The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1852-02-28
Visit to the Pyramids g. Memphis

writing from Egypt, gives the following highly
Interesting account Of a visit to the newly dis
covercdruins Of Memphis, and to the Pyramids
IN its vicinity:
Day before yesterday was one Of the most
memorable days Of my life | visited the Pyra.
IhIds aud Memphis-uot the mounds Of the sup
posed Memphis, which the woild believed lost
forever, Dnt the real Memphis, with its streets,
palaces aud temples, exhumed from the deyour
ny sands and fresh us when first erected hi.
dIscoyery-not even second to that of Nneyeh-
will surprise you who have scarcely received
lhe iirst faint rumors Of it. You may then Judge
how /. impressed me, who, two days ago. was
no less Ignorant. But the experience Of the en-
tlfa day was Of SO unusual character, that |
must give You It's history in detail, and eu,rsa:
your patience with regard to Memphis, until
reach It IN the regular course If events.
ON awnking befure sunrise at Gizeh. we fonnd
our donkeys IN readiness, aud | besrode tie
saiue faithful little gray who had lor three day :
carried me through the bazaars of Cairo We
lei' orders for the rds to go OF wlh the C2topa
ira 10 Eedracheyn, a village near the supposed
lie of Memphis, and taking A,hmct with u,, rode
OH gay amnng the mud hoycls and under the
date trees 81 Glzch, on our way to tie Pyfamd-
Near the extremity Of The village, We entered
one oI ihr large rhirEru,h,trhiuc establishments
/ tor which the place i famed but found il empty.
We dhtHtbed Wus,rOus family cuuched tOgvth
/ er on the clay floor, crept an or hands and
knees through two ssIall holes, aud Inspected
sundry ovens covered with a laycr Of claif and
redplcnt of mild moist heat aud feather,
smell. The owner informed us that for the fins
four or five days the eggs were exposed to smoke
a- well as heat, and that when the lrd, began
to pick the shell, which generally took place in
- days, they were placed in another oven and
caui,ily aCcOuchcd
The rising sun shone rcdly on the Pyramids. as
we rode out on the broad harvest land Of the
Nile The black, unctiou5 loan was still too
moist from the inundatlun TO be plowed, except
III spots, here and there, but even where the wa
ter had scarce cwporattd, millions Of germs were
pushing their slender blades up to the sunshine
In this prolific soil the growth Of grain is visible
from day to day. The Fellahs were ut work on
all sides, preparing for planting, and the ugaiuy
bnifaocs drew their long plows slowly through
the soil, When fcshly-turned, the earth has Il
rici, soft lustre, like dark.bruwn velvet. beside
wLich, the fields Of young wheat, beans and len
tll, glitter with the most Brilliant green The
laiks sang in the air. aud lock> Of white pigeons
clustered like blossoms on the tops Of the syca.
morc'. Here, in November 1t WAS the fruSheat
and most nnimating picture Of spring The iii.
rect road to the Pyramids was impossible, on
accsunt Of the water, and We rode along the top
Of dyke, inter,ected by canals, to the edge oi
the ly hian Desert-a distance Of nearly 0 miles
Tie rupures in the dyke obliged ns occasionally
To dlSmount and at the last canal, which cuts of
the advancing sands from the bpunteous plain on
the other SIDE our donkcys were made to swim,
while we wcie carried across on the shoulders of
two naked Arabs They had run ou, in advance
To meet Us, halling Us with many English and
French phases, and half dozen boys. with ear.
then bottles, which they had jus, filed from the
Shiny canal, crowded after them insisting in very
good English, that we should drink at once aud
take them with Us to the Pyramids.
Our donkey : hOofs now sank deep in the Ivb.
ian sands, and We locked up to the great stone
piles of Cheops. Ceplrencs and Mycerinus, net
more than half a mile distant. Our sunrise view
Of the Pyramids on leaving Gzoh was sufficient.
had ] gone no further, aud approached them
without violent emotion, but with quiet feeling
ofthe most perfect satisfaction The form OF the
Pyramid is 50 simple and complete, that nothing
Is left to the Imagination. Those vast yellowish
gray masses. whose feet are wrapped in the 81.
lent sand, and whose tops lean agalns, the serene
blue heaven, enter the mind and remain in the
memory with no shock Of surprise, no -,ir Of un-
expected admiration. The impression they give
and leave, Is caIm grand, and enduring as them
selves.
The sun elared hot on the sand as We toilei IN
the ascent to the base Of Chcops whose sharp
corners were now broken into zigzags by the lay.
ers Of stone. As we dismoun,cd IN his shadow,
at the foot Of the path which leads up to the en-.
trance, on Ike northern side dnacn Arabs be-
Get US. They belonged 10 the regular head who
have the Pyramids in charge and are so rcnown.
cd Tor their impudencc, that 1t Is customary to
employ the lanissOry Of some Consulate at Cairo
ms II protection Before leaving Giseh | gave
Achmot my sabre, which thought would he n
sthcient show 10 secure us from their lmportu
mites. However, when we hnd mounted 10 the
entrance and were preparing To climb to the sum
NIT, they demanded dollar from each fnr their
company on the way This was Just double the
usual fee, and We fa,ly refused the demand Nv
FRIEND in the meantime, had become so giddy
from the few steps he had mounted, that he de.
cided to return, and ordered Achme,, who
Arabs to their howlngs. Their leader instantly |
sprang before him, aid attempted to force him
back This was too much ior hchme,, who
thrust the man ,.ilc whercupon h. WIS instant.
" hpsrt by Nlcr ur four aud received several
'rl blows lhcshug o Jo,k place iu.t on he
' 1gr It the stonc., and ho Wn, rrnlcut cnourh
foo dnr l.. ns.s'nn', into 'hr op.n .pnri, huiufp
ha grI.ncy ut Dee Isrymu lly G,ud -pr ng
u"lu. '.' group with liz ranr, aud called To-
'hr doukcy driver to bring up my sabre but by
His time Achmet had released himself, with the
oss Of his turSnn II