THE EGYPTIAN SUDAN posal did not permit a general excavation of the site, but it is hoped that such a work may be undertaken, for there is always a possibility that a stele inscribed with a historical text of the builder may lie hidden among the ruins. With the clearing of Tirhakah's sanctuary vve brought our work at Semna to an end. We removed the lintel of the door of the sanctuary and other inscribed blocks to the space before the temple of Thothmes III., and the Inspector made arrangements to have them taken to IJalfa later on in the year. From Haifa they were to be transported to Khartum by railway, and by this time they are probably housed in the Museum there.

From Semna we rode to the nearest point where the river was navigable, and then crossed over to the Island of Gazirat al- Malik. On the following morning we went up the hill with our workmen to examine the ruins of buildings which we had been told about, and we found much to interest us. Having reached the highest point we saw that it had once formed the site of a large fortress, the walls of which were enormously thick and strong, although only made of mud bricks. Portions of the walls were still standing, and they had much in common with the massive mud-brick walls which we had seen at Semna. In the north-east corner of the enclosure were the remains of a small, solidly-built stone temple of the XVIIIth Dynasty, about 24I feet long and ii| feet wide. It is oriented to the east ; the main doorway is in the east side, but there is also a smaller doorway at the eastern end of the north wall. The west end of the little temple is built into the living rock, as is also a portion of the north side. The blocks of stone are well cut, and well put together. The walls inside were ornamented with large figures of the king making offerings to the local gods, &c., but of these only the feet remained ; the figures were painted in bright colours on a white, lime-washed ground. The inside of the temple was filled with bright yellow sand, and as this was being cleared out a good, black granite statue of the " Royal son Tcha-ab " ' was found. On the back of the figure are three lines of inscription which contain a prayer to " Amen-Ra, the lord of the thrones of the two lands," and a dedication of it ";' 488