New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-11

cutting swsy hillside, at the depth Of about lve
feet: it's right you stand facing tho nortA nj
about three inches above it. there 10 another Ass,.
Ing ct mosaic; three or four feet above the lastr
aud on its eastern SIDE, there is sill another. s
at abo't the same e'evation the other hand !,
M Figure Of Victory" Now, il the latter
is Roman-nne there can be 40 doubt Of h
is it rot more than probable that the 9th.
ers, seruai feet before soa under earh thai
brs the appearance OF being the aecuuuls.
tioa of sees, are PhUnician7 There is soo,hs,
thing worthy of particular note: the mosacs of Ms
MINER ones are imbedded in q cement about a n ncI
thick that is ex cessivr hard and has 70 be han M.
with the figures ole is desrsus Of removing ia ,c,.
feet state whereas the lower ONES after having ma.
nece of cotton cloth glued down upon their surf.oe
can be- obtained without tue cement rs It IL easily
cut ayay by sny sharp instrument MIR Davis Alec
saws that the cement which unites the stones Of The
hitter i. much irner than that which IA used o. tho
former. Furthermore, the costume Of the twv
priestesses is unlike anything ! remember to have
seen from the hands Of Greek or Roman srtisv. Il
is indeed NOR. in keeping with that Of the Hebrew
of the pretent dsy than those worn by the nnulodi.
ate descendants Of Ropulus and Remus or Of the
fair Helen. 1t consists OF an inner gown that has
long, tight sleeves asrens up closely around the neck
and falls down over the feet II has no sash or
belt or platte, but is to ct well the body
without encumbering It in ts movements is made to
weld t. the most graceful Zines Of beauty" human
firm could develup in the most studied Of artistic
attitudes Over this there is opea robe
that has the same contour as the other, but it,
sleeyes bishop are large, like those worn few
wears since, and are shown to good advantage, as
The a, NJ is raised TO place before stated an Offer
ing upop the altar. Around the neck Of this robe
and down its front, an inch or 30 FROM ts edges
around the sleeve little distance also from the
edge Of its broadcast part, II ia ornamented with
DARK band or ribbon exactly like scores Of garments
one NAV meet with on Broadway. Chestnut street.
or the Boueyards of Paris. The whole is extremely
modest chsste and simple, but tho artist was
master Of bis materials, and made the most II them
He bad no siken grdles or asses folds Of drapery
to dispose Of and his figures, il upright and action
less ould have been tiff and unatlractiye be there
fore had resort 10 'pOse' His subject in one In
stance has partially crossed her feet, and leaning
against some object that gives her entire support and
confidence; nature then al 70 him with her beautiful
curyes-the arm is put into use so as not ~ hide
them; the delicats hand is placing the Offering upon
the sltar; and indeed 30 perfect is 1t ALL one fan
cies he can almost see the wavings OF the sacred
rec that throws ts mysterious shadows around her.
We are more or less accustomed TO- or &C
auslnted with, GreciaD taste; We remember tho
rounded, naked limbs of Grecan gOddesses, aud have
fancied that he who chiseed them felt that 1t would
bs PROCLAMATION Of his art to envel"p them in sense
less robes that had no warmth 10 pulse no lite, no
breathing lines all Instinct with divinity. We re.
member, too, the long and ample TUNES OF the Ro-
man matrons, but their arms were bare, and they
we're more like herones Of the tribune or the camp
than the daughters Of mild pure and unadulteraeed
faith as these now before me impress De that they
are the modesty, the calnness the sanity rePose
in fact Of these gentle wOrshpers eyoHe IN the nea
such hun BILE haIiowed hslcyOn ASPIRATIONS that one
ia prepared 10 invest them with magnetic and
living principle.
The Pupicc inscriptions were discovered By acct.
dent. The Bey Of Tuns is building palace o.
the northern shores Of the peninsula on which Car
tbspe stood, and be sends bis men here to dig tor
the hewn stone of the ancient city. They were
working few yards defiant from the. spot where
lay the baskets of fish and flowers 'alresdy de-
scribed, and after having removed portion OF an
old wall which was about ten feet under ground,
they came to mass Of small stones that seemed 70
have been collected and thrown in there, Is the
b<nes of graveyard are sometimes heaped to.
gether when the land is required for other purpose.
These proved to be the votlve tablets above re-
terred to, and score two were thus at once OBJ
tained by Mr.. Davis, who, by his habits of observa.
ton and wachflpess secured the precious treasure
that tho Dext day would have witnessed carelessly
imbedded in mortar in q Mussulmnn mansion. Taess
tablets are usually pointed at the top are four or
FIVE inches in breadth, and eight or ten in length,
and were probably inserted in the inner fscnrs Of
some temple. A good idea of their general char.
acter may be obtained from the engrsvinss, plate
6 of Af1qre, tome 2, of l. tnirers PutorSqnt. They
are ornamented 10 various ways. Some Lave at the
apex an arm and an open hand Ito keep away evil)
resting on sort of curtain, cOrDice, or Gaping,
others, fame OF triangle, surmounted BY globe
or head. In the center, with or without border il
the inscription, which consists for the most part Of
five lines. Beneath this some have an open hand;
Others figures that are supposed tn represent Venus
otsers again, a vase or goblet. Mr. Davis is now
busiy engaged in translating them, and l am in
hopes in my next letter to be able to give you the
result of bis difficult undertaking.
Had it not been for the labors of Mr.. D., who is
Oh able scholar and al enthusiastic archaologist,
after my Owl heart, Carthage would not have pos
sessed half the charm with which ii is now invested.
There are to be seen here it is true, great mum
Der Of immense csterns, indestructible masses of
gigantic aqueduct few columns in an area that
vas .nce probably the Forum, some portion Of tho
buildings OF the Byrsa, and the etties Of the COthOD
but what fare3 these shattered, desecrated debrio
compared with whole floors of mosaic, and those
rapturous figures which seem now springing fresh
from the hand Of the artist though they may posi-
bly, have been entombed here for two thousand Eve
hundred years Great works are around me. pros
trated by the hand OF time, lettering. decayej, aud
beyond regeneration; and, though they ono to
linger among them from the Vaccinations of their
marvellous history, they weigh upon the spirits ike
forebodipg ofevil But when behold those priest
esses starting from their long silent sepuchers sad
standing in their chaste and spOtless garments
at the altsrs to offer up the first fruts of the
season 10 the gods, a beam of Joy and gladsome
light breaks through the night Of ages and
illumnes the pathway TO antiquity. know tho
exact corner Of the city where Scipio made the
famous attack hich rendered. him master ofthe
and the Notifications surrounding il, and enabled
him to penetrate to the public square, where Ms
soldiers encamped for the night but in this there Is
all that 10 painful and appalling, for thence
days, when the proud and imgs'iOus Carthage