The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-03-04
From the .Neio York Courier.
THE EASTERN WORLD.

Mr.. Buckingham, the celebrated Editor
OF the London Oriental Herald, and former
ly Editor of the Calcutta Journal, is at pres
ent delivering lectures in Liverpool on the
state of the Eastern world. Mr.. Buckng-
ham has long been known as an accom-
plished traveller, man of fine genius, and
OF high and independent character.
From the Liverpool papers we gather the
outline of Mr.. BIS. present lectures. He
commenced with Egypt, which, he said,
comprised one entire valley, abon: 600 miles
in length; and owed it's great fertility
three crops of corn annually to the depos-
its made by the overlooking of the Nile
That river had excited great interest
amongst the ancients, and whole armies
have been sent to solve the grand problem
of its source. This river, supposed by
some to be the coeval in it's source with the
Niger-the two rivers forming the grand
boundaries of Africa on the west, and the
north,- flows for 800 miles, without receiv-
ing any tributary stream-and imparting
fertility wherever it runs. Mr.. B. next al
uded to the navigabe canals of Egypt, its
lakes and works Of art. In adverting to the
towns, he stated that ancient Alexandria
was half as long again as London, yet was
only third or fourth rate town in Egypt.
1t was fifteen miles in length, and nine in
breadth. Pompey's Pillar was column
supposed to be erected by the people to
commemorate the bounty of Severus. The
obelisk of Egypt he next noticed-one of
which, though brought 600 miles by the
Egyptians, modern army of 10000 men
were unable to remove. Memphis was in
ruins before Alexandria was DESTROYED
and, what Is curious, the ancient Egyptians
permitted no body to be inferred in lands
producing animal sustenance.
In alluding to the architecture of Egypt,
Mr.. Buckingham mentioned that the porti-
CO of Hermopolis vas so beautiful that a
peasant on first seeing it was heard to ex-
claim, This is place worthy of gods and
not of men," At another city, Koum ON
bos, was lighthouse for the guidance of
vessels on the Nile, the only one on record
in ancient times. The great gate at Ed
fou was so immense that there was actually
a uiuGge on the top it.
During his travels through Egypt, Mr..
buckingham visited the famous Statue OF
.Memnon, which is of such a size that when
he stood on tiptoe 1.-THE foot of the statue
resting horizontally on the ground) he
could not see over the instep of that STU
pendous monument of art.
This statue stands upon alluvial soil and
is cut from one solid block of granite.
The Acropolis extends mile under
GROUND, and fue monument, of alabaster,
was procured from it by the late M. Belzo-
nj, and is now in the British Museum.
There are chambers in this immense sepul-
chre, in which the visiter may walk upon a
pavement of human heads.
Mr.. Buckingham confutes the general
opinion that the crocodiles are ferocous
they never attack the inhabitants even
when bathing in the Nile.
The flowers of Egypt are numerous and
aromatic. A man may actually travel for
thirty miles upon beds of roses. These
flowers are appropriated for the extraction
of the otto Of roses.
Egyptis now four times more wealthy than
it was twenty years ago. This has arisen
from the policy of the present Pacha. He
encourages European artists, and strains
every nerve to promote the interests OF
commerce.