A pilgrimage to the temples and tombs of Egypt, Nubia, and ...

6 HAGIAR CHEM.
art or symmetry, or even regularity, at ITagiar
Chem ; no arch, no column ; the apertures evi-
dently meant for doors and windows are shape-
less orifices', formed only of two large, upright
monoliths, surmounted by a third, laid across
them. 1 fear that you will not be able to make
anything out of this confused description ; but,
like most persons who have just visited something
curious, and whose minds are still full of what
they have seen, I am apt to fancy that I can paint
in words, and through those vehicles image forth
my own impressions to others ; whereas, I ought
to remember that I have never yet received any
correct idea either of picture, prospect, or monu-
ment, from mere description, even though that
description were couched in language the most
vivid and elaborate, — that in such cases one
stroke of the pencil is worth a thousand of the
pen,—one glance of the eye worth all the pencils
in the world,—and, consequently, all written de-
scriptions worth little more than so much waste-
paper.
Yet, if we wanderers did not attempt descrip-
tion, we should be accused either of seeing no-
thing, or of travelling without profit to ourselves
and others ; therefore, in order to convince you
that 1 am not to be classed among those who