The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1845-11-11
VOL. X.
MISCELLANEOUS.
From he Broadway Journal.
Some Words with''a Mummy

IS0m6 WORDS WIFI d muulIuy
The SYMPOSIUM of the preceding evening
lhad been little too much for my nerves
I had wretched headache, and was desper
ately drowsy. Instead fgoing out, there
lfore. 10 spend the evening as | proposed,
loccurred to me that could not do a wise
thing than just eat a mouthfui OF supper ant
60 Immediately TO bed.
A Eght supper of course. l am exceeding
lIy fond of Welsh rabbit. More than pount
at once, however, ma, not at all times be ad
visable. Sill, there can be no material OBJ
yecrion TO two. And really between two ant
three, there is merely single unit of differ
ence. ventured, perhaps, upon four. Ny
wife will have it five but, clearly, she ha,
COMPOUNDED two very distinct affairs. The
abstract number, five, am willing TO admit
but, concretely, it has reference to bottles o
Brown Stout, without which, in the way
Of condiment, Welsh rabbit is to be es
chrwed.
Having thus concluded frugal meal, anc
donncd my night-cap, with the serene hope
of enjoying it till neon the next day, placed
my head upon the pillow, and through the
aid ola capital conscience, fell into profound
slumber forthwith.
|
filled! | could not have completed my third
snorc when there came furious ringing al
the street-door bell, and then an impatient
humping at the knocker, which awakened
me at once. In minute afterward, and
while was still rubbing my eyes, my wife
thrust in my face n ole from my old liiend,
DIR. Ponnonner. Ii ran thus:
Come to me by all means. my dear friend,
as soon as YOU receive this. Come and
help US to rejoice. At last. by long perse-
vering diplomacy, have gained the assent Of
the Directors Of the City Museum, to my
examination Of the Mummy-you know the
one mean. | have permission TO unswathe
it and open it, ifdesirable. Anew friends on
ly will be present-you, of course. The
Mummy is row at my house, and we shall
begin to unroll it at eleven tonight.
Yours, ever.
PoNSOSNER.
| By the time had reached the .'Ponnonn-
err" it struck me that was as wide awake as
man need be. leaped out of bed in an &C.
stasy, overthrowing all in my way; dressed
myself with a rapidly truly marvellous; and
set off, al the top Of my speed, for the Doc
tors.
There found a very eager company
assembled. They had been awaiting me with
much impotence; the Mummy was extern
ded upon the dining table; and the the mo-
ment entered, its examinations was COM
menced.
1t was one of pair brought, several years
previously, by Captain Arthur Sabretash. a
cousin of Ponnonners, from tomb near
Eleithias. in the Lybian Mountains, a consid-
cradle distance above Thebes on the Nile.
The srottoes atthis point, althous Ia less mag
niiicent than the Theban sepulcbres, are OF
higher interest, on account Of affording more
numerous illustrations of the private life OF
the Egyptians. The chamber from w hich
our specimen was taken, was said TO be very
rich in such illustrations; the walls being
completely covered with fresco paintings and
bas reliefs, while statutes, vases. and Mosaic
work of rich patterns, indicated the vast
wealth of the deceased.
The treasure had been deposited in the
Museum precisely in the same condition in
which Captain Sabretash had found t.
that is TO say, the coffin had not been dis
turbed. For eight years ii had thus Stood
subject only externally to public inspection.
We had now, therefore. the complete Mum
my at our disposal; and to those who are
aware how very rarely the uuransacked an
tique reaches our shores, it will be evident.a at
once. that we had great reason to congratu-
late ourselves upon our good fortune.
Approaching the table, saw on it a large
box, or case, nearly sever feet long. andper
haps three feet wide, by two feet and half
deep. 1t was oblong-not cOfin-shaped.
The material was at first supposed 10 be the
wood Of the sycamore (platdnus,) but, upon
cutting into ii, we found it to he pasteboard.
or more properly, papier mache, composed OF
lp7pyrus. ltwas thickly ORR mented with
paintings. representing funeral scenes, and
other mournful subjects, interspersed among
which in every variety Of position, were GER
tain bieroglyphical characters intended, no
doubt, for the name of the departed. By
good luck, Mr.. Gliddon formed one of our
party, and he had no difficulty in translating
the letters, which were simply phonetic, and
represented the word, AlLamistakeo.
We had some difficulty in getting this case
open without injury, but, having at length
accomplished the task, we came to a second,
coffin-shaped, and very considerably less in
size than the exterior one, but resembling il
precisely in every other respect. The inter-
val between the two was filled with resin,
which had, in some degree, deiaced the col |
ors of the interior box.
Upon opening this latter, which we did
quite easily, we arrived at third case, also
coffn-shaped, and varying from the second
one IN no particular, exceptin that of its ma
terial, which was cedar, and still emitted the
peculiar and highly aromatic odor of that
wood. Between the second and the third
case there was no interval; the one fitting ac-
curately within the other.
Removing the third case, we discovered
and took out the body itself. We had ex-
pected to find it. as usual, enveloped in fire. |
quent rolls. or bandages, of linen, but, in |
place of these. we found asort Of sheath. |
made of papyrus, and coated with layer of
plaster, thickIy gilt and painted. The paint
iugs represented subjects connected with the
various supposed duties of the soul, and its |
presentation to different divInities, with nu-
merous identical human figures, intended, |
very probably, as portraits Of the persons en-
oalmed. Extending from head to foot, was
a coiumnar, or perpendicular inscription in |
phonetic hieroplyphcs. giving again his name |
and titles, and the names and titles of his re-
Iaions.
Around the neck fhus apsba,,I,.J .-,, ,