The New York herald., 1870-02-07

&sa M ~
Antar you see the Nile valley u,ali in glorious pes
Iecti0n An ocean OF green verdure, waving bef0re
the breeze Of al shades Of green. LOOK southward
streams ans LEFT after me innndaton Banr Youssf and
~ appearance, aqd the seml.mlnarets shooting
nigh IKE silver beacons into the arr the gardens
northern base OF StaDe Antar. the old MOslem
bridge which Is thrown over Joseph's river, the
over dark plot OF ground, and the men and wornen
at their net manufactures, and hark to the song OF
you win confess yourself believer in It's beauty
mentioned above Banr Yonser or Joseph's river.
| which Mussuiman tradition mas denomisase6
Josephs river. Probably the appellat0n Is correct
See said sesosrIs or Pharaoh a unto Joseph, TAX
ruler over the land Of Egypt only 10 the throne wl
| he was introduced the system OF canal irrigation
into Egypt and the reign or Sesostris IL famous Tor
ITS canah, as well for the building Of granarics
TO store the superaoundance OF grain which the fer.
tile land produced. II not, therefore, Improbable
that Muss1man tradition In TINS instance IS correct
| There are American, Spanish French and Prus-
sian consular agencies at Stout. Copt named
Wlsen or Wisah IS the American consular agent.
by the Rev. Mr.. Hogg and MISS McCoan, where they
nave In cnarge over twenty young Copts, who are
Oovs ana urs 10,
The Stout mission is next to the one at Alexandria
ne most important one e, IN Egypt and Is about 70
gong To erect for them.
AByDos.
Girgeh, the post OF AbydoS was reached about
noon tue next day Abydos introduces the travellers
TO The hrst temple RUNS In Egypt Few travellers stop
here because the ride long from Girgen occupying
up with sand that very lutte OF them were to be
seem But on the occasion OF the Empress OF tho
Frenchs visit these ruins were cleared out 70 the
floor by M. Mariette keeper OF the Cairo Museum,
by order OF the Khedive Since Abydos required
whole day to visit ITS ruins we did not start until
morning Of the next day, when, after taxing COfIee
an fd at Ave O'Clock, we started camels, horses
and donkeys, provided by the Governor az the Khe-
Our road lay along the banks OF Banr Yousef past
groves OF date palms. acacia, with here and there
through gardens or lents, carrots parsnps onions
anu x me ne0s o. Young eea. snS
we reached at SIX A. NJ. then crossing an DID, inter-
seclng bridge we headed direct for the desert at the
In Sraoo's time grove OF acanthus grew close TO
Abydos, but very few acanthus trees grow there
place Of The acanihus The frst indcatlons Of ihe
ruins neaps OF dried Nile sediment and pottery,
merly occupied the summit. crude brick enclo
sure Duilt IN waving lines Of great strength, tndL
M path leads ads over ' mound throuTh a Misember
village, past small lake Dordered with palm shoots,
past Two or three otaer mounds which having sur
temple. mournful sympathy with the ancient
Egyptians took possession OF US as gazing below at
the interesting RUNS, we were introduced TO the hrst
Temple which meets the European traveller as he
ascends the Nile. And with this was certain feel
| Ing Of hatred towards the despoilers who, unlm-
| pressed with the which an Egyptian temple
commands could level ts ponderous pillars and de-
3trOy those exquisite designs brilliant with azure
and gold, sublime III conception, such as no nation
mad dared to initiate.
