Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-06-19

and one or two rooms. Ii going in you
go down for an immense distance SEEM
ingly and then ascend for short time,
SO the top of the ascent can't be a great
way up the pyramid.
What could have been the intention of
the builder of this gigantic affair, is some
thing / don't understand. though | see
some things of modern date quite as fool
ish. Cheops certainly does resist the
wearings of time and is the most perfect
monument of ancient work to be found.
There it stands as dividing point be-
tween the rich plain below, and the wild
desert above, caring for neither the one
nor the other. How truly do ''three thou
sand years look down from it, p" and what
tale, could it move q tongue, would be
told of the scenes enacted under its brow
Some steady, practical old farmer may
ask what sense there was in wasting
eleven acres of ground in building big
pile of stones, when, if corn had been
raised on the eleven acres, arithmetic will
hardly tell how many bushels would have
been made during the 5000 years it has
stood. And several such questions might
be asked about the other two, and about
the vast deal of labor required, and the
money, and all that sort of thing.
But you know Kings have generally got
ten too large for their pants, and have al
ways been inclined to want to do some
thing extra. As to the corn speculation,
there are some slight difficulties. To
sprout so much as black-eyed pea in
Egypt the consent of certain Individual,
who is wonderfully liberal so far as that
liberality extends, must be obtained.
That individual is the distinguished per-
sonage, Father Nile. He has always re-
fused to grant particle of soil to the
spot on which Cheops and his mates,
with the Guardian of the Kings, stand.
Another little trouble is, Cheops, though
it does cover eleven acres, yet those
eleven acres are hard rock. One good
thing is, that when modern Kings who
try to run heavy building business see
these wonders, they have fine chance to
be made ashamed. Moral: Where there
is will there is not always way.
Just below stands another wonder
the Sphynx. 1t is greatly worn by the
sand and image brokers. Sure enough it
seems to mock at modern fashions, and
laugh at its own nudity. Cleopatra's
needles are no longer needed. The
Sphynx cares naught for clothing. While
gazing on this image, formed quite a
fancy for it, and wished its nose and |
other bruised places could be patched
up. But no, these Arabs never take care }
of anything, care for nothing but back
sheesh, and are no account generally. |
The two smaller pyramids are not as
cended usually.
A few drops of rain fell on our return, |
something which Egypt knows little of |
when the season is at all advanced. we |
passed many fine cattle on our re-
turn. Some of them are peculiar |
to Egypt, being sort of buffalo. The |
museum of Egyptian cunosities is very
and is said to be the best col
lection of the kind in existence. Irented |
a Copt school, (the Cepts, you know, are
the descendants of the ancient inhabitants |
Of Egypt conducted by Christians. |
found quite number of intelligent boys, |
many of whom could speak English and l
French quite well. The best accentua-
lion ever heard was from one of these
hoys. From Cairo | go to the Red sea,
Suez canal, etc., at some one of which |
nope to have another talk with you.
ALE.