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

iii, 1880 B. c. } beyond which are the substruc-
lions of still more ancient edIfce and finally,
in breach of the long mounds denoting the ex-
terror wall the eastern pylon, looking out TO the
Arabian Desert After brief examination OF
the principal parts, which occupied three hours,
we returned to the portal of the grand hall, and
found our breakfast ready on one of the vast
slabs. We then made second survey, traced
the wars of Osirei and Remeses, in Asia Minor
and Syria, on the exterior wall, and finished by
riding around the top Of the outer Enclosure,
fully a mile and half from every point Of
Which we had the grandest view Of the group Of
ruins
Nv ride back to Luxor toward evening, was
the next best thing after Karnak. The little ami
NAL rode had become excited by jumping over
stones and sliding down sand-heaps; our guide
began to show his Bedouin blood by dashing at
full gallop toward thu, 4ylms and refining in his
horse at bound and, to conclude, became
infected with lawless spirit that could not
easily be laid. The guides eyes sparkled when
proposed a race We left my friend and the
water-carriers, bounded across the avenue OF
sphinxes, and took smooth path leading toward
the Desert. My mare needed but a word and q
Jog of the iron stirrup. Away we flew, our ami
mails stretching themselves for a long heat,
crashing the dry douna-stalks, clearing the
water-ditches. and scattering on all sides the
Arab laborers we met After glorious gallop
of two or three miles, my antagonist was fairly
distaneed; but one race would not content him,
so we had second, and finally a third, on the
beach of Luxor. The horses belonged to him,
ana it was a matter of indifference which was
the swiftest; ne raced merely for the delight Of
it, and so did /.
The same gallant mare was ready for me at
termined on visiting Kanak again before leaving.
There was no one but the guide and |, he armed
with his long spear, and with my pistols in my
belt. There was a wan haze in the air, and a
pale halo round the moon, on each side Of which
appeared two faint mOck-moons 1t was a ghost
y light, and the fresh north-wind, coming up the
Nile, rustled solemnly In the palm-trees. We
trotted silently to Karnak and leaped our horses
over the fragments till they reached the foot OF
the first obelisk. Here we dismounted and en-
tered the grand hall of pillars. There was no
sound in all the temple, and the guide, who
seemed to comprehend my thought, moved be.
hind me as softly as shadow, and spoke not a
word 1t needed this illumination to compre.
bend Karnak The unsightly rubbish has dis
appeared the rents in the roof are atOned for by
the moonlight they admit the fragments shiv-
cred from the lips of the mighty capitals are only
the crumpled edges of the flower; maze OF
shadows hides the desoatioh Of the courts, but
every pillar and obehsk, pyon and propylon is
glorited by the moonlight. The soul of Karnak
is soothed and tranquiized. Its halls look upon
you no longer with an aspect of pain and humil-
lation. Every stone seems to say II am not
fallen, for have deiied the ages. an part OF
that grandeur which has never seen its peer, and
! shall endure forever, for the world has need of
me-"
climbed to the roof, and sat looking dewn
into the hushed and awful colonnades, till was
thoroughly penetrated with their august anasub-
lime expression | should probably have re-
manned all night, an amateur colossus, with my
hands on my knees, had not the silence been
disturbed by two arrivals of romantic tourists
an BDglishman and two Frenchmen. We ex-
changed salutations, and mounted the restless
mare again, touched her side with the stirrup,
and sped back to Luxor The guide galloped
beside me- occasionally hurting his spear into
the air and catching it it fell, delighted with
my readiness to indulge his desert whims.
found the captain and sailors all ready and my
friend smoking his chibouk on deck. In half an
hour we had left Thebes. BIT