New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-03-26

! and erected another and loftier pylon, looking
toward Karnak, and adorned with two obelisks
of red granite and four colossal statues OF him.
self The houses Of the village completely NIL
the peristyle, and the pillars are all plas.ered
over with mud. In order to ascend the pylon,
we were obliged 10 pass through school, IN
which thirty or forty little Luxorians were con-
ming their scraps Of the Koran. Theyimmediate-
! ly surrounded us, holding up their tin slates,
scrubbed with Arabic characters, for our IN
spection, and demanding backshish for their pro
hciency. The gray bearded pedagogue tried TO
quiet them, but could not prevent several from
following US The victories of Remeses are
sculptured on the face of the towers Che pyloh,
but his colossi solid figures of granite which SIT
on either side of the entrance, have been much
defaced. The lonely obelisk, which stands
| little in advance, on the left hand is more per-
feet than its Partisan mate. From this stately
entrance, an avenue of colossal sphinxes once
extended to the Ptolemaic pylon OF Karnak,
distance of mile and half. The sphinxes have
disappeared, but the modern Arab road leads
over it's cite, through field Of waste grass.
KARNAK BY SUN AND MOON.
long procession of camels, donkeys and Desert
Arabs armed with spears toward Karnak, the
greatest ruin in the world, the browning triumph
of Egyptian power and Egyptian art. Except
broken stone here and there protuding through
the SOIL the plain is as desolate as lift had never
| been conscious of human dwelling, and only
| on reaching the vicinity of the mud hamlet of
| Karnak, can the traveller realize that he is in
Thebes. Here the camel-path drops into a
broad, excavated avenue, lined with fragments
of sphinxes and shaded by starveling acacias.
Al you advance, the sphinxes are better pre-
served and remain seated on their pedestals, but
they have all been decapitated. Though of
colossal proportions, they seated so close to
each other, that it must have required nearly
| two thousand to form the double row to Luxor
| The avenue finally reaches a single pylon, Of
majestic proportions, built by one of the Ptole-
mics, and covered with profuse heroglyphics
| Passing through this, the sphinxes lead you to
| another pyloD, followed by pillared court and
temple built by the later Remesides This,
| thought, while my friend was measuring the
| girth of the pillars, is good beginning for Kar-
max, but it is certainly much less than expect
Iaal min hennee" (come this way y called the
| guide as if reading my mind, and led me 10 the
heaps of rubbish to the roof and pointed to the
north.
All, there was Karnak Had been blind up
to this time, or had the earth suddenly heaved
ont of her breast the remnants of the glorious
tempe' From all parts of the plain of Thebes
| had seen it in the distances huge propylon, a
.bo
the palms. Whence this wilderness of ruins,
spreading so far as to seem city rather than
temple-pylon after pylon, tumbling into enor-
nous cubes of stone, long colonnades, support
ing fragments of Titanic roofs, obelisks of red
granite, and endless walls and avenues, branch
ing out TO isolated portals Yet they stood as
silently amid the accumulated rubbish of nearly
four thousand years, and the sunshine threw its
yellow luster as serenely over the despoilsd
sanctuaries, as lift had never been otherwise
since the world began. Figures are of no use,
in describing place like this, but since must
use them, may say that the length of the ruins
before us, from west to east was 200 feet and
that the total circumference of Kamak, includ
ing its numerous pyle, or gateways, is a mile
and half
We mounted and rode with fast-beating hearts
to the western or main entrance, facing the Nile.
The two towers ofthe propylon--pyramidal mass
es ofsod stoneare 800 feet in length, and the one
which is least ruined.i is nearly 100 feet in hight
On each side of the sculptured portal connect.
ing them, is tablet left by the French army, re.
cording the geographical position of the princi-
pal Egyptian temples. We passed through and
entered an open court, more than 300 feet square.
with corridor of immense pillars on each side
connecting 1t with the towers of second pylon,
nearly as gigantic az the first. A colonnade OF
lofty shafts, leading through the center Of the
court, once united the two entrances, but they
have all been hurled down and lie as they fell,
In long lines of dsjointed blocks, except oae
which holds its solitary lotus-bell against the
sky. Two mutilated coiossi of red granite still
guard the doorway, whose Intel stones are 40
feet in length Climbing over the hnge rag
ments which have fallen from above and almost
blocked up the passage, we looked down into
the grand hall of the temple.
knew the dimensions of this hall, beforehand;
knew the number and size of the pillars, but
was no more prepared for the reality than those
will be, who may read this account of it and al.
terward visit Karnak for themselves Ii is the
great good'luck of travel that many things must
be seen to be known. Nothing could have CON-
| pensated for the loss OF that overwhelming con-
fusion OF awe, astonishment and delight, which
came upon me like food. looked down an
avenue OF twelve pillars-six on each side
each of which was sc feet in circumference and
nearly so feet in hight Cushjng az ue,a ,haso
ponderous masses Of sculPtured stone, the
spreading bell of the lotus blossoms which
crowned them, clothed them with an atmo-
sphere OF hghtness and grace. Ia front, over
the top OF another pile of colossal blocks. two