Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1857-08-19
A DESCENT INTO THE CATACoMBs.

Wnere the ancient Egyptians Durieu theli
dead. The crocodile was regarded by them as
sacred, or rather, perhaps, they had sacred
crocodiles, and these, like the bodies OF the
Egyptians themselves, were embalmed and de-
posted in the caverns used for burial places.
The following thrilling account of a descent
| into the Catacombs is from William G. Prime {
ssBoat Life in Egypt and Nubia:'-
The descent into the cavern was by sitting
on the edge, swinging off with one hand on
each side of the hole, and dropping into the
depths below, where soft bed of sand received
us, in chamber just large enough to hold the
eight persons of whom the party consisted-all
standing in STOPPING posture, while we lighted
our candles and arranged for progress tossed
my tarbouche and takea up to my dragoman,
Abdel-Atti, and left my head bare. Then
following the principal guide, lay down fiat
on my face, holding my candle before me, and
| began to advance with as close resemblance
| to snakes motion as human yertcbrae will ad-
nit of. My own guide and Abdallah followed
| me /; the English gentleman next, and the drag
omar and guide bringing up the rear. pro-
gressed slowly and with great difficulty, con-
stantly bruising my back on the sharp points
of the rock above me, some five or six yards.
Leigh calls it eight, but think it is not much
We were now able to stand up again in a steop-
ing posture, the ceiling being little over four
feet high, and thus advanced eight or ten yards
further until we reached the chamber of which
Mr.. Leigh speaks. am of the opinion that
We had now arrived just under the bed of the
torrent have spoken of, and that the entire
4
raj fissure in the rock, running under the point
of meeting of two hills, and following the line
of the valley between them. This is, of course,
a conjecture, as did not take a compass with
me to determine the course. The chamber
was small, irregular, cavernous room, the
floor of which was covered with shapeless mas
ses OF stone that had fallen from the reof. O.
yer these we stepped with some difficulty.
need not remark that the darkness was pro-
found, and the air so close that our candles
burned but dimly, SO that each man was o.
blged to hold his own at his feet to determine
where to set them. Crossing the room, we step
ped over a chasm between a mass of rock and
the wall of the chamber, to point in the wan
which presented a rugged edge, and from this
into narrow doorway, about four feet high.
call it doorway, for it resembles one, though
could find no signs of artificial origin about
it. 1t was almost square, ard opened into a
sort of gallery, the floor of which was covered
with broken rock, and interrupted by huge,
deep assures. A ledge at the side afforded toll
cradle walking for some distance, in a stoop-
ing posture; and then We again lay down on
our faces, and crawled through passage twen-
ty feet in length, entering the largest chamber
in the pit.
1t was very irregular chasm. perhaps sew
enty or hundred feet in diameter. Entrance
to it was almost forbidden by clouds of bats,
that met me in the narrow passage through
which was crawling, dashed into my face,
wounding my face and cheeks, clinging by
scores to my hair and beard, like SO many thou
sand devils disputiDg the entrance to hell. l
can give no adequate idea of the chamber Of
horrors in which now found myself. Pro-
foundly silent, we had crawled along, each
man having a fast beating heart, and listening
to its throbs and now as emerged into this
room, the loud whirr of the myriads Of bats
was like the sound of another world into which
1 had penetrated. 1 staggered to a rock, and
sat down, when piercing yell started me to
my feet. 1t rang through the cavern as if the
arch fiend himself were there, tormenting some
poor soul. But it was only one Of my poor
friends, who were making their first entrance
to an Egyptian catacomb, and had never before
encountered the bats, with whom was thor
oughly familiar. The man who was in advance
was overwhelmed by the army that met him as
he approached the room.
oWhat is it % shouted.
s.These bats they are devouring me-"
aPush on; they'll not harm you."
ssMy light is gone, and can see nothing"
sHere is my lght-come toward it," had
rclit my candle, which had been put out as his
was, and was now seated in the centre of the
cavern, on black rock, holding it up before
my face. As he emerged into the room, and
caught sight of me, he uttered q howl of ming
led astonishment and terror.
ssPluto or Sathanas, by all the Gods!" said
his friend, coming up behind him and looking
| at me. My appearance must have been pictur-
esque, in my primitive costume, now begrim-
med with dirt, and seven bats (they counted
thcm) hanging on my beard, with perfect net
| work and Medusa coil of them in my hair.
was very little disturbed by the harmless little
fellows, although before coming to Egypt,
scarcely knew of an animal in the world 30 dis
gusting to my mind. But the atmosphere, if
it may be so called, of this chamber, was be-
yond all description horrible. It was not an
air to faint in--there was too much ammonia
| for that It was foul, vile, terrible. confess,
| that as found myself painting for breath, and
,$v-nfS N 0H-