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[Page 104]
Sunday 21 March 1915
A party of us to-day left camp at an early hour on a visit to the ancient city of Memphis. We were accompanied by an excellent dragoman whose information was of great interest. Leaving Cairo by train we reached Badrashen, [also spelt Badrashin] a village fourteen miles from town. At the station, we took donkeys and passing through the native village of Mit Rahinah came to the ruins of ancient Memphis. This city, the guide informed us, was founded by Menes and for many years was the capital of Egypt. But whatever fame or glory it possessed, the rise of Alexandria "finished" Memphis and it becomes merely an unimportant provincial town. The first points of interest are the two colossal statues of the great Rameses II. One is 42 feet in length and the other shows the sword stuck in his belt – the symbol of Royalty – and both are composed of hard limestone. After inspecting what were probably the walls of Memphis, we proceeded a distance to Sahkarah [also spelt Sakhara or Saqqara] the most wonderful of all cemeteries and burial grounds where the great kings, statesmen and priests of the land were entitled to have as their last resting place. We inspected the Step Pyramid, the Pyramids of Unas, Teta and Pepi I. Then after a delightful lunch in the midst of the wilderness, we turned our attention to the Serapeum, the vaults of the sacred Apis Bulls. Our visit concluded with an inspection of the tombs of Thi, that great statesman and priest of ancient Egypt, and also an ancient monastery of the fifth century A.D. Easily the most enjoyable day since we have been in this country.