The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1854-03-30

ike looking men. on tHe slues VI Ihis
mountain re,the famous tombs and grot-
toes in which are the paintings and devi-
ces, whose novelty and historical charac-
ter have excited the wonder and curiosity
of all who have seen or heard of them.
These tombs arc of variable highth in the
mountain from eighty to one hundred and
fifty feet above the river; they vary from
twenty or twenty-five to forty feet in
length, about two thirds as wide as long
and from fifteen to twenty feet high. In
some instances the walls are rough and
unornamented, but in others they have
been polished and adorned with great
skill.
"Some Of these paintings are in excel
lent style, the colors being still good. In
one place we saw the ancient gymnastic
exercises, represented with much spirit;
in another we beheld a hunting scene in
all its details. Here we look upon the
peaceful occupation of the husbandman;
there-we saw the administration Of JUS
/ tee, and bastinado being inflicted upon
men and women, the latter in sitting
posture and beaten upon the shoulders in
stead Of the feet.
Now the artist presents before Us the
various exciting scenes of war, and now
the more agreeable domestic ayocations
of every day life; the scribes register for
their master the accounts of his estates
and present them with the vouchers to
him whom they serve. The women play
on the harp OF they are engaged in pre-
pairing bread and delicacies, the servants
are occupied in catching fish in nets, or
in snaring birds and wild fowls, or in man
aging boats on the Nile, or something of
the kind, which tends to illustrate many
of the uultifarious occupations of the an
, cient Egyptians, notfar from four thousand
years ago. .''-Spencer.
In one of these tombs is remarkable
painting Of procession of strangers
which from their peculiar appearance and
from the imperfectly read hieroglyphics,
many have supposed to be the brethren
of Joseph. Wilkinson thinks it cannot
refer to them. Without the painting be-
fore US it would be impossible to Judge o.
r the merit of this question. [ have an ac-
curate copy of this painting in my collec
ton, do not think Wilkinson's objections
are insurmountable. t"t
In many of these tombs are columns
of solid stone fluited and in the Dosic or.
der. From these it is presumed the
t Greeks originally borrowed that style o
architecture. In nearly all these tomb:
are deep pits for the reception Of munmie!
/, but alas, their contents have long since
beencarried away. In vain will the wan
E 4dcring spirit retusnto seek it's ancient Aab
itation.
: tFarther up the river we landed to pay
hasty visit to the celebrated tombs o
y Benz Hassen which are situated high u
f the side of the hills, which [ reached afte
Y very toilsome walk.
Broad ways lead up to them from TIL
west, and after toiling up the unshelteret
slope, you are some what indemnifed ever
o by the extensive view it commands owe
the green valley of the river. The tomb
o are unique in Egypt, not SO much th
numerous and highly interesting repre-
sentations on the walls of Egyptian man
! ners and customs, but from the style Q
e their porticoes to the Grecian Doric, Whic]
y was probably enough derived from it, AM
i what seems to render this yet more singu
n lar, is their high antiquity and the suppo
s sition that the porticoes were initiates
o. from constructive architective eotempora
(, ry or of still earlier date; the reverse c
: which is quite as probable. Indeed thi
O. tomb opens very curious subject for spec
. ulation. The interior is very simple ant
# elegant, having central avenue of tn
If same Doric columns with a low coveret
y ceiling, which Wilkinson suggest ma,
: have been copied from stone arch; o.
a each side is an aisle, and their is a larg
. niche or recess at the end of the centra
n avenue. The walls having been prepare'
# end divided by lines into different com
h partments, were covered with an elaborat
: series Of representations which set befor
v us in the most lively style and with sur
4 prising distinctness the domestic manner
J. Of that remote period; they are indeed
Il mine to the antiquary. The colors, con
is sidering the antiquity of the tomb, ar
2 wonderfully preserved. In the style G
o execution there is no great display of art
e but the variety of the paintings is mex
h haustable. They embrace all the process
# ses of agriculture from sowing to haryes
! with fowling, fishing and hunting scenes
- some of the latter remarkable for thei
il spirit; the different trades and occupation
and even amusements, dancing, wrestlin
ID playing at draughts and ball, and tn
of mode of administering punishment, b
of the same process as at the present day
namely the bastinado