The New York herald., 1870-12-25

capital or a statue; vet the Persians had but few
statues, though they were rich IN sculpture.
Proceeding east about 1ve hundred yards, being
attracted by the sight or remnant OF pillar, or
monoaith plainly visible above the surface OF the
measures eghty-siX ieot long by sxtyhye feet wide
IA ils Interior There remain eight pedestas, very
Seven OF these peaesras are "or' Of slatsssons the
0.,er oare ,a,, Is OF nne gray gray sandstone OF =
that THIS was most elegant building, OF finer finish
lnan any mad seen IN any other part OF the RUNS.
They are ten feet Ave lnches wide aud eighteen leet
deep-noble and chaste portals Outside OF this line
nall is Que OF those hollow columns already men-
toned, with the inscription OF cuneiorm Characters
seen Ia the others, which, Translated according to
Gr9teiead, means, ~ am Cyrus, the King; the
OF man with four wixgs, two spread out from each
shoulder the tps rising several inches higher than
the head tho other two from the shoulder, within
the iOrmertw0, spreading outwardy along tue sides
and legs OF the figure. ne has his hands raised,
II IN the act OF praying. ON the head, above close
spreading horns, AND above the horns is a head
dress similar 10 Ath0rs, sf Egypt consisting OF
nn ,rse unKs anyee pans aree ngi
by three other balls. At each tip Of the
horns which crests the cap, and each side OF this
singular group Is the Scuptured figure Of something
very like o cornucopia-the figure OF the King, as
II evidently ls hablted IN sleeveless alb, spotess
save where tile rich apparels Of It follow the hem
and run from the inner bend or the arm to the bot
tom Oi the dress.
Coming west again. near a village we come 20
what Is considered the most important relic extant
OF PasargadG This Is what the natives have learned
10 term Mader-i r-i.Suemian-"Mother OF Solomon
or OF Solnlian-the fourteenth Khaliph from All.
As ir appears TO US from the plain 1t Is very small
house, with low gaDied marble rooaet, surmount-
Ing truncated pyramid. Measuring the pyramid
at It's lowest tier find 1t Is i0rtyfve feet long Dy
f0rty-tw0 feet wide, win seven layers of marble
blocks, each layer recedinS somewhat from the
other, the pyramid rising 10 the total height OF
eighteen teet. The small house on the summit
measures exteriory twenty feet six inches Dy sew
enteen feet two inches IN width; the interior Is
seven feet high. ten feet six incaes long by
seven feet vide; the entrance Is By q door four
iss ye esa s me N " wdn
singular edllce The first layer facing west Is COM
posed OF Two massive blocks, between which Is the
entrance; the second layer has three blocks the
cen raj one Of which serves as Intel for the en-.
frances the third is OF two ehallower blocks, like
thick sabs; the fourth forms a quadrupled cornice
the uth Ii above the cornlce. ana supports the sold
ana sioplnX ROOF. Every stone OF the pyramid and
tomb Is OF pure white marble. In the Interior Is
Koran ana across corner are two strings to which
are suspended tin and copper tunnels, contributed
Dy pious Moslems who, wnen III. vowed to make an
Offering to Bathsheba, and complied with their
VOWS when they got wel Three sides aud the roof
are much backened with smoke wnllc the fourth
the one opposite the uoor--S still nearly white
The floor Is formed OF tive immense ana thick slabs
over eighteen inches In thickness, and a cavity
nearly in the middle OF the toor indicates where
tue Sp0ler has been NJ work TO rob the iron clamps
to which, probably, tue colin or the hearse was
bound.
feet from Its base, forming quadrangle, are twen-
U-sight portions OF circular columns, set In mud
wall some five or SIX leet high thus forming q
thorough enclosure. Within the quadrangle are the
graves Of MOslems OF the village, which Is but few
feet outside the enclosure who thought that by
being buried close to Batnshcba's tomb fhey mad q
better chance OF heaven. Inside or outside there
are no inscriptions except In Arabic the Interior
Walls, In which Is inscribed among . 1orid fret
work-work OF most clumsy aiid unskilfui Persian
or Arab hand-the words "Mader-l Suclmanr
NATIVE HISTORY FROM THE ANCIENTs.
