Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-05-29

sweet fragrance. We stayed two weeks
at this camp, which was located very
near the head of the Wady and at its
intersection with Wady Magal. just
at the intersection of the two, arises
an almost perpendicular mountain of
sandstone towering straight up /, 100
feet from the bed of the wady, while
the opposite cliffs are nearly as high
and precipitors. In the side and at
the foot of that mountain is SPRING
a real spring of clear, cold and flowing
water-a very rare thing in the desert
where you hardly ever STE anything
but wells or water holes. But the lit
tie streamlet lost itself under the sand
within thirty yards. Near it are three
palm trees brought from the Nile some
fifty years ago by an Arat who tried to
cultivate the soil by the aid of this
water. Over the spring, cut into the
| rock, is cornice, which, according to
Linant, formerly bore the toron and
globes of Egyptian architecture, and
Greek inscription in which could be
| deciphered the name OF Ptolemy
Euergetes (23O years before the
Christian era.) The inscription and
the toron, &C., have disappeared. but
the cornice and entablature still re-
mains, as we'll as the hiche, and traces
of the basin cut into the rock where
the water flows out. From this Linant
concluded that this was the hunting
station of Euergetes, briefly and
vaguely mentioned by Strabo. 1t is
true that the valley abouuds in game,
but 1T is scarcely more than 60 yards
wide here and it is very evident that it
could not afford space for the camp of
a king who hunted with an army. To
our expedition is due the credit of
having discovered the true hunting
station of the Ptomlemies, which has
never before been seen or described by
any civilized travellers; and the manner
of it was thus
On the 29th of January we rode out
fiom camp to visit two wells mention
ed by the Arabs as being in Lorenta,
some miles northeast of our camp. for
IL is part of the reconnaissance to To-
cate on the map all the wells we can
find. We rode along the wady which
is very broad at that point, until we
came to triangular recess in the
mountains, at the apex of which Open
ed narrow and precipitous glen in
which the we called Biz Abraty is
situated. (Bir is the Arabic for we'll. J
But before reaching the we'll our atten-
ton was attracted by rocky hill, pro-
Jectlng into the wady and around whose
summit Irregular wall still stood. On as
cending the hill and examining the
ground, we found a complete redoubt
OF large extent, with several lines of for
tifcations, bastions of the angles,
numerous chambers which had been
used as quarters and magazines-and
in the centre large keep or strong
hold, to be used as last refuge if the
garrison were driven from the outer
works. All this was admirably adapt
ed to the form of the hill. and con
structed with all the skill and re gulari-
ty OF Greclan castrametations, which
the Arabs never attempted to
initiate. Bat that NJ doubt might
remain on the subject, We found nu-
merous hewn stones bearing fragments
of Greek inscriptions, unfortunately
too much disjuuted and mt:Silat ii to
enable us TO make ont more than 8
lew words III connection. The
fortitication was very skillfully located
for 1T commanded the access to the
: water below it, and it would easily
accommodate (2,00OD two Thousand
men; number by no means too large
for royal hunting party IL those
days ana THIS country where it was
, necessary 10 have an escort strong
enough to overawe the barbarous tribe:
then inhabiting it. Besides this, the
. mode OF hunting was by encircling s
large extent of country by a Gordon OF
men who advanced steadily, narrowing
: their ride and driving the game to {
central point where the King and his
officers stood re ady to kill it; pretty
mncl. the sane style, On a much small
: er sca'e prevails in the royal ''bat.
: teries" in Europe at the present day
There is no doubt that this was the
hunting station mentioned by Strabo.
: The inscription in the Hodein only
marked the site of perennial. fountain
at the base of perpendicular
cliff, near which even small
caravan would not find room to
camp. Col. Purdy had an accurate
plan of the hill aud fortification taken,
and full description of it is contained
in his report. A mere glance at this
plan is sufficient to prove that the
Greeks were not inferior to the mod
erns in the art of fortification, such as
it suited the arms in use in their day.
This letter is quite long enough to
! weary the patience CT your readers and
I viii alcse II hare. I will continue
the narrative IN my next.
Truly yours, C.
BERBER, March 81.
P S-We reached Abonhamed on
the Nile, on the Sth of March, all safe
and well. 1t was great pleasure in
deed to find ourselves once more on
the banks of the great river with its
green banks and waving palms after
crossing such an arid and desoIate des-
ert as the last sevsu days march. Still
more glad to get news from home. We
remained at Abonhamed four days and
took up our line of march to Berber,
where we arrived on the 18th. One of
the greatest delights of reaching the
Nile after long desert journey is its
glorious water. Then the fresh veget-
ables. tom:.toep, esgplants, melons,
&c, &c, which are IL season all the
year, the chickens, eggs, milk, fresh
bread are q luxury indeed to the
weary traveller. The post leaves to-
morrow, and l hastily add these few
lines. Ny next letter will be dated
from Cairo, which we expect to reach
about May 10th. We leave here in a
few days-by the way of Korosks or
Assman-some five hundred miles
more on camels' backs. Then we take
boats on the river down to Cairo about
500 or GOO miles more. c.
From Tie New Orleans Pcayune.
A Model Carpct-bagSer.