The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-06-06
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE.
THE PETRIFIED FOREST NEAR CAIRO,
In EGYPT

Lscopered W sh0ns ~ Ltidnf and translated oy II
ID. Chatoaer, NJ a. M ID. Of Philadelphia, meaabe
Of Head MAJ, Scs Of Philadelphia; one Of the eou,,
ne Historical Society Of Pennsylvania; euraio
ofPhiiadeiphia Medical Society corresponding mem
Der National Institute, Sc. &c. &c.
Reai before the April meeting of the National Institute
The "petrifed forestn near Cairo, in Egypt, wa
discovered by Mons. A. Linant in 1896 and thi
description was communicated to Mons. Jomard b.
the author and published in 1910, after having beef
read before the Academy" in Paris. Mons. Ii
nant is by birth Frenchman, honored and beloved
by all who have the advantage Of his acquaintance
He has been for many years chief photographic
and engineer 70 the Pasha of Egypt, and has resided
IN every part of that country since 1885, is perfectly
conversant with every Egyptian subject, ancient OF
modern, and as traveller or explorer he Is pre-
eminent. His celebrity as traveller, accuracy o.
observation, atainments and experience give weight
TO anything he may assert. ts
His facts are indisputable, though he may err in
his deductions. ~
The above account, with the original description
in the French language, was furnished by my friend
Geo. r. Giddon, esq, late United States consul al
Cairo, which l translated and read before the
ACADEMY of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia
MIR. Gliddon remarks; "Having accompanied
Mons. Linant over all this ground, can add my
testimony to his accuracy Of description"
geological series, illustrating the formation Of
the country, and specimens of the petrifed trees
Natural Sciences" -
As this description of the ''petrifed forest" is
novel to American biologists and naturalists, and
now for the first time, it is believed, offered in an
English dress, the translator makes no apology for
ITS length, or minuteness of detail, his wish has
been to give Mons. Lnant all credit for his discove-
ny. AT the same time, he does not endorse the con-
illusions Of Mons. Linant to the mode of the pet
AID. CHALoNER,
~ Walnut street.
Philadelphia, March 29ih, 1874.
In the year 1876, returning from Suez, passing
by Angobie and the Gaudassi springs, and finding
myself beyond the defcs, directed my course to.
wards the citadel of Cairo, not following any road,
being sufficiently acquainted with this part of the
desert TO travel in this manner. Towards evening,
finding myself about three leagues from Cairo, l
halted to pass the night there intending to enter the
city in the morning, as darkness was coming on,
which prevented me from distinguishing objects.
As II was cold, my Arabs and myself collected
perceived upon the ground long, black object,
lying loose upon the white Sand; it tree thrown
upon the ground, apparently dead and decayed.
The illusion was SO perfect, that, before touched
it called my Arabs to come and take the wood, but
when felt il, found that il was stone. As
walked around, saw many more like it.
The night being very dark, deferred the exami-
nation of these stones, which bore so close resen-
blance TO trunks Of trees.
LIN the morning ascertained that these were real
ly trunks Of trees, but petrifed; several of them,
which measured, were eighty feet in length.
The desert was covered with these petrfactions
as far the eye could reach, and it not until
1897 that returned to this place; since then have
often visited it,, and have taken many travellers,
among others, Lord Prudhoe, and Mons. lie Lorain,
consul general Of Austria in Egypt; it is now visited
by parties of pleasure. have brought home large
n retr mn have ant roll
lection of them to the museum.s 4.Ga
The petrihed forest lies about two leagues and a
half to the east of Cairo, and extends TO the east
more than league, and it covers partially square
the Soultan- Barcouq and leaving the Red noun
tain on the left, and the road which leads from the
village of Baccatine to the south Of Cairo, and
goes to Suez, by Ousdi-Tyeh--a road which is
named from the Terahyn; its position is proba-
bly, the cause why il was never discovered, even
II the time of the French army, when one could
not, as now, travel through the desert without
roads and guides To visit the pe,rifed forest,
you 60 out Of the Babel Nasr gate, and are
guided by the Mosque and the tomb of the Soultan-
Barcouq; then to the east you perceive narrow
passage. Entering It on the left is the Red noun
tain; ON the right Djebe-Djonchi extends as far as
the citadel. The formation of the mountain on the
right consists Of calcareous layers interposed upon
layers clay The lowest Of these calcareous layers
are whise, friable, and Of even fine grain; COM
mon lime not having any hydraulic property, made
from them. The layers of clay saline, and con-
tain mineral salt Half way up the mountain, is a
thicker layer of clay containing very few saline parli
cles. II Is taken out of Cairo, where the women
it in large Quantities for washing their heads The
upper calcareous layers are not SO white, more COM
pact, and often mixed with shells and other fos-
sils About the second tier in height. is a calcareous
layer, entirely composed Of shells, and all around
are found great quantities of ammonites. In ex-
porng the layers as far the summit of this range
of mountains which extends towards the citadel,
and at leagues distance from the south, is found
layer eighteen or twenty inches thick, of very fine
grained sandstone, Of deep orange color then the
last layer of the mountain of sandstone mixed with
shells, very brittle, and from two to twenty-seyen
feet in thickness.
It extends over or through the mountain, and is
excavated to make small mill stones for the Egypt
lars t%
There are also found in the clay layers veins of
ibrous gypsum, which occur irregularly in all the
formations, being about two inches thick; there are
also barytes and selente. In many of the gorges
and different parts of the mountain, are seen ancient
excavations of these various gypsums; they can be
recognised by the small hills of clay taken away
from the interior of the mountain. &3 i
The Red mountain, which is on the left in leav-
ing -Barcouq, and entering the gorge before
mentioned, Is another formation and seems at first
sight, to have been deposited layers of calcareous
earth, which, from the summit of the citadel il
slightly inclined towards the north as far as The
base of this mountain.
II is Of vitrifed sandstone Of different colors.
white, yellow, red black, brown marble, and vari.
Gus kinds of breccia; and also very beautiful pud-
ding-sones, The fints or slick Of these congiom-
crates are similar to those which are called Egyp-
tain agates or nints; and the cement which unites
them Is of vitri6ed sandstone.
The primitive rock is yet visible in several places
All now is but the debris arising from the exca-
vations of this for small hand grinding stones
Ga bras) 1852
II examined minutely it seems that this vitrifed
sandstone when state of fusion was forced from
the interior to the surface, and deposited upon the
secondary and modern layers; as is the Of lava
from volcanoes.
In proof of my statement, near the mass Of white
sandstone which is at the southern part Of the Red
mountain, in the lowest part, is chimney, by which
we know that the matter in fusion has been forced
from within to the surfece. One cannot mistake
here the effect of an eruption, for from no other