AS the temple stands to-day IL 1s II the founda
| Iion had just been laid anu the building was about
TO rise In all its majesty above the plain The stones
looking so fresh and clean The blocks lying outside
Of the temple proir&ion add to the idea. But de-
scending to the dromos now vacant Of It's coucnant
| Sphnxes and superb pyion ana propyla It's utter
In onhAn n1af tl INN n mt
before the ruined towers and the red granite col
umns of the pylon nor before the numberess legs OF
the colossal figures or deities and kings which were
sculptured upon the walls OF the pr0pyla. Our time
was short, and TO tne unnitiateo IN antiquity who
cannot read hierocyphical characters one general
| look will suffice. Before leaving quite the front
court, the rows OF mutiated statues OF the mummed
goa osris Wncn surround u reveai 70 Us some.nlng
| Egyptian hearts into reverence for their worship,
| ana impe US to o mental endeavor OF conceiving
| the temple when complete, and the people crowded
In al spring time ana harvest TO observe the JSteS
az well as at every anniversary OF Isis return from
the search after ner husband Osiris and her victory
! over the wicked deity, Tvph0n. But imagination is
| vain Tor such task, for the avenue OF Sphlnxes
| which safe In conscious power before the splendid
pylon and the towering propyl@, enricned with the
Horbat with Its wings OF azure, and the streaming
portlco supported by Oslrlde statues, swathed IN
granite bandages, each looking straight and 1mpas-
slye before II. and tne spacious tenemos, planted
and the inanity OF the mental picture was but TOO
Once within the temples eyes were kept busy
enough peering at the bull, Apis, which represents
| Osiris; at a hawk-neaded god, which is Mandu; At
the serene majestlca appearance OF Isis, the queen
goddess at youthful H0rus, the child OF Osiris and
isis; at thousand carlouches at innumerable scuip
Inc walls. These figures are all brilliant with paint,
yet are not gandy, but tastelul they are
being The boa mastery hand mem Of tne
sculptor seems never to have been at fault for the
rse are Ie s won n one sn eat at stays to
nl1cent superiority he Will see that the robe ts
c0lored as might nave been The line OF the kingy
helmet grde, sceptre and spear has Its appropriate
| coloring There are twenty rooms, great ana
smaA III this temple which are well worth examin-
alton.
| About 200 PAGES south Of the Temple Of Osiris is
! the Palace OF Memnon, completed by Rameses the
Great. This is almost entire, excepting the dromos
and tenemos II IS superb. grand majestic. A
mysterious gloom pervades Its nalls 1t seems az II
the shaae GreaL Rameses still lowered over 1t.
Every foot OF It's walls and columns is covered with
hne sculpture but the very aintest trace only s left
| Of the brilliant coorlng which redeemed the halls
from gloom. The ceiling. for instance, SO bright IN
| azure color once with Its thousands Of stars all
agow In an Egyptian sky, are now blackened with
| smoke. and the pillars and walls or the palace for
mcry transplendent with paintings, are now Of
uniform color, as II tile silent desoa5iOn OF the
halls 50 long buried IN oblivion and sand, had lett
| It's somDre impress upon tnem,
Apt name Is that which tue Arabs bestowed upon
| lt-vZ., 'Araoat Ell Matfo0n," winch means the
'Dured for such has been ts fate for 00J years;
but Pococke and the indefaioaDle Belzoni came and
after these Bankes, Brusch, LepoSres ana Mariette
un the temple palace OF Memnon stood revealed In
the light OF day.
There are four kinds OF columns here. In the p0r-
tico are twentyfour columns, in two rows OF twelve
each, the caDtais OF wncn are or the papyrus bud.
These columns fifty to sixty feet nigh and
fifteen Ieer In circumference. In the Hall or Assem-
Dy are tfrty-six columns Of the same massive size
| and height and from this hall great portal leads
into the SANCTUARY, ur an adytum, al the back OF
| which are several arched chambers. IN the sides
lateral chambers, with pOlygonal and 0ctagonal
columns Of she luii flower. Four perfect Nights
OF stairs lead to roof which Is dat and composed
OF Immense blocks resting on their sides. We-ln-
vited gueats-sat down u Ia TaQue on the floor OF
| the Assembly Hall TO most royal lunch and In
| flowing glasses oi Montrachet, ChaDts, Haut San
ternc and Champagne we drank to the reQutescIt IN
| pace OF the great llameses.
Our friend .i;ull RUM Russell was OF our party,
ind thai the task Of ccerone just suits him.
| His dress was most remarkable, consisting OF an
| Ango-lndian's linen suit huge solar topec. ana
nOrsemens boots reaching to the thighs WITH his
charming daughter leaning on his arm he traverseo
the corridors adyta and sek0s OF Rameses FOL
lowed by q party OF lve or six or his friends, TO