The Portland daily press., 1870-01-10
Terms $500 per- annun,, IA. od,,aace.

=
on the left is that of Cephenes, SCARCELY jpfe-
rior in bulk; and still farther to the ,eft hat
OF Mycerenus, which, though huge, is mncb
smaller. There are several others, but NOT
OF sufficient size comparatively to claim at
tention.
Each is placed so that its four angles cor
respond to the cardinal points of the compass;
thus arranged, it is said that the sun in his
daily pilgrimage, might shine in turn upon all
their sides.
The pyramidal form of structure is that
which, in the highest degree, ensures strength
and durability; in looking at their vast pro-
portions one fully realizes this fact. Their
four sides ever press upon a common centre;
and neither storm nor earthquake can affect
this tendency; hence, unless demolished by
human energy equal to that which built them
up, they must remain forever!
In days past, l have been accustomed TO
dwell on the majesty of it. Washington,
with its ever-varying lights and shades: I
have since gazed with awe on the snowy cone
of Mt Etna with its smoking crater lifted far
above the clouds-and ON Candia's massy
peaks, Madara and Psiloriti, which from an
altitude of more than 5000 feet extend their
shadows over the waves that stagger at their
bases-and more recently have seen the eter-
nal ice of Albania's mountain activities long
after night-fall glitteriDg in the sun. But
mountains are the works of the Creator; the
vast structures before me, almost as impress
sive, and perhaps as imperishable, were the
works of the creatures OF the Creator
AT the time of the construction Of the pyr-
amids, and for many centuries after, their
slopes were perfectly smooth from base to
apex; but subsequently to the commence
ment of the Mahommedan era, the outer tri-
angular blocks were removed to Cairo and
other places for building purposes, and the
present exterior layers form a series of steps,
some four feet high, and proportonatey
broad. For the almost worshipped buck
sheesh embodied in five-franc piece (paid, If
you are wise, after you have descended), a
couple of clean-limbed Arabs will drag you
up these steps to the top-and the view thence
will richly repay you for your trouble
Eastwardly, the prospect comprehends the
Mukattem cliffs, with the domes. minarets
and white buildings of Cairo apparently at
their base, and nearer the Nile with its luxu-
RANT gro7es and gardens, and the innumera-
Bile white sails of the river craft passing along
its surface as far up and down as the eye can
see. Southerly, over sea OF sand studded
tance of ten miles, tower the pyramids of
Sakhara, at the loot of which are the mummy
pits concerning which so much has been
written-the necropoli of perhaps hundred
centuries. In other directions the tawny
wastes of the Lybian desert, weary and lone,
stretch to the horizon.
| But the length of my letter, 1 am afraid,
will weary you in the reading as it has al
ready me with the writing.
/ have only to add, that it was night when
we set off on our return; and the word was
given to proceed slowly (doucement, as our
dragoman expressed it, SO that we might
give attention to the illumination which was
to conclude the grand festivals ofthe Khediye'
We were not long kept in suspense: In
deed had hardlyg got at an appeciable distance,
where a fountain of sky rockets, filling the air
with gold, blue, orange, and silvery spray,
shot upwards, announcing the commence
ment of the display. Then hundreds oi
whirling devices seemed bearing great Cheops
on wheels OF fire away from his foundations.
Again, the air was filled with brilliant ser
pents, darting up and down, and to and fro,
and struggling with each other as in deadly
conflict. Anon, as if by magic, the angles of
the great pyramid were alive with calcium
and baugola lights, and Roman candles ilu-
minating the desert Tor many a league, and
bringing into strong relief the strange clusters
of men, camels and horses that were scattered
over its surface. Meanwhile, over all, the
constant flight of bombs, rockets, and other
species Of feu d drtifce gave the summit the
appearance of volcanoes crater N the full
blaze of an eruption! - -
| The whole thing was grand and beautiful
credit to the artist who projected 1t; but If
the object was TO bring out the pyramid in
bold relief against the background OF the night,
it was anything but success. Only its edges
and base were perceptible as a vast triangle
| on the darknesS-a sort OF monstrous mason
| ic emblem. Yours &c,
| " n II