Memphis Gardens

10. The accounts handed down to us of the splendour of Memphis in the time of the Pharaohs, of its magnificent temples, its colossal statues, and its extensive palaces, say nothing of its gardens. It is probable, however, that, as the palm was, and still is, the prevailing tree in Egypt, the general appearance of the vegetation around this city would not be materially different from what it is at the present day. Palms and pyramids must have been the most prominent features of the scenery round the ancient city of Memphis, as they are now of that surrounding the village of Mit-Rahyneh (fig. 2.) built upon its site.