SO much for the accurate description OF what may
be seen on the site OF the city OF Pasargade together
with what names the absurd natives have given the
ruins. Let US now see what the ancIents have to
royal paradise OF Pasargadie, round which was n
grove OF various trees. IL was well supplied with
watel. and the heids were covered with high grass.
The tomb below was or quadrangular shape, bullt
OF Ireestone; above was q house OF stOne with u
roof. The door that leads to II is 80 very narrow
that man not very tall can get IN with d1ni-
Guilty. Within IS the golden Colin OF Cyrus,
near which Is seat with fees OF gold; the whole Is
n9nS NJ round WIN COVERINGS oI purple, and carpets
for the Magi to whose care the tomD had originally
been entrusted, and so continued since the time vi
CaMbyses Irom fathers to sons.
THE TOMB OF CYRUS.
Now let US glance over the above briefly. "Tho
tomb OF Cyrus was In the royal paradise or Pasar-
the most conservative people in the world, their
habits and customs are US Interchangeable as were tho
principal tombs or modern Persia are surrounded
by groves. witness the tomb oil Shah Abdul Azz IN
Imaum Reza at Koomeshan, Nusseni ana All nj
Kerbelah, ana these "groves are or various trees
around were covered with high grass" out they are
to-day covered with tall wheat and barley. .sl'he
tomb below was OF quadranguar shape built of
freestOne;n and aln convinced that the pyramid
contains the tomb that the body OF Cyrus the Great
Is still within It, thanks TO the piety OF the Mosems
who will never disturb II 50 long as they
believe that the edhcc once contained the body
OF BatisheUa. The body of the pyramid IS conf
posed OF gray 'ireesisne,-lt rests upon "aaad-
large being but the ashlar OF the pyramid The door
that leads to 1t Is so very narrow being but two
feet nine inches III wdth so that 1t does not requlre
remarkably stout man TO he two feet nine inches
across the shoulders ssWitEin Is the golden coffin
body OF Cyrus, any more than t1e pyramlda hearscs
within the royal tomos OF Persia contain the bodies
OF the kings or lmaumS ent0mbed within their mau-
sOlea. These hearses may We'll be called collins; they
are made Of wood covered with velvet paIi or cash
mere shawls, adorned with jewels OF great value
ana rest over the vaults which contain the dead
Neither the Persian nor tine Turkish hearse ever con-
tains the body. "Ihe whole was hung round with
coverings OF purple and carpets of Babyon.n The
hearse of Sultan Semi. or the pyramidal box which
covers the vault, Is covered with cashmere shawls
tomb OF one OF the Sultans II believe 1t Is THAI OF
shawls, and the walls OF 1t are covered with r,ch
hangings the tomb of Sheikn Senl at Ardebell, is
rallied round with gold railings, the hoor OF 1t Is
covered with the rarest carpets the walls OF 1t are
decorated In the most magnificent style.
THE DWELLING OF THE MAGI.
In the vicinity was the house OF the "MagI,r which,
dscernment, is TO be found, portion OF It, III the
caravenseral OF the village which Is not much Overa
hundred leeJ from h0 Walls nat enclose the tomb or
Cyrus. The foundations are very ancient; the
acoves (though many OF them have been repaired
and newly bult). which might be supposed to lie the
cells where the Sab9an priests livea are also an
cient, and their entrances are nearly small as
those OF the tomb. A specimen OF Magtan college
may be seen at Bakou, on the Caspian or In the
Temple OF UnnaPurna In Bonares AMI these seem
to corroborate this rational supposition. Further
more, 1t need not be very old; for the SaDaans
not expelled from Pasargade until the year CO.
A. ID.
There is only one thing which can possibly be
urged against TINS supposlion, aud that that the
famous inscription, "Un, mOrtalsl am Cyrus son
OF CambyseS, founder OF the Persian monarchy and
Sovereign OF Asia; grudge not therefore this nonl-
ment.n But Arrian does not say on what
part or the tomb the Inscription was written;
neither does he give us the dimensions or the tomb
for he at Pasargada, and received his In
formation solely from AristoDulu5 who saw 1t, and
probably the latter gave the description to Arrian
from what he could remember. What he did relate
concerning 1t seems to have been just so much as
would strike the memory as most important-.the