Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-02-01
From the Philadeiphia SATURDAY. Courier.

LETTERS FROM ABROAD-IHE PYRAMIDS OF EGYPT
The AsCENT-AFRIcAN DEsERTs-GRovEs OF
PALMS, Mosques, &c.
Mr.. Wilde writes that readers can have no pos
sble conception of the vastness of these monuments
without standing beside them, looking from their
base to their SUBMITS measuring with the eve of
sight their huge dimensions, and with the eve of
mind measuring back the ages upon ages that they
have there remained. No noisy, rapturous express
sion OF surprise or wonder breaks forth from the
traveller; no Fastening forward to rush into the in
terror; with me at least 1t was calm, subdued,
speechless but elevated and lasting feeling of awe
and admiration, which took possession of my soul.
Could | embody all the overwhelming thoughts that
rushed across my mind, would say the uppermost
that OF tlme-tlme, standing a particle OF
eternity, is written on these edifces the greatest
human industry reared, or human pride or
vanity could boast of.
line of camels slowly pacing across the drcary
waste on which they stand, or Bedawee career
ing his horse Leslde the base, gives by the compa-
rison some faint idea of their stupendous sizc and
an Arab promoting his charger on the sphvnX at
torded me the desired contrast, at the same time
that it showed me what was the magnitude of that
emblem of Egyptian reverence and superstition.
The pyramid was first built in steps, or courses
of enormous stones, each row placed the breadth of
itself within the course beneath. Some stones in
the base OF this pyramid are larger than those OF
Cheops, and from four to five feet in Depth so that
we had to Chamber over them on our hands; but IN
thus | was assisted by the guides, one old man,
the other about forty, both of a mould which, for
combination of strength and agility, do not think
| ever saw surpassed. We soon turned to the
north, and finally reached the outer casing the
west side. All this was labOrous, to be sure, tho
not very dangerous; but here was an obstacle that
| knew not how they themselves could surmount,
much less how could possibly master it; for above
cur heads Jutted out, like an eve coping, the
lower stones OF the coating, which still retain a
smooth, polished surface. As considerable precau-
ton was necessary, the men made me take off my
hat, coat, and shoes, at this place. the younger
then raised bis hands against the projecting edge OF
the lower stone, which reached above his chin, and
the elder, taking me In his arms, would a child,
placed my feet on the others shoulder, and my bO-
dy flat on the smooth surface of the stone IN this
position we formed an angle with each other, and
thus | remained for upward of two minutes, till the
older man went round and by some other means
contrlved to get the projection, when creeping
along the line of junction OF the casing, he took me
up to where he was above me, and then letting
down his glrdle, assisted to mount up the younger,
but less active and less daring climber of the two.
We then proceeded much as fonoWs:--One of them
got the shoulders of the other, and gained the
Joining OF the stone above, which often five feet
asunder the upper man then helped me In a STINT
lar action, while the lower pushed me up by the
|
creep for some way along the joining, to where an
other opportunity of ascending afforded. In
| this way proceeded TO the summit, and some
idea may be formed of my feelings, when it is re-
collected, that all these stones of such span are
highly polished are set at an angle less than 10
degrees, and that the places we had to grip with
our hands and feet often but two inches wide,
and their height above the ground upwards OF four
hundred feet; single slip of the foot or ight
gust of wind, and, from our position, must all
three have been dashed to atoms long before reach
ing the ground.
The grandeur and extent of the picture that pre-
scented itself from this gddy height, was almost as
intoxicating as the ascent had just completed-
Around me lay the vast plain of the African desert,
the scorching, echolcss wilderness, which mingled
with the clear blue of the atmosphere at the hori-
In sloping vale bounded by massive rocks,
the uryaried hue of barrenness was eniivenc1 by
what appeared to me narrow silver ribbon, that
wound Its OrtuOus course for miles and miles, 1t
seemed to rise out of the junction of sand and sky
above, and was lost to vision 1t sank into 1t in
similar manner. Its banks were green and verdant
with the richest foliage, and groves of waving
palms We're now and then relieved by the CLEAN of
noOn-day light, that glanced from the snow-white
mlnaret, or the stately dome of marabut. This
ribbon was the river Nlle--its banks, the land of
Egypt.
The thousand pinnacles of the mosques of Cairo
rose to view beyond the goodly land the white sail
of the kan@ha looked but as a sca-bird' wing and
the drove of camels as black dotted line upon the
below me, almost at my feet.