The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-04-25

and that the majority Of those into whose hands
mis- letter may chance TO fall viii think that your
more appropriately employed in bear-huntin6 than
in wandering amidst the ancient ruins Of Upper
Egypt. Bat must write as / feel; and my i'm
pressions, whatever they may be, "good, bad, or
Indifferent" such as they are, you shall always
have them. Even if condemnation, for want Of
classic appreciation, were staring me in the face,
could never give utterance TO enthusiasm that did
not feel, merely because it had become "fashion-
able" to do so.
People visiting Thebes borrow, it seems to me,
the impressions and descriptions Of Hsrodotus and
others, who wrote Of the Temple Of Karnac some
centuries more than two thousand years ago. They
appear to forget that twenty-five hundred years
are something even in the history Of Egyptian
antiquities, and go of with a recollection Of the
Temple rs ii was, rather than rs il is. A man who
reads that the field Of ruins at Karnac is mile in
diameter-that the dimensions Of the great edifce
are 200 feet in length, and 40 in breadth-that,
grand and imposing as this principal fame il, it
sinks into obscurity when compared with the elc-
gance and magni6cenee of the surrounding build
ings-that there avenues of gigantic sphinxes,
miles long-that lofty gatoways of polished granite
and numerous obelisks adorn tho approaches to the
Temple-that numberless colossi keep guard over
the sacred recesses, the walls and columns Of which
are painted in the most gorgeous colors-he, say,
who reads all this, and comes to Thebes with hia
imagination excited by such glowing descriptions,
must be inevitably disappointed in the extent and
the preservation of the ruins.
The great hall measures only ITO feet by 329; but
it is supported by l3i enormous columns. There Is
a central avenue Of these man moths of architecture,
G6 feet high and 81 feet in circumference, besides
l22 others in the body Of the Temple, of smaller or
rather less gigantic dimensions which measure 45
feet in height and 27 feet in circumference. These,
and the walls of the Temple, covered with
Egyptian inscriptions and figures, and were origi-
naly rich cooitd; but time has scarcely left
trace of their former brilliancy. The Egyptians
ignorance Of tho arch rendered this multitude of
columns absolutely necessary to sustain the Nat
roof, which formed by immense stones extend
ing fr,m one column to another In their style
there is nothing to recommend them. except their
immensity-no grace, no elegance. The capitals OF
the larger ones as nearly resemble inverted hand
bell, Of awkward construction, as anything else
can think Of but those Of the others resemble no
thing that have in art architecture unless
and little ut the top" bullying considerably beyond
the massive bulk of the columns, and slightly taper
ing toward the top. They give the whole an APP
pearance excessively heavy and ungraceful.
The splendid piles Of surrounding buildings have
either vanished, or have never existed but in the
maginations of excited authors. Those stately
avenues Of sphinxes, miles in extent, have shrunk
into irregula. rows of headless figures one or two
hundred yards long. square court, i'll one of the
numerous approaches to the Temple, was originally
adorned by four elegant obelisks, single one Of
which, eight feet square, now rears itself nnetytwo
feet among the shattered ruins of ito fellows. In
the same approach, rather nearer the Temple, one
Of two others, of slighter but more graceful and
beautiful proportions, sstil standing whilst its mate
has been broken of about the middle, and tumbled
down into atoms. There are gateways of polished
granite The colossi, stationed at the different por
tails have been demolished with such elaborate care
that few remain, even in cruelty mutiatcd state,
to tell what they and their fellows havo been. The
gorgeous coloring, which should dazzle the behold
er, has faded into few faint stresks of tarnished
paint, scarcely perceivabe, and often unnoticed IN
til the attention was called to it. And the many
figures Of GODS warriors, and priests exhibiting to
the eyes OF some surprising grace and beauty"
in used owds Of looE md
yiduas, infexibly erect who appear to stalk along
with the stitiy measured tread Of men on stills.
But whether engaged in solemn professions. in
offering sacrifices before the affairs, or in paying
their respects to their hawk and ram headed
deies their curious costumes, their fantastic head
dresses, Of LOFTY pyramidal proportions, and the
very popularity of their anatomical arrangements.
excite the interest and curiosity Of the traveller
their very gr0te squeness makes them pleasing-snd
man finds himself eagerly studying their indi-
vidunl occupations.
Upon the exterior walls of the Temple are sculp-
tured those celebrated battle scenes, which rival
authors have displayed their eoquence in extolling.
According to the slightly inns ginstive, and the
tquarians, these clumsily executed bas-relicfs
present all sorts Of stirring of war and blood
shed, as cgibly and commercially as if written out
IN fair Roman characters. The heroic shicf per-
forms prodges Of yalor-hc rushes hther and
thithor in his war chariot-slays hostile princes.
and finally puts the whole army to Iii ght. The
vanquished take refuge in a neighboring wood,
where the coLqueror sends a herald, Offering them
their lives, on condition Of future obedience to his
will, and the payment Of tribute. The heated
sovereign, during the absence Of the herald alghts
from his car and awaits their answer-the mission
is succos.iul, ard all the fugitives make abject
submission. And finally, the fierce hero, in a sort
OF iuml hal procession, to give his enemies slight
evidt bcc OF his prowess, tucks captive prince
under each arm, and valiantly marches on with an
immense number of prisoners, in lines like pieces of
spitted kidney, following in the rear. All this.
properly worked up, and eloquenty garnished,
,lr a
but am inclined ID think that few gentlemen, who
are lot bent pcrpctrating pedantic folly Of tho
sort, would have the patience, even with the de-
scriptors in hand, to follow the chief through all
the exciting mazes OF the battle. There are GER
tainly unmis ,akablc evidences Of fierce contest
there really well executed horses in war-charots
Ilunging through crowds of very awkward wooden
looking men-there swords aud Javelins in
abundancc-therc are heaps of dead and dying and
crowds of intensely wrctched.looking individuals,
in chains. that doubt capivcs; but, rs to the
elegance and animation Of the representation, said
TO be worthy Ct of lIomers descriptions, II Is
all emphatilally stuff And would ms soon think
Of Attempting 10 uniuyel SPIDERS web as to trace
tho highly imaginative and glowing description,
the synopsis Of which ! have given above. The
warriors all rather exaggerate! specimens Of
humanity, with an arm awkwardly hung to their
brclst., and another to their backs. They seem to
be altogether destitute of joints. and whom motion
is repre- scnted. they reminded me OF the movements
I Of clumsily constructed automaton, whose hinges
wore sadly IN want OF greasiDg.
NJ wish has been, IN dwelling thus long on par
ticula3.. 20 .how that the Thcbes had known on
Inrer. was not the Thebes found in the valley OF
the Nile. And yet. would not willingly convey
the III precision that was not deeply interested in
ms welt 10 the hundred gated city" Everything.
though certainly not beautiful, il massive and inn
posing. There IN food for reflection and study ut
every tufn. nc mysterious picture-wrlting upon
the column and obClisks, the bas-rclefs thems Ives.
ara fall o. interest And. although cannot admire
their PROPORTIONS vet they have their charms from
their northumberland hfillingly interest
TIL HUMAN figure. at a Ieriod when all other an
ciDnt naii1rs among whom the arts have nourshed,
wcrs ,till wrapped in barbarism have never secn
anything in architecture more grand and impress
Se, than the lefty gatewys that lead t. the tenn
pie. And although time has shortened the avenues
" sphinNes and those that remain have been cruel
~ mutatci by the blind rage OF victorious invaders
although the ,olossi were demolished during tho
same invasion ~ tte peisians, yet thc venerable
l....h Ii Mini d.. md