THE EGYPTIAN SUDAN the temple, we decided to move our beds into the temple and live there. -'»-'• Though as a historical monument the temple of Semna is of the greatest importance, yet it is impossible not to admit that, at first sight, its appearance is distinctly disappointing. It is a small building about 30 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 13 feet high, and is formed of massive blocks of stone, which are wholly out of proportion to the size of the edifice. It is perched up on the top of the steep, high rocks which are on the western side of the Cataract of Semna, and seems absurdly small when we remember that it was, under the XVIIIth Dynasty, the chief Egyptian sanctuary of the first frontier town of the Siidan, which Usertsen III. founded there some forty-four centuries ago. The vastness and magnificence of the deserts and hills to the north and south of the great rock-barrier which Nature threw across the Nile valley here emphasize the comparative insignificance of the Egyptian buildings, both at Semna on the west bank, and at Kumma on the east bank, and we can only assume that, when the architects of Usertsen III., and of the Thothmes and Amen-hetep kings threw away opportunities of setting up temples on a scale commensurate with the natural surroundings of the site, they did so at the behests of the most practical utilitarianism.

The temple of Semna ' is oriented towards the south. It is built of limestone, and its form resembles the small temples which were built by the Egyptians in almost every large fortress in the Sudan. On the east and west sides are the remains of the covered colonnades, each of which contained four pillars. On the east side there are at the present time three square pillars in situ, and on the west side there are two pillars, one square and one polygonal ; portions of the ai*chitraves still remain. The main door is on the south side, but there is a smaller door on the west side, near the south end, which was made after the temple was built. The slabs which formed the ceiling were painted blue, and traces of the colour are still visible ; Burckhardt says 2 that he saw * For other descriptions see Burckhardt, Travels, p. 81, CaiUiaud, Voyage, torn. i. p. 341 ; Hoskins, Travels, p. 269; Lepsius, Letters p. 239.

- So also Cailliaud : " Dans I'intrieur, on reconnait queles sculptures taient " peintes, ainsi que le plafond, en couleur bleu-de-ciel, avec des toiles."

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