A Collection of Curious Travels and Voyages, Volume 2 · Observations 2 · Section 11
A Deſcription of an entire Body of a Mummy.
THis was a long and large Body, in a very thick Coffin of Wood, ſhut cloſe on all hands; the Timber was not at all rotten, and we found it to be Sycamore-wood, which in Egypt they call Pharaoh's Fig-tree, that does not rot ſo ſoon as other Wood. Upon the Coffin the Face of him that was within it, was cut in emboſſed Work. Some Coffins there are alſo of Stone, with the Face of the perſon within, cut in Boſs, and Hieroglyphicks all along the length of it. There are two of theſe Stones in the Houſe of Monſieur Fouquet at St. Mande, and I had two of them alſo, of which one was broken at Alexandria, and the other I brought home with me very whole, which weighs betwixt ſeven and eight hundred weight. Some of theſe Coffins are made of ſeveral pieces of Cloth paſted together, which are as ſtrong as the wooden ones. I have one of this kind in my Cloſet, made of above forty Cloths glewed or paſted together in thickneſs, which are not in the leaſt rotten; it is covered all over with Idols and Hieroglyphicks, painted on a very thin Plaiſter, with which the outſide Cloth is daubed over, but it is a little ſpoil'd, the Plaiſter in ſome places being rubbed off. Among theſe Figures there is a Compartment at the lower end, two inches broad, and a foot long, being painted croſs-ways over the Coffin, wherein may be ſeen the manner how the ancient Egyptians embalmed dead Bodies. In the middle of this Compartment there is a long Table ſhaped like a Lion, on the back of which the Body that is to be embalmed is laid at length, and hard by there is a Man with a Knife in his Hand opening the Body; this man hath on a Vizard Mask, ſhaped like the Beak of a Sparrow-hawk, which (without doubt) was the Cuſtom of their Embalmers, who made uſe of that kind of Mask, that they might not breath in the Corruption that might evaporate from the dead Bodies, as the Phyſicians of Italy do at preſent, who in time of a Plague never ſtir abroad without a Mask of this kind, in the long Noſe of which they put Perfumes; though I make no doubt, but the Mask I ſpeak of is the Head of Oſiris, which the Egyptians repreſented with the Head of a Sparrow-hawk, as they did Anubis with the Head of a Dog, the Nile with a Lyons Head, &c But as a ſurer mark that it is an embalming, there are four Veſſels without Handles upon the aforeſaid Table, which could be nothing elſe but the Veſſels wherein the neceſſary Drugs were kept not only for the embalming, as Balm, Cedria, &c. but alſo for the wrapping up and incruſtation of the Body, as Bitumen and others: By the ſides of the Table there are ſeveral Perſons ſtanding and ſitting in divers poſtures. Within this Coffin is the figure of a naked Maid with her Arms ſtretched out.
But to return to my firſt Diſcourſe. This Wooden Coffin I mentioned being broken to pieces with Hatchets, we found an entire Body in it, which lay in this manner. The Face was covered (as commonly all the reſt are) with a kind of Head-piece of Cloth fitted with Plaiſter, on which the Countenance of that perſon was repreſented in Gold, and when we took off the Helmet, we found nothing of the Face remaining, which is commonly reduced to Aſhes; I believe it is, becauſe it will not admit of gumming ſo well as the other parts of the Body. However, I brought to Paris the Head of a Mummy whole and entire, but it is all covered with Fillets of Cloth, ſo neatly fitted, that they hinder not, but one may ſee the ſhape of the Eyes, Noſe, and Mouth. The reſt of the Body was ſwathed with little Bands of Cloth very neatly made, but wrapped about with ſo many caſts and turnings, that I believe there were above a thouſand Ells in it; and certainly it is ſo rare a way of Swathing and Binding, that I think it cannot be imitated at preſent, as many Chyrurgions have acknowledged to me. Along the Breaſt and Belly there was a Band of Cloth three good Fingers broad, and a large foot and a half long, it was faſtened to the other Bands, and upon it were ſeveral Hieroglyphicks done in Gold. I took this Writing, and folded it, that I might the more conveniently carry it up with me. I hoped to have found Idols in that Coffin, knowing that they interred many with their Dead, either of Stone, Copper, or Green Earth, as I have ſeveral that have been found in theſe Bodies, but finding none, I thought there might be ſome within his Body; for after they had emboweled them, they often encloſed Idols within their Bellies; for that end I had it broken up, but we could find nothing. I conſidered then that Balm which is now quite loſt, it is black, hard, and ſhines like Pitch, having much ſuch a ſmell, but more pleaſant, that kept Bodies entire, and (I believe) the Sand contributed not a little thereto, for even in the greateſt Deſarts of Arabia, ſometimes the dead Bodies of Men and Dogs are found entire, who falling aſleep, and ſtaying behind the Caravans, are covered over with an ocean of Sand driven by the high Winds, in which the Bodies being buried, are by the dryneſs and ſalt that is in the Sand, which drys up all the humidity of them, preſerved entire, and are afterwards found, when another Wind blowing, carries off the Sand again. Many think that the Bodies ſo dryed, are the true Mummy; it is a miſtake, and that which Merchants bring into Chriſtendom, to be uſed in Medicine, is the Mummy we firſt deſcribed. Near the Room I went into there were ſeveral others full of Bodies, but ſeeing the entries into them were full of Sand, I called to them above to pull me up again with the ſame Rope, with which I was let down, being much diſſatisfied with my Moors, who had open'd ſo ſorry a Pit for me. When I was got up I looked upon my Cloth, whereon were Characters of Gold, but was much vexed to ſee that all the Letters diſappeared, and that by my own fault, becauſe I had folded it together when it was very humid, and ſo all the Gold and Paint ſtuck to the oppoſite ſides; whereas I ſhould have brought it up open and dryed it in the Sun. But I have others that are finer, which are only a little ſpoiled in the bringing. I brought with me alſo ſome Hands of Mummies, which are as entire at preſent as ever they were. I had alſo the good fortune to buy upon the place ſome Idols, of the Moors, who come and ſell them to the Franks in the City. Theſe Idols are of ſeveral ſorts, and in many poſtures, there are of them of Copper, of ſeveral ſorts of Stone, and ſeveral ſorts of Earth alſo; at leaſt, I have ſome of all theſe kinds, all which I am very ſure have been taken out of Mummies, and cannot be ſaid to be counterfeit, for beſides that, they have not the Art to do it, they ſell them at ſo eaſie a rate, that the very Materials are worth more. This is all I could obſerve of the Pyramids and Mummies: And hence it appears, that the ancient Egyptians ſpent more in their Tombs than during their whole Lives; and one reaſon they gave for that was, That their Houſes were only for living a ſhort time in, and their Tombs the Palaces that were to be inhabited by their Souls for many Ages. Not far from theſe Mummies, towards the Nile, are ſome remains of a large Town, which was Memphis, the Inhabitants whereof were buried there, the Ancients never burying their Dead within Towns, for fear of infecting the Air, none but Chriſtians (who mind not that) bury their Dead any where. Now, to prove that theſe great Ruins are the remains of Memphis, Pliny affirms it, when he ſays, that the Pyramids are betwixt the Delta of Egypt and the City of Memphis on the ſide of Africa. At length we returned by old Caire, and ſaw all that is curious, or worth being ſeen in it.