The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-05-29

mud houses, overshadowed with palms-and |
marked by faint line of causeway here and
there, and by many threads of blue water.
To the East was the Nile, about five miles
from us at the nearest point, but winding u
way from the iarthest North 10 the utmost
South. Beyond the river spread the beauti-
fu City of Cairo; its white citadel browning
a lofty rock, and being itself backed by the
rocky heights oftheMokuftum Hills. These
Eastern hills then spread away Southwark
into the Arabian Desert, which allowed the
eye no rest till it came round to the river u
gain. The circuit of the landscape was COM
pleted by the Lybian Desert; the parched,
glaring desert, where nothing was TO be
seen on the interminabe sands but line of
camelS pacing along in the heat, and few
brown Arab tents, not far from the Pyramid.
For a few miles to the South of us, and close
round about us, were clustered a crowd of
Pyramids larger, some smaler-but
none to compare with the one we stood on.
Of these, the most interesting were those of
Sakhara, which we had visited the day before
They stand amid the Necropols-the great
burying ground of the mighty old city of Mem
phis-Of which nothing now remains but
statue here and there, and some scattered
blocks of sculptured stone; nothing else but
| the tombs, which are enough to show that
! this was a great city indeed.
! Here, in these tombs, which are chambers
cut out ofthe rock, and adorned with columns
and pictured walls; in these tombs and others
were men busy sculpturng and painting at
time when we have been apt to suppose
the earliest generations were learning how to
live on the rude earth. These pictures on
the walls, however, show the way OF life OF
the Egyptians to be not very far behind our
own. / have seen what the possessions of
| Ia
ais in the chambers Of their graves. have
seen their fiocks of cattle, their poultry yards,
their fields in seedtme and harvest, their fish
cries, their hunting and shooting parties, their
boats with many oars and gay chequered
sails; their beautiful furniture, couches. easy
chnirs. lamps and vases, very like the hand
soonest of ours at the present day: their
kitchens, with the Strengthening of cattle. aud
the cooking oftlle joints of beef; their wine
presses, and their wardrobes ofrich clothes
and handsome necklaces; their arms, and
war chariots, and the bridges and fortified
towns they passed over or stormed. have
seen the weaving ofgay cloth, and the steep
ing and spinning of flax; rope making; glass
blowing, Just such as may be seen at New
, castle any day; the building of houses, the
I carving of statues; games at ball and gym
nastics, dancing, wrestling, and playing the
! harp.
, What is of far more consequence, as oc-
curing long before any clear tidings that we
, have elsewhere OF mems condition of mind
and life-there are solemn pictures and sculp-
lures about death and burial, and the state
, ofthe soul. | have seen the body laid out
, and embamed, carried on bier To the boat
and borne in the boat TO the lake or river
J which usually lay between the cities and the
burial places. have seen the terryman, the
/ 4, b;,l, an ba and
, the Judges who were to assess the deeds OF
, the deceased. have seen the weighing OF
: his deeds and his admission into the pres
ence of the approving gods, by means of hi :
I interrity-the symbol ofwhch he carried IN
, his right hand. Thus early did the people
of this country believe that the soul lived al
= ter the body was dead and thar its integrity
} was the means of its blessedness.
These tombs had been prepared for then
, owners occupied by the embalmed bodies
. and closed up for far future age to open
; the mighty Pyramids had been built, and
! their appearance had grown familiar to gen
a erations; and their buAders-tens of thou
e sands in number-had long slept in thell
e graves, VIXEN a rich Arab entered the coun
h try, with his fiocks and servants, and family
S 10 seek subsistence for them all N the fertile
n valley of the Nile, as the people on his oWr
plains were more than could be fed. This
: rich Arab and his train traversed the Delta
no doubt, to arrive at the great city of the
, great monarch of Lower Egypt; and he must
it is thoughthave seen the Obelisk now stand
p ing at Heliopolis, which all travellers admire
I and have looked with amaZement like ours a
: the Great Pyramid. This visitor was receiv'
n ed with favor and pomp by the mighty king
: and made much of for time. This was A
$ BRAHAM. As l stood, the other day looking
L. Il Ls, and yunnIlnFInp I
S To- in seeing the very things he saw, and con-
, sideruig how refined and advanced were the
: people whom be visited. the history of the
' world did appear to stretch itself out so as tc
+ confound our early notions, and made us
< humble as to the rapdity ofhuman progress
. In those days, women reigned and were
+ obeyed without question. Not only were
: there long and regular reigus, but the SUI
3 premacv was unquestioned when IN the
D hands of a woman; token of high civliiza
= ticn; as was the function of the priesthood
' with whom was lodged u science and philos
v ophy which we have reason to believe lla
since commanded the veneration ofthe world
/ when delivered by Greeks, and might do Sc
still, five coUld fully recover them.
1 A few generations after this, young sav'
: was brought into the country, and placed II
e the house of an officer ofState. We all know
{ the story ofJoseph-howhe became the Min
5 lister ofthis great country in its rising great
y ness; and how he changed the whole politlea
condition ofEgyPt by buying up all che lane
: for the Monarch. From the time'ofthat Sew
= en- Years Famine, the Kings of Egypt wer'
y possessors ofthe whole land and riXer-as thu
2 present Ruler is at this day; and, as at thi
= day. the provision for an unmltigated despo
4 tisTn was complete: as also, for great improve
Y ments, under the swayOfa wise Soyereiign;a'
l object which Joseph may have had in view a