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These, as being connected with the seasons, are also repre- sented in the hieroglyphic calendars by ike figures of ^ l^ds being givoi, and the times of the year marked. But unfor- tunately, as they are not all named in the Roman calendar Inrought down to our time, we cannot say with certunty what birds are intended by ike different figures. The swallow, I believe, is the only one maiked in the RcMsan calendar, and is set down as appearing on the 28rd of February ; and so we find it marked in the hieroglyphic calendar plate vii. under No 24. In the Roman calendar the d^Nurture of Uie swallows is marked ike 16tli of Sep^ tember and they contuMM to disappear for one month, or until the l54b of October. These drciimstances are also aNurked in the circular calendar, plate viii. thus. On the ISkh September is the figure of a bird, No. 69, wi^ expanded wings ready to depart ; 9mi in October, nearly under the %uf e No^ 72, i that ef a bird. No. 71, with one wing expanded ; and just before it, tftie figure of a nsan silting : the meawng of which, as- w^ be hereafter i^own, is, end, termiaalion, eessattoo, pause, stop^ &e. thereby imKcating the last appearance of the swaHows.^ It is needless to say more e the sutgeet of birds of passge, as. we have not the means within our reaeh of spec^rmg them in a. more particular, manner. It is peeper to notice here, ^lat there are ether figuves^ of birds in Hhe hieroglyphic calendars that hccve no conneackm whatever with the bivd ei passage, and therefore Digitized by Google 256 APPENDIX. must be carefully distinguished, to avoid falling into error. These are, the eagle or hawk, a symbol of the sun : birds representing the number twenty, which are in general connected with other numbers ; and figures of birds symbolic of time, of the moon, and of the month. Eighth. Numbers and Dates. These form the most essential parts of the calendars, because it is through their means we are in a great measure enabled to develope the meanings of all the principal figures, which otherwise would be unattainable, or at most could only be conjectured. It is to be regretted that the whole of the tablets are not legible, the numbers in many of them being worn out by time. However, so far as they are clear and distinct, I have given them in Plate ix. as also the compound numbers, with their explanations. It appears that the Egyptians had two modes of dating. When the number exceeded a hundred, they used running figures, as we do at present, reading tiiem from left to right : thus, in the date of the years at the heads of the calendars, we see 708, seven hun- dred and eight: but in small niin^ers under a hundred, as in tlie days of the months, they made use of a different method. In diis case they employed any number of figures, all the same or dif- ferent, to make up by addition the number required. Thus, sup- pose the date to be represoated was twenty-four, they would not write 24, but take those numbers that would, by their addUion, make up that number, as 4, 4, 4, 4, 8. See Plate vii. No. 72. &c. It may ther^re be necessary to attend to ^Is distinction in read- ing ^the numbers and characters. They; had one peculiarity in common with the Romans, which was, that a distinct unit, placed before any number whatever, except an unit, diminished its value. See Plate vii. No. 92, &c. For the num^ical value of most of the characters, simple and compound, consult Plate ix. which may also assist in developii^p their respective places and powers as alphabetical characters,- particularly the simple ones; for the ccmipound characters formed no part of the alphabet, as far as I can judge from such hierogly- phic inscriptions as I have hitherto met with. Thus, the figure of a bird in numerals is 20 ; but as an alpha- betic character, it seems to represent the letter S or Sh, as^ appears on the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great, in the name Alexan-^ der, which is written Alegsander; in the word Shere^ son, in the same ; and in the word Soth, one of the names of Mei^ury, or Digitized by Google APPENDIX. 257 Thoth. — Tholh has a symbolic mark, and the name Tholh ex- pressed under it by two semicircles with the arch uppermost^ which makes the character Tk ; and representing 8 in numbers, it should stand in the Bth place in the alphabet. The Serpent, which represents 4, is the last in the word Phrt^ a name of the sun, and written under it : therefore e is the 4th character in the alphabet. Arranging the alphabet as nearly as possible with the Hebrew, Arabic, Coptic, and other alphabets of the East, throwing together such characters as agree nearly in sound, so as to take in the three characters above mentioned in their proper places, as marked by their numerical values, we shall have the alphabet run in the following form, or nearly so : T A 2 6 3 D 4 E 6 B.F.V. 6 Z.SZ. T H. R. 8 TH. 9 J 10 K 11 L 12 18 M N 14 X 16 O.A.HH 16 P 17 TS 18 Q 19 B 20 S.SH. 21 T 22 U 2S PH 24 CH 25 2tt PT O I do not by any means intend to say that this arrangement is correct throughout : for in the latter part we have no simple cha racters that I know of, that correspond to the numbers. In the Sarcophagus of Alexander the Great, so called, we can obtain the powers of several characters. In the name Philip we get the two first characters sitting opposite each other, the one PA, the olher L; and the latter we find also the second in the name, il/eran<^. The character for p in Philip is variously written, and the remainder of the name seems to be a title, as it is found with other names. In the name Alexander ^ all the charac- ters are sufficiently plain : after the characters for A^ t, comes diat of a hand and arm for ^; then the bird, as or sh; then a figure somewhat oval, divided by a bar lengthwise, for ft ; then the semicircle with the arc upwards, which is th; and lastly, a circle with a cross in it for r, making the name Alffshnthr. The characters are probably syllabic, that is, each carries its own short vowel. The circle for r is also found in the word Sheri, already alluded to, which word is represented by the figure of a bird. Sky and a circle, r, {daced between the names of Philip and Alexander; as much as to say, Philip's son Alexander. I men- tion this merely as a hint to others ; for I have not materials suffi- cient to enable me to enter more fully into the subject. But these helps go but a short way in assisting us ; for it seems that the Tery same letter of the alphabet may be represented ten or a dozen different ways : we see also that the same number is repre- L L Digitized by Google 258 APPMJDix. -sented by several distinct characters. See Plate ix. This cir- •dumstance in itself, exclusive of contractions, mere symbols, &c. must create considerable difficulties. The triple would, I sup- pose, be sufficient to give a pretty correct view of the hieroglyphic characters ; but unfortunately I have never seen but the Greek part, which alone is of no use in the investigation. Ninth. Figures that represent Beginnings and Endings. The beginning of any thing is represented by a head, and some- times by a man standing erect. The endings are marked by figures opposite to the former, viz. by a pair of legs and feet, and by a man sitting. an example of both beginning and ending: — In the 1. vii. nearly under No. 22, is the figure of a head and ^s. The day is that of full moon, which in the year le fell on the 13th of February, being the day held ipiter Ammon, who is figured in the boat underneath ms' heads. Now, if we look into .the Roman calendar, d that the 13th of February was called the Ides of that month, which were reckoned backward to the Nones, which fell on the 5th. Therefore from the Ides to the Nones are eight days, which are placed under the figure of the head, to imply that from the beginning of the Ides to their end, marked by the legs, are eight days. The date marked in the calendar of Dendera under the figure of the full moon, and over the heads of Jupiter Ammon, is 13, that is, 4 and 9. (See Plate ix.) Hence it is proved to be only a hieroglyphic translation of the Roman calendar, which gives the same date. Calendar of the Portico, Plate VII. We shall begin with this calendar, as the most simple, distinct, and easiest to be understood of the two ; which being explained, the other (the circular one, PI. viii.