THE EGYPTIAN SUDAN and 65 feet long. The second chamber contains six Osiris pillars, and is about 45 feet square ; its height is nearly 30 feet. Beyond this is a third chamber, about 40 feet wide and 18 feet long ; it contained two square pillars. In the north and in the south wall is a recess ; and in the west wall are three recesses, the centre one, which is the largest, contained the shrine wherein stood the statues of the gods. The total length of the temple buildings- chambers is about 300 feet. Why Rameses II. built this temple is not clear, but it was probably used in connection with the work at the gold mines, and it was certainly a convenient halting-place for caravans in the Western Desert.

At Kubbun, the Contra Pselcis of classical writers, Rameses II.

repaired the old fort which was built by Thothmes III., probably on the site of the older building which was founded by the kings of the Xllth Dynasty. At the end of the Wadi Sabu'a, i.e., " The Valley of the lions," Rameses II. built another temple in honour of Amen and Ptah ; it was approached by an avenue of sixteen lion-sphinxes, arranged eight on each side. Before the pylon, which is about 44 feet wide, stood statues of the king, and on its eastern face are the remains of sculptured reliefs wherein the king was represented in the act of slaughtering his foes. The great court, which is about 63 feet square, contains two rows of Osiris pillars ; on its walls are lists of the names of the sons and daughters of Rameses II. His sons were one hundred and eleven in number, and his daughters sixty-seven. Behind this court are two smaller chambers, the Hrst containing twelve pillars, and the second five recesses, one in the north and one in the south walls, and three in the west wall, the centre one contaming figures of the gods worshipped in the temple. At Derr ' Rameses II. built another rock-hewn temple. The fore-' The description of the temple of Derr by Burckhardc is well worth reprinting here. He says {Travels, p 27), "The temple is situated on the declivity "01 a rocky hill, just behind the village It is entirely hewn out of the "sand-stone rock, with its pronaos, sekos or cella, and adytum. The pronaos "consists of three rows of square pillars, four in eiich row. The row of " pillars nearest the cella, which were originally joined by the roof to the main '• temple, are of larger dimensions han the rest ; they are nearly 4 feet " square, and about 14 feet high, and are still entire, while fragments of the 634