The Weekly comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1853-1855, 1855-10-07
OBJECT or EMBALMrNe IN EGyPT.

A French chemist, M. Julian Fon.
tenelle, in discourse pronounced on
occasion Of the opening Of an Egyp.
tan mummy in the amphitheater Of
the SorboDne, at Paris, has delivered
an opinion respecting the cause Of en-
balming in Egypt, that the Egyptians
were led to it from physical necessity.
During four months Of every year the
mum ntions of the Nile cover almost
entirely the whole surface Of Egypt,
which is under cultivation. Under the
reign Of Sesostris. for an extent Of ter
ritory of about 2250 square leagues,
according to D'Anyille, there would be
a population Of 1922 persons per square
league, which would present 100000
deaths per annum. These corpses must
be got rid of either burning or by in
terment if the latter, they must be
buried around the inhabited spots, or
in those which were inundated by the
Nile, and then the decomposition Of
those bodies would have been secure
Of destruction, and for burning there
was an insufficiency Of wood. But
the soil Of Egypt abounds in springs
of MISUNDERSTANDING of soda-and
and is this substance is perfectly an
tiseptic, the inhabitants were naturally
led to preserve with it the corpSes Of
the dead. In support Of the opinion
that sanatory views were the cause Of
embalmment down to the third cen
tnry before the Christian era, when
the practice was abandoned NJ. Fon-
tenelle observes, that during the whole
Of that period tie plague was unknown
in Egypt, where it is now endemic.
MULrUM IN PARvo.-The Rich
mond WAY Dispatch takes the follow
ing view Of the Slavery discuss on of
the day. This short paragraph con,
tains more common sense than whole
tones Of the current disquisitions and
defamation on the subject;
What a pleasant relief it would
be il both Northern and Southern
presses would rest for while from
the eternal ding dong, ofthe abolition
subject. There are certainly white
people in the United States, whose
interests deserve occasionally some
attention. Why should three mil
lions of blacks absorb the public press
and public attention to the exclusion
Of twenty millions of white men. cut
each others threats and tear down
the noblest structure of government
under the sun, on account Of three
millions Of negroes. Answer US that,
ye Northern agitators.
SENATOR SUMNER or MAssAcHU-
SETS. The Richmond Enquirer hav-
ing charged that "Senator SUMNER
stands at the head of the Northen
Know Nothing party" the National
Era, the organ of the FreesoiIers at
Washington, thus replies to the ale
cation:
1--WE happen TO know that Senator
Sumner is not "Know Nothing in
my sense of the word. He is not a
member Of the order Of Know Moth
ngs," or United Americans, and
,as no sympathy with their proscrip-
i've principles. He is the friend of
he largest liberty" for natives and
oreigners, Protestants and Catholics,
whites and blacks. We call upon the
Enquirer TO correct this misstatement,
or which il bad no reliable authority,
,ut which we doubt not it has taken for
.ranted or adopted from the loose and
eckless assertion of some Southern
+"
1t would seem from this that the
proscriptive" party has no better
riend in SUMNER than in the Rich
,ond Enquirer itself.
WASHINGTON IrEMs.-The Secre-
aries Of the different Departments are
ow all at their posts, in Washington,
nd about commencing their annual
eports, which will be very lengthy,
Il of which are to be in readiness by
re meeting Of Congress. The Presi-