THE EGYPTIAN SUDAN transport and weathering. When only inferior stone was to be had, they quarried larger slabs, and attempted to make up by quantity what the stone lacked in quality : this fact may be noted in Egyptian buildings all over the northern Sudan. A mile or two distant from the ruins of the temple of Sese is the hill of Sese, or Gebel Sese, on the brow of which are the ruins of a fortress ; to build this, the temple of Sese was probably stripped of its stones.

Lepsius relates a tradition which he learned from his servant Ahmad, a native of Derr, to the effect that at the death of every king of the district, his successor was led up to the summit of Gebel Sese, and there was made to put on a royal cap of peculiar shape and make,' no doubt as a part of a coronation ceremony.

An examination of the ruins of Seti's temple convinced both the Inspector and myself that it would be waste of money to dig there, and we were therefore obliged to modify our plans. It had been our intention to start at Dulgo, and to sail and float down the river to Kosha, examining all the sites where ancient remains were to be found, on both banks of the river, as we went, and as we were provided with all the materials for digging, we decided to make excavations wherever it seemed desirable to do so. On making inquiries of the watermen we learned that it would take about a fortnight to float down stream to Sulb, the site of the largest Egyptian temple in the Sudan, for there was little water in the river, and we should have the north wind against us the whole way. For about twenty miles, i.e., from Sueki to Aggeh, we should have the wind broadside on, and it would be necessary to use the tow-line all that way. It is a simple matter to use the tow-line on a river with a good, firm bank, but in the Cataract country it is a very difficult matter. Trees, rocks, and shoals, occur with aggravating frequenc}', and when the wind is strong it blows the boat into the bank and keeps her there. Further inquiries showed us that we could sail up to Sulb from Kosha quicker than we could float down to it from Dulgo, and as we returned from the temple of Sese we determined to do so. When we landed and were about to return to the rest-house we found that the Egyptian military governor and his brother had prepared tea, ' Letters, p. 236.

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