a new canal from the vicinity of
Babylon, and connected it with the ancient canal through the valley of
Seba Biar.[1] This new work is called the river of Trajan by Ptolemy
the geographer; and as it gave an additional elevation of thirteen feet
to the stream which fed the canal, it may have supplied the means of
keeping the navigation open for about six months yearly.[2]

[1] Babylon was near Cairo.

[2] Ptolemy, lib. iv. 5.

The quarries of granite and porphyry which supplied the Romans in the
time of Trajan, were discovered by Sir Gardner Wilkinson and Mr Burton,
in the years 1821-22, at Djebel-Fattereh and Djebel-Dokhan; and
Monsieur Letronne has pointed out the connexion of these quarries with
the improvements made by Trajan in the canal.[1] Many large works of
porphyry exist, which must have been worked in the quarries of
Djebel-Dokhan. We need only enumerate the great porphyry vase in the
Vatican, which exceeds fourteen feet in diameter--that of the museum at
Naples, which is cut out of a block nearly as large--the tombs of St
Helen in the Vatican, and of Benedict XIII. in St John Lateran--and the
blocks of the porphyry column at Constantinople. It is evident that the
masses could never be conveyed from Djebel-Dokhan to the Nile by land;
but no great difficulty would be found in transporting them to Myos
Hormos on the Red Sea, and embarking them there for Arsinoee; from
whence their conveyance to Alexandria, by the canal and the Nile, was
easy. It is well known that the quarries of porphyry in Egypt could not
have grown into importance until after the reign of Claudius, as
Vitrasius Pollio sent the first porphyry statues which had been seen at
Rome as a present to that emperor.[2] The chief, if not the only
quarries of red porphyry known to the ancients were in the Thebaid, at
Djebel-Dokhan.

[1] Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, vol. ii.

[2] Plinii Natur. Hist. xxxvi. 11.

At the granite quarries of Djebel Fattereh, Sir Gardner Wilkinson found
many columns in various stages of completion, some ready to be removed;
and of these there were several of the enormous size of fifty-five feet
long, and nearly eight feet in circumference. These quarries are at
least thirty miles distant from the Red Sea; but, as the ground affords
a continual descent, and some traces of the road exist, there cannot be
a doubt that these immense columns were destined to be carried to
Philotera, and there shipped for Arsin