Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-02-18


/ and so grand, and to deseribe some OF It's more
salient Details is not an easy task for so over
( wheIming was the effect Of the ensemble, and
| so captivated was the mind while gazing on
| the enhancing spectacle, that 10 eaten the
I shifting figures, the evaneScent effects, the
lnd1v10 ual characteristics Whicn MADE up us
enhancing charm and gave it its magic pow
er, were almost impuSsi BILE, and the best that
can be said as to details must fail far below
/ giving even a faint notion OF the grandeur
/ and beauty of the procession of the Nemphi
| on Msrdi Gras, 1871. But how are we to begin
/ to desert be the vast assemblage of details that
/ go TO make up the Wondrous show Of grace
and brilliancY our eyes have gazed upon2
The -horsemen in their brave attire; the
! horses themselves arrayed in trappings of
passing spiendor; men in dresses so strange,
so quaint, so varied in character, striking
I In affangementi helmets, spears, Javeltns,
swoIts, cuirassss, shields, all the panOply and
/ array or armies, the gorgeoos show OF courts,
| the blazOnry OF bygone state; classic gar
/ meuts OF the philosOphic Greek and the proud
/ ROmaH, ard severe yet striking habiliments
/ of the band of Miztalm costumes such as are
/ portrayed IN the catacOmbs OF tