Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-08-04
VIEW FROM THE PYRAMIDS.


! Rev. G, S. Robinson, D. D., is con.
| trbuting TO the Christian Union a series
of letters on Egypt, which are more thought
! full and interesting than tourists letters are
apt to be. From his latest we quoge few
/ extracts:
The view from the great pyramid of
| Ghizeh is as unique as it is fine. just at
the base stretches away a vast plain, which
was the historic battle ground of one of
! Napoleons most splendid victories in
his contest of the East. Indeed, we con-
| slider ourselves as perched at this moment
on the high outlook Of those forty cen.
| tunes which he told his sol iers were
gazing down upon them, and we can see
| the entire arena in which the legions
were displayed. Beautifully diversified
fields beyond it, of all colors un.
der the various approaching harvests lie
! between us and Old Cairo. Then the mys-
! ferrous Nile the creator of all the empire
which fills that narrow strip of land 1t has
for unreckoned years defended from the en-
croachments OF the pillows OF sand that the
| interchangeable winds OF the desert have heap
ed up TO enPulf it, winds placidly along its
| sinuous course. Beyond this the delicate
| domes and miuarets of New Cairo succeed
in the prospect shining among the hoayy
green plumes of the palm trees. And, tor
/ Just touch OF life in the Stiffness, we can
see long trains OF ungainly camels, the dark
! tents and brown garments OF the struggling
| travellers that accompany them-ths scene
] ~ of the Arabian Nights once mere sudden
! " realized as if out of youthful dream,
"All this, looking one way only; any
other direction reveals no moro than the
! travellers and verdureess wastes of the
! great Libyan Desert; sand, sank, treeless
and lifaless; an ocean without a wave; a
sea unboanded even by crests Of foam at
/ the horizon, motiDaless expanse that has
no actual confines, whose limits to human
vision consist only Of spaces losing them.
| selves in mere vanishing distance, leaving
the eyes tinghng and blinded under the
| glittering glare.
THE LAY OF TINE LAND
No one can have any adequate concep-
ton OF the queer shape OF Egypt until he
has seen at least This part OF 1t. A little
green ribbon, lying loosely as if dropped
on yellow sand heap, would be its hitting
emblem. The exceeding evacuation of the
slender flament of soil, redeemed by the
river from the desert, can hardly be des-
cribed. You see the entire width Of 1t,
from edge to edge, for many mile as you
sit on the summit o. the pyramid. And
really it does appear so thin and iusignif-
cant that YOU marvel anewat the history
which stands on record to its credit, evil
dcnce to which it bears in solemn dignity
of reserve beneath its Accommodations OF
soil.
- e. ha hoca Of
structures in the shadow of a small copse
Of palms, have been already gathered a
large number Of broken statutes and
images, uneerthed at one time and another
in this region. They serve rs most effect. |
ing reminders of the genius and skill Of the
forgotten generations. These headless IN '
couth creations III stone would make one
laugh, if it were not that he remembers
that they are the mementoes Of race
coeyal with the patriarchs. They may be
awkward in look but few are there who
would dare to say, go up thou bald-head,
to even the worst OF them.
away up on the Nile, close by the cat |
aract, 30 near the tropics that once 1t was
reported that 'gnomons on the dial cast no
shadow lie the now silent qaarries from
which many Of the enormous stones we
are sitting upon earliest came for the build
ing of the pyramids. One finds Lis imagi |
nation kindled into curiosity, first, as TO
the methods employed To transport such
mighty masses of rocks 80 far and then
his mind lapses into pensive sentiment Of
thoughtfulness, while be remembers how
silent to-day are the myriad hands which !
once in these sands wrought 80 busily.
THE SPHINX.
"At the foot of the pyramids, imme-
diately below us as we sat on the Lodges,
there rises out of the verdureless sand one
of the most singular idols that human in
genuity ever imagined; one Of the awk-
wardest bodies and one OF the most mas
sive heads that human hands ever carved, |
No line of beauty has II anywhere to exhib. |
IT. The ears are enormous; the nose is
gone; the mouth is ragged; the beard is
broken; the open eyes stare blankly and
closely down upon you; the wig bags fatty
and faringly out on either side; the chin
has lost half its stony hair and allits sem
blance of dignity; the face was formerly
painted, and the red is washed off on the
weather side; altogether the structure has
pretty much gone under the effects Of age,
and has quite the look OF used-up piece
Of property but there yet remains tran
quill majesty in its mien that every one re-
cognises ard feels the moment be sees It,
Coarse in it construction, uncoutb and
stiff IN every lineament, it is yet able to