Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1850-09-02
MISCELLANEOUS.
Foreign Correspondence
} L Il Ii l. l.OlI = AILI IE IOIf Il u 4

OF THE LOUISVILLE JoURNAL.
Turnrs. 1910.
GtNrLrMEN: It was evening when hoat touchej
the western bank Of the Nrle where sill sfoad sone
venerable relics of "hnndred gated" Th,brs The sun
was fast sinking behind the mountains OF yellow sione
that cast thei long shadows across the desoate PLAIN.
herds Of bleailng goats were being slowly driven 10 then
folds by their yeuthl attendants, and solitary ROW fol
lowed a narrow path aud frequently lowed as she dew
near home. Every thing It'd Of declining day. The
deeper shades of nehr began To gather around Tho dis
ant liahs OF the village Were seen gIlmmeng through
the darkness; aud the hoarse barking Of the house dog
made the surrounding loneliness more dismal by show
ING how near human hahilaors were at hand | could
but feel that this barren plain mighty cty's grave
1t adorned by the palaces If wealth aud super
sttou's gorgeous hnes II WIS thea gaddrued by The
busy hum Of hiusands. Ports ard historians Nad with
each other in publishing lis splcndos But now how
changed All silence. ruin. and dcs lalioo. And
The empty mummy pits aud few broken walls were
all that were here 10 f, the 1hobcs had ever been
We hurried Tie stars. one by one, perpad forth
ill the whole heavens as brightly studded in the
ralniesi days f the fallen city. We has ily dsnunte
al ruined tmple. and passing through m open court
lined on each side with colossal figures we stuod before
the famous saue + Mmn,n There hc lay, huge, pros-
ta,e, md broken hkehs natiun sshacr dgWanrss het
how impressive even in his fall Immortal in his very
ruins. How many gentr itions + petty have gono
To their gravs since this wondt u statue reduced
a
way before the last day. when even Mcmmon shall be
called upon 10 yield nj his granite fragments!
This statue Is something worthy the Wanted glury Of
Thehcs II surpassed all prcconccived mott oi its i'm
mensy; II amaz me beyond all description. 1remen
dous The wer must have been that qnatred, scnlp
urcd aud reaied This enormous mass, the agent ol us
desrruc ION could mol have been less gigantic. did moi
wander lis proportions than that mass Of gan
c, which, in It's senlpulcd state measured twenty six
feet between The shoulders fifty four around the chest
and htern from the shoulders to the elbow, should,
without the agency ofgunplWdor, have been ieafny
shattered. One must needs pause and reflect whlt
space enty SIX feet bere he conceive the
gigantic peror lnns of human figure which measures
that number If feel across the back. The detached foot
of this erani sler which retains its polish aud per
feet flsh even 10 he ine-nails forms welghy nlass
My wonder grew vi gazing; and the time. the place,
and the statue fl ed with em0ions can never for
get The period, and the Of its erection, and
the story Of lis fall, shrouded iii mystery; aud he
very doubts ha, hang them heghten The interest
inspired by This ruined wonder.
Although yllght dispell d some Of the romantic in
shed this colossal heap by The stars found
it needed none Of the exagcraun Of night 10 heghten
lis wonders. thought then, as had done on the even
ing brtore that surely cuplure had never achieved 81
wonde ful triumph. The entire statue preserves In
the most remarkable manner, the fine polished originally
impaired IT, and he hieunlypics upon the backs If
the arms are as perfect as if cut but yesterday. Time
have exerted Influence upon il, even since
it was hurled down and broken by the mysterious IN
sttumen of It's d, slmeton And. had hostlc power
waged vengeful against il, it would have appeared
day fesh aud unnued If jus, from he chlsel of
the sculptor.
The great aim of the ancient Egpytansappears to have
been rather to works which, fom their massive
proportions and the durabl- quality of the materials.
might preserve the history If their country than pro
duce more beanifl but less lasting monuments, the
memory Of whose loyeinfss must live alone in history
they to have oresern that their moustrons podnc
lions would ouilive all other human records aud throw
light pom The early history Of Egypt. centuries after eye
ry OTHER means had pefl-hed. With this glorious and
pa rihic obj ct in view To- me they did noby
in prerrng The Colossal TO the beautiful aud tint they
deserve the gratude of modern nations IN yedrg mp
the exquisite bat pershahle charms Of marble for the
ard lasting qualities Of h. grane and although no
degree Of cultivation could have e0shled then 10
give the cold hard gantc the glowing and animated
beauty of which marble is capabe, yet had they been
selfish in preferlng The latter. all knowledge Of Egyp
tian art would have been list t, In" world
Turning faces more toward the river, we
stumbled some quarter # mite through tho increased
darkness where ihe celebrated vocal Nemnon aud his
sit alone in the pain. 50 far removed from
all other ruins the effect of these two solitary siaturs
sitting aloof from all else. and silently commnnng with
each other, is singular in the extreme The growing
gloom aed their mntaon and served exaggeraie
their overgrown proportions. with their hands res
ng upon their knees they appeared in profound rcposr
and their immense figures clearly defined against the
sar-t sky lowered 81 feet toward heaven. There hey
sat like twin spirits Of The suroun ing desoatlon. Grim
and gigantic they seemed 10 be gnatlng over the ruin OF
all that was grand and beautiful.
The vocal statue, which was believed by the ancienis
each morning have saued the rising SUM- with strnin
of melancholy music, is slightly the largest nt the
two the other. which sits few yards distant in precisely
the posior is by many supposed TO be the stane
uf a woman, from some PECULIARLY oI head dfss he
thrones upon which they sit handsomely ornamened
by figures hch appear to be binding together the liant