a party of Americans-this is odd enough when one considers how strongly Mr. Salt, Lord Prudhoe, and Major Felix, who subjected him to long and repeated examinations, were impressed with the belief of his supernatural powers. One thing is unquestionable-that the children do see a crowd of objects, following each other, and, at the commencement of the incantation, the very same objects, as vivid and distinct as if they looked out of the window at noonday. How is this to be accounted for? Collusion is out of the question. We have seen the Jugglers; they shew great dexterity in sticking daggers into their eyes, necks, hearts, &c., running long bodkins up their noses, sheathing swords in their stomachs, the skin lapping quite over them (indeed their skins seem to hang quite loose on their bodies); and, lastly, applying burning torches to their naked breasts; upon the whole, a disagreeable exhibition, not worth seeing. The Psylli, or serpent-charmers, were not to be found when we sent for them; many believe in their pretensions; my friend, Mr. Lieder, told me they charmed a poisonous snake out of his house, which he himself had seen the day before, but failed to kill, besides two others which they might have introduced. never pronounce God's name Allah, but Pullah. They Both Psylli and Magicians seem to have been known among the Jews; "the deaf adder that shutteth her ears" is proverbial, and “the stone of imagination, that is, certain smooth images, in which, by art magic, pictures and little faces were represented, declaring hidden things and stolen goods," mentioned by Jeremy Taylor, on the authority, I suppose, of some Rabbinical comment on Leviticus, was evidently kindred sorcery to that practised in Egypt at the present day. Our boat is ready, and to-morrow, December 21, we start for Upper Egypt. We returned from the Pyramids to-day. I have written A—— an account of our visit, which I enclose to you; read and forward it. Adieu. LETTER IV. Visit to the Pyramids - Pyramid of Cheops-Evening with Caviglia-Pyramids of Cephrenes and Mycerinus - Arab traditions respecting the Pyramids - The Sphinx, a talisman - Heliopolis - The Pyramids probably built by the Pali, or Shepherd-Kings of Egypt, afterwards the Philistines, in the time of Abraham. TO MRS. JAMES LINDSAY. Top of Cheops' Pyramid, Dec. 19, 1836. DID you ever expect, my dear A——, to receive a letter from the top of the Great Pyramid? Here I am, and William at my side, a burning sun above us, and four halfnaked Arabs chattering around us, greatly marvelling, doubtless, at the magical propensities of the English. It is a fatiguing business climbing up, but, once here, all is repaid! Such a view! the desert on one side, stretching away into Libya-waves beyond waves, as far as the eye can reach; the vale of Egypt on the other, green as if Hope had chosen it as her peculiar home, with a thousand little canals traversing it in every direction, left by the retiring Nile, for the inundation has scarcely yet subsided. Caviglia is working here, and we are now his guests. He has palisadoed off a little citadel for himself, the chambers consisting of tombs excavated in the rock on which the Pyramids are built. After our descent, he is going to cicerone us through this monument of pride, science, or superstition - who knows which? It was building while Abraham was in Egypt; Joseph and his brethren must have seen the sun set behind it every day they sojourned in Egypt; it must have been the last object Moses and the departing Israelites lost sight of as they quitted the land of bondage; Pythagoras, Herodotus, Alexander, the Caliphs-it has been the goal of nations! lost nations have |