Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1801-11-05

VA s.'S iAoAS hitCtSNitS, USSdulc tilSy al
ways contain fome representation Of the
arts which Acurilhed, and the trades which
were praetiied, at that epocha.a The plan
OF theie grottos Is in great meafnre the
zane. A'door, opening towards the eait
dnpiays gallery of about twenty feet in
length, which is fonnetimes formed in a
itfalght line, and at other times runs off
from the entrance in RICH. angle; il i,
ind'fferently Imported by columns or pi-
latters, of which the number varies from
tour to ten. At the extremity of the
gallery isa we'll which leads to the cata-
combs where the mummies are depofired.
The depth of theie wells yarie. from forty
10 iixty feet, and they are connected with
iongtuoterraneous palages, rudely lhapcd
m the rock, which terminate in chamber
OF about thirty fees Equare; Whole Gdes
are Imported by pilaiters, and contain
large remains Of the lnaummies. There
are evident traces Of numerous other fnh
.errsneous communications, which proba-
oly lead to other chambers, that are at
Preient concealed.
In the upper gallery are fculptured in
oanorellevo, or painted in frefco, a crowd
o. iuo)ee.s relating to funeral ceremonies.
Inc mott interefing pictures which are
ieen'shere, offer detail of circumstances
connected with the ancient inhabitants Of
the country. There are repreiented ,be;r
nrit occupations, iuch as the chate and the
hihefy: thence we may trace the propreis
OF civilization, In the employn,ents Of the
siaooier' the eart-right, the porter, the mo :
ney- changer, the hufband.nan, and in the
auIies and puniihments of military life.
Escngrotto Is adorned with a ceiling paint-
cd with iubjeets of fancy, and Whole de-
ilgn Is exactly the fame as that of the "a
perhangings which were fashionable in
france about thirty years ago.
The tombs of the kings are aho,, G.,
thouiand four hundred PAGES trnm the r;
YER: They have been formed in a narrow
Vaiiey, In the centre of the mountain /;
,pycus. The ancient way thither is not
known, and the fpot is now gained bv an
aftincial Paaage. Thefe fepuIchres occu-
~ large ravlne, which is fanbcd nv ,be
oea OF torrent. The plan of one OF .heie
'omos VIII be efficient to explain the, ge-
neral diipolitionsot The reil. Q
Every grot communicates with the val
iey ny large gate. which opens to the
gallery followed in the rock its breadth
and height are generally about II feet.
and It's length is twenty PAGES TO the
iecond gate, which opens TO another ga,
.ery OF the fame breadth, and ID feet in
length. 10 the right and left of this
gallery are chambers of five feet in breadth
and ten feet long. There are found paint
ings OF arms fuch as hatchets, poniards,
curvased tabres, traight fwords, lsnces,
Javeilns, bows, arrows, quivers, coats of
m1ii' ihields, implements of huibandrv.
Yates, and trinkers of every kind. The
detail OF preparing food is alto represented.
1t Is one of thofe chambers where we
law the two harps which had been copied
by Bruce. A third gallery Gucceeds, Of
the fame dimentions as the former, and
leads to chamber above the level of the
other apartments, which is eighteen feet
tquare. From this chamber is the entrance
TO asallery of thirty four PAGES in length;
there is alto an inclining gallery, whole
length is twenty eight PAGES. AT its ex.
tremity is "a corridor of fixteen PAGES, lead
ing to chamber of eleven PAGES fouare.
which is connected with another of the
fame fze by gallery of fix PAGES. A
fquare falcon then fucceeds, fuppcrted by
eight pillars; its length is twenty PAGES,
and its breadth twenty. Here is TIE far.
cophagus which contained the mummy of
the king. The Romans made fome ar
tempts TO carry away this farcophapus
from the grotto where It is depofted, they
had even tried to level the ground, in or
der to facilitate its removal but they
very ioon renounced the impradicabie en-.