The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1864-05-27

into a sort of gallery, the floor of which
was covered with broken rock, and in
terrupted by huge deep assures. a
ledge at the side afforded tolerable
walking for some distance, in a stoop-
ing posture and then we again lay
down on our faces and crawled through
apassage twenty feet in length entering
the largest chamber in the pit
1t was very irregular chasm, per-
haps seventy or a hundred feet in di-
ameter. Entrance TO it was almost for
hidden by clouds of bats that met me
in the narrow passage through which
[ was crawling, da hing into my face,
wounding my forehead and cheeks.
chnging by scores to my hair and
beard, like so many thousand devils
disputing the entrance to hell. l can
give no adequate ideo of this chamber
of horrors in which / now found my
self Profoundly 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 sounds of another world into
which had penetrated | staggered
forward to rock, and sat down, when
"A piercing yell started me to my feet
1t rang through the cavern as if the
arch fiend himself we're there torment
ing some poor soul But it was only
one of my poor friends who were MAX
ing their first entrance to an Egyptian
catacomb, and had never before en-
coEntered the bats, with whom | was
thoroughly familiar The one who was
in advance was overwhelmed by the
army that met him rs he approached
the room.
"What is it p l shouted.
These bats they are deyouring
me-
Push on they'll not harm you
My light IS gone and l can see
nothing.
Here is my light; come toward me.
I had relit nay candle, which had been
put out as his was, and was now seated
in the centre of the cavern, on a black
rock, holding it up before my face.
As he emerged into the room, and
caught sight OF me, he uttered howl
of mingled astonishment and terror
pluto or Sathanas, by all the Gods.
said his friend, coming up behind him,
and looking at me. My appearance
must have been picturesque, IN my
primitive costume, now begrimmcd
with dirt, and seven bats they count
ed them hanging on my beard, with q
perfect network and Medusa-coil OF
them IN my hair / was very little dis
turbed 10y the harmless little fellows
although before coming to Egypt,
scarcely knew an animal in the world
so disgusting in my mind.
But the atmosphere, if it may be Sc
called, of this chamber, was beyond al
description horrible 1t was not an
air to faint in; there was too much am.
monia for that II was foul vile, ter
rible, / confess that as / found myself
painting for breath, and drawing long
deep inspirations, TO very choking
without reaching the right place IL
my lungs Il think every one under
stands that, l trcmbled for an instant
at the thought of going further. L
was but an instant, however. and tb,
desire to see the great repository o
: the sacred animals oyeIpowered tn,
momentary terror.
"Abdallah r
"Ya, Howaui."
IF anything happens; if l fall down
give out, or faint, don't You run. Tel
4 the guides that have ordered Abd-el
! Att to shoot them, man by man, a
t they come out, if one of them appear
( without me. Do you pour this dow
my throat, and drag me out to the en-
= trance. You understand? ?"
"Aiowah, VA Howalji Fear not ;
/ will do it.
e "Recollect that if | die, YOU all die
A that is arranged for, rs surely as you
e one of YOU, attempt the entrance with
y out me; Abd-el-Atti is ready for YOU
2 The guides had listened attentiyely
S and having seen me hand my pistol t
i my trusty dragoman, before cominl
+ down, they believed every word of il
P although it never occurred to me unit
y this moment
+ The guides were all at fault here
e precisely as they were III Mr.. Leigh
5 time, and that of every traveller since
t This chamber has been the end of mos
+ attempts to explore the pits The in
:, tense-darkness is some excuse for this
g since our eight candles wholly failed t
d show wall anywhere around or aboy
= us. The men proposed that we shout,
II sit still, while they tried various pas
Y sages opening out of the room. L
k this l objected, much preferring t
e trust myself at a juncture like this. L
2, that intense blackness it was not cas-
It even to find the way we had come III
II for, of course, there was no guide mort
e or south, except my recollection of tn
shape of the rock on which was seat
: ed, and its bearings as | approache
It it. The reader Will bear in mind tina
? the whole floor of the room was coy
Il cred with immense masses of rocl
i among which we moved about j
$, search of outlets, leaving always on
= person on that rock to mark its loca
l. ity.
IS After trying three passages that lie
nowhere, | hit on that one which til
7, guides pronounced correct, and til