The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-06-09

when these identical remains were dis
covered, he gives the account of their
being found in the words of his supcrin- !
tcndcnt, who thus minutcly records the
details:
"By your request | send you the par |
ticuar5 of the finding of the bones,
mummy-cloth, and parts of the coffin |
in the third pyramid. In clearing the
rubbish out of the large cntrancc-room,
after the men had been employed there
several days and had advanced some
distance toward the southeast corner,
some bones were first discovered all to-
gcthcr, and no parts of the coffin or
bones could be found in the room. ]
therefore had the rubbish, which had
been previously turned out of the same
room, carefully re-cXamincd, when Sow
cral pieces of the coffin and the mummy
were found. There was about three feet
of rubbish on the top of the lid; and
from the fact of the bones and part of
the coffin being all found together, it APP
DNtllNNN IL lltlNl lltNll
to that spot, and there unpackcd."
1t is known that the Saraccns broke
into and plundercd the Pyramids during
the thirteenth century Of the Christian
era. EdriSri, an Arabian author of re-
putc, who gives an account of opening
| the Pyramid, on the authority of one
who was present on the occasion, says:
"Aftcr they had worked at it for six
months in great numbers, hoping to find
treasure, they came at last to Il long blue
basin. When they had broken the COW
: cring of it they found nothing but the
t dccaycd, rotten remains of man, but
, no treasure by his side, excepting some
golden tablets, inscribed With characters
of language nobody could understand.
: Each mans share Of these amounted to
f one hundred dinars."
The golden tablets inscribed in an un-
| known language were of course carried
= off by the plundercrs, who, though un-
C able to comprehend the mysteries of
; hicroglyphics, we'll understood that uni
= vcrSal tongue which has been the circu-
lating medium of all ages and all people
from the beginning of the world. The
long blue basin, in other words the sar-
cophagus, which once held the coffin OF
: King Mykerinus, remained in its orig
d inal position until six centuries later
the explorations of Colonel Nysc tool;
G place. The sarcophagus was then fount
l. TO be composed of bassalt, which bore 9
:, fine polish of mixed blue and brown
Is color. The exterior WAS very beautifully
Is carved in compartments not unlike tn,
1t Doric style, which confirms the opinion
e that GrCcian architecture owes its Origin
i to Egypt.
$ Unfortunately the ship containing thi
l. beautiful tomb was wrecked off th'
y coast of Spain, and thus what was dies
Is tined for England became irrccOvcrabl,
d lost in the depths of the sea. But it
l. more precious contents, which Edrisi s.
L ignobly described as " the decaycd, rot
n ten remains of q man." and which ar
IS in reality the veritablc bones Of goo'
X King Mykerinus, whose interesting his
/, tory proves him to have been ono of tn
= best and greatest of the ancient Pha
ID raohs, are visible to the present genera
'e ton; in the estimation of some tn
IS most valuable, as they certainly are tn
Il most ancient of all the archaeological
is treasures contained in the British Mu
'd scum.
a. The gods of Egypt have long passe'
~ away, the tombS Of her kings have bee
lc rihed; "son of Pharaoh" has become
'd by-word and reproach in the land whic
:; once was ruled by the greatest monarch
ce of antiquity, but which no longer po,
a sesscs Il prince of its own Egypt ha
re become the baspst of kingdoms; tn
u so-callcd towns Of Upper Egypt consis
of mud-Wullcd huts, built up beside he
H. former gorgeous temples, and the mo,
IL magnificent palacc-tombs which tn
IL world has ever seen; dcsolation is Wis
a BILE on every side. But the corpse Of til
$ good old King Mykcrinus, to use tn
Oh language Of distinguished foreig
Is, scholar, "rcpoSeS at this hour in create
he security than it did four thousand ycai
he ago in the island, the mistress of tn
IN world, whose freedom and free institl
y, tions are stronger bulWarll5 than tn
cr ocean which cnCirclC5 her, among til
It, treasures of all the realms of nature, an
of the most exalted remains of human ar
to MAY its rest never be disturbed, SO Ion
ar us the stream of history shall roll on