor and afterwards into a small court. We looked at this court with great interest, because Mr. Roper told us that it was built by Tirhakeh, whose battles with Sennacherib we read of in the Bible.
On the outside wall of the temple, King Rameses is represented in his chariot, attended by fan-bearers and lions, and advancing with his army. His enemies are defeated, and heaps of tongues are among the tokens of his victory.
In another part, the king, while pursuing his enemy, is attacked by lions. He kills two with his arrows, and is on the point of killing another with his spear.