Some of the bolder spirits at length got into the room, but our guide seizing his stick administered two or three heavy blows, and soon cleared them out. It was wonderful to see how tamely big men will allow themselves to be driven. Truly the stick is a great institution in Egypt, although perhaps none but the ruling class would acquiesce in the inscription found in one of the ancient tombs to the effect that “The stick came down from heaven—a blessing from God.”
Before sitting down to eat, a boy brought water that we might wash our hands. The mode was certainly primitive. We had to hold our hands out of the window while he poured water over them. A noisy crowd of Arabs were sitting under another window, and a barber in the midst was operating upon the head of one of them, and it was really wonderful how cleverly he shaved, making a clean sweep of every lock and every hair. I asked Abaid if the men were under a vow, but he said it was because summer was coming on, and it would be cooler without hair.
After a scene of great confusion in paying the various claimants, during which the Sheik had to make a vigorous use of his long stick, we started to see the Sphinx, which is about 500 yards off. Before leaving, I called the Sheik and gave him two francs, that he might instruct his men to keep the mob from us. This he accepted with great solemnity, and in parting shook hands in a most impressive manner.
The Sphinx is cut out of the solid rock, and is about thirty feet from the top of the head to the bottom of the chin, and about fourteen feet across the face, the body being 140 feet long. I could see no beauty in the face, the features being almost obliterated.
Near the Sphinx is a fine underground temple formed of immense granite blocks and polished alabaster. The pavement is of granite and is perfectly smooth. Some of the finest statues at Bûlak were found in a well adjoining this temple.
Leaving our hotel at seven a.m., we started for Gizeh station en route for Sakkara, the railway taking us as far as Bedrashên. We had engaged eleven donkeys for carrying our party and the food necessary for the whole day’s refreshment. The confusion at Gizeh station in obtaining our tickets and getting the donkeys into the train was something tremendous. Fortunately, the morning was rather cool.
On arriving at Bedrashên we had some difficulty in finding the right donkeys, and I had great misgivings about the prospective five hours’ ride; but at last we got fairly off, and by degrees my confidence returned. We soon reached Mîtrahîneh, the site of ancient Memphis, now only marked by a vast number of heaps and mounds of rubbish, under which are doubtless buried many treasures of ancient Egyptian art. A number of articles which have been recently dug out were shown in a rude enclosure; one or two of the statues beautifully executed. Lying in a pool, face downwards, is a statue of Ramses II. belonging to the British Museum, but the authorities of that institution have not yet taken the trouble to remove it. The statue is 50ft. long, and is of siliceous limestone, very hard, and bearing a high polish. In one hand the figure holds a scroll bearing his name, and at his side is his little daughter, reaching to his knee. The face is still quite smooth, the features are sharply cut and delicately finished, and the expression perfectly preserved, looking really beautiful. Memphis was said by Herodotus to extend for six miles. It was conquered in turns by Persians, Assyrians, and Romans, each of whom did their share towards ruining it, and when at last the Mohammedans conquered the country, its doom was sealed, and the stones of its palace and temples taken away to build the new city of Cairo. The dykes being no longer kept in repair, the overflow of the Nile gradually piled up the mud year by year, and this, with the sand from the desert, has, in the course of ages, made Memphis little more than a name. Memphis is called in the Bible Noph, and in the time of the Patriarchs was the capital of Lower Egypt; but the prophecy of Jeremiah, xlvi. 19, has been literally fulfilled: “Noph shall be waste and desolate.”