The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-06-27
Remarkable Discoyery-A Second Rosetta

Rcma rkable Discoyery-A Second Rosetta
Stone.
Almost everybody who roads has heard OF the
famous Rosetta Stone. It was found, over half a
century ago, near Rosetta, town on one Of tho
mouths Of tho Milo. 1t was an ancient sculptur-
ed monument, containing an inscription in Egyp-
tian hieroglyphics, and beneath it translation in
Greek It's value s may be read readily guessed a when
given up any hope Of reading the hieroglyphical
writing of tho old Egyptians. All along tho Nile,
on temples and in tombs. existed ed mass Of in in
learned like q sealed book. It was, indeed, pro-
voking. Hero were, without any doubt, treasures
Of historical information which would throw abun-
dant light on the early ages OF one of the most
venerable nations Of tho earth. But nobody
could decipher the language in which they were
clue the mystery. It did not look very hopeful at
first, for the whole stone was not very large, and
contained but very few lines. But men OF pa.
tent research like Champonion in France and
With tho aid Of the Greek translation they man
age to revivify the old Egyptian language to study
out the system by which it's hieroglyphics
were arranged, and to ascertain and classify its
grammatical peculiarties. The temples and the
tombs thon began to yield up their Secrets and
Egyptian history and Egyptian chronology became
result was yet very unsatisfactory. The charac-
tiers on the Rosetta Stone had been 80 few, that
when other heiroplyphics were encountered there
was considerable doubt as to their meaning. This
led to several disputes among Egyptiologists, for
nobody could be absolutely certain that errors
might not have crept into the linguistic system
which had with such infinite patience bcen built
up on the basis Of the brief Rosetta inscriptions.
Happily further aid has now been obtained. at
the Egyptian town OF Port Said are come ancient
ruins which once formed the foundations Of ed-
fees Of a considerable size These remains are
now, however, In such state OF utter decay, that
little attention has hitherto haan given to them
by antiquarics. Some few weeks back portion
OF this debris gave way. One of the French eng-
neers engaged in the construction Of tho Suez
canal chanced some days later, to pass by it, and
noticed the corner OF q slab projecting from the
scription was visible. Very fortunately the Prus-
sian Lepsius, ono OF the foremost Egyptian schol-
ars of the day, happened to be in the country. He
was at once informed of the discovery, and hast
his directions to clear away the surrounding rub
bish, and it was very soon found that prize Of
to light. It was blingual inscription, Of which
theEgyptian original comprised no less than thirty
seven lines of considerable length, while the Greek
translation numbered seventy-six lines. 1t is
evident how important these two texts, every
word of which is perfectly legible from beginning
to end, must be for hieroglyphical studies. They
contain many Of the very Characters, the signif-
cation of which has been 30 much debated. Nor
the contents Of the inscription itself less in
teresting.. It is decree of the Egyptian Assem-
bly, of Priests, dated in the ninth year Of the
reign Of King Euergetes the First. The priests
monarch Ills good deeds are first Of ali enumer nun En-
"s~o, aAi.oii6 tiOii euo IleIl VI udVlER re-
covered in military expedition, the sacred
images, carried off in former times by the Per-
SLAMS. Great honors are then decreed him as
reward for his services. One Of these is a feast
to be celebrated in honor of the King and Queen
on the fret day of the year. The decree finally
closes with the a!lusion to the place to be held by
method Of reckoning the months of the old
Egyptian year, concerning which modern writer's
have greatly differed It's needless to add tn at
this valuable relic of the past is to be immediate
ly made public.