THE EGYPTIAN SUDAN is a copy of a funerary temple in Egypt ; in fact, it was probably built in connection with the king's pyramid, and commemorative services for the dead were no doubt performed in it. The reliefs and decorations of the walls were copied from templechambers in Egypt, but it is curious that Tirhakah did not imitate the great kings of Egypt, and cause the records of his conquest of Egypt to be inscribed on the outer walls of his temple. Another striking peculiarity about the temple is the pillars with Bes reliefs upon them ; we find these at Nagaa and other places in the Sudan, and we are almost driven to believe that Bes must have been a native Sudan god. The name Bes is thought to be Egyptian, and it was probably bestowed upon the god because he wore the skin of the bes animal, which has been identified with the Felis Cynailurus. The fact that the figures of the god are represented with a head-dress of feathers indicates a savage or semi-savage origin for him, and his characteristics are rather those of an African than Asiatic deity. The figure of Bes suggests that his home was a place where the dwarf and pygmy were held in esteem, and the association of the name of the God with Punt and the " Land of the Spirits" points to the existence of an ancient belief that his cult was the product of the peoples of the eastern part of Central Africa.

III. The plain on the east side of the temple of Tirhakah is covered with fragments of stones which must have formed portions of buildings, and at a distance of about loo yards from it we reach a low pile of ruins which marks the site of a small and unimportant temple (E). It consisted of a small hall, with four pillars, and a sanctuary ; the length of the building was about 85 feet, and the breadth about 65 feet. The uninscribed block of polished green stone which was intended to serve as an altar was in situ a few years ago. The builder of this little temple is unknown.

IV. Immediately to the east of the temple mentioned in the preceding paragraph is another heap of ruins, which marks the site of another temple. We turned over large numbers of the stones, and dug a few trenches here, but we were just as JP-138