Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1843-11-29

plains of Memphis and the adjoining
provinces OF the Delta. The dry lax
discovered by Linant, is bounded by
dams Of l6U feet in breadth, and is q.
quai in extent and depth 10 the B,rket .I
kerun Lake Il perfectly fu fiis all the
required conditions. and this would be
recognized by any impartial eye, for the
ground which yet embraces The whole
oil that part OF theproviace, is apparent
y soil from the bed of the lake We
daily look out from the Labv rinth, not
across the water, as Herodo;us looked.
but over the black bottom OF Lake Me
rus, toward the minarets Of Fayoum, the
present capital of the province of the
PROVINCE OF the same name, built pact
y on the ruins Of the ancient Crocodi-
lopois. However, If it was diff .ult TO
mud tho ancient Lake of Meris in Berket
ell herun, q certainly was not ,uore easy
Ia overlook the Laby rinth, the ruins OF
which correspond with the descriptions
OF the ancients in all respects The a
greement as to distances is generally
exact, as also are tho relative positlons
OF the real lake Crocidolopoiis The
Pyramid in which Meris was inferred
to the south of the great plain Of ruins.
and TO the south the village mentioned
by Strabo now only ruins, and sepa rated
from the site Of the Labyrinth, by a
large eruption OF water. With respect
TO the ruins themselves, present obsery
ers must not rely entirely on their own
eyes, whether in surveying he portions
now existing, or comparing them with
them with the accounts of more recent
travellers. Where those travellers saw
only formlcss heaps of rubbish and a
few wuils, we found, even on the FIRST
rapid inspection, several hundreds OF
chambers and corridors, OF different siz.
es, some with roofs, floors and parti
lions; with Pedestsls for pillars and
stone facings In two of these stluc
lures which has four fats,one above the
other. we observed none of those hole
like wIndings described in early acco Ints.
Though all the walls have their direc-
tons in conformity with the celestial
rhombs, yet we found so much irreru.
Iarity IN their structure, and SO much
variety IN the forms Of the rooms, that
at first we could not thread our way
through the mass OF buildings without
the aid of guide. Three thou sand rooms
below and above the ground are men.
toned by Aerodotus. and from the re.
mains which we have before us. this
number seems by no means excessive.
The forms OF the more important ARTS
OF the palace are no; now disceruable
Accord to Herodotus, they consist of
twelve auloe, that is to say, open courts,
surrounded by open colonajes. The
site OF the palace, which was surround
ed on three OF ats sides with the mass
OF laby rinthlne chambers. is now a large
deep square, spotted here and there with
low hlllocks OF rubbish, aud intersected
by an obliqne canal or ravine. In this
hollow our company is now encamped
land number Of little huts, built with
the bricks OF the Pyramids, almost bic
ture to the minds eye The ancient yil>
lage, described by Strabo, which stood
on the same level with the Labyrinth.-
Around US on every side, lie seattle red
immense blocks, some OF granite, others
of while and very hard kind Of calca-
reous stone, resembling marble Frao.
menis OF the ancient columns and arch
ltraves OF The aule are likewise visible.
These remnins have acquired much
interest by our expedition; for we have
found in different fragments, the name
OF the founder Of the Labyrinth, Meris.
and OF his sister who succeeded him
On the summit Of the Pyramid Of hleris.
commanding a view Of every thino 10
great distance. we have planted the
PrussIan eagle, as a symboIical evidences
thai northern science has had the graft
lying task Of describing these remains
o. antiquity so remote. We daily em-
Ploy 100 Iaborers on the ruins, making
excavations TO facilitate the examlna-
ton oil the foundations Of the structures
and their ground floors; c!enning out
apartments, and laying open the proper
entrance to the Pyramid. We are now
on the north side, DIVIDED into large
chamber formed 10 the rock, the floor of
which IS 10 parts covered with thin
plates, and the walls faced with other
lsmina. This chamber was entirely
filled with rubbish, beneath which we
found the often described and figured
stones, with the name of Meris and his
royal SIS .er inscribed Oh them. II is.
however, still not quite evident that ihis
was the sepuchral vault, which nigh,
indeed be expected to be found more in
the center Of the pyramid. Atany rate
the determination Of the historical ques
lion OF the founder is, BY The discovery
OF the bieroghyphIc names, the most
important result that we could have
been expected TO reach; and we shall
therefore leave this memorable place
with more satisfaction than, from the
descriptions Of preceding travellers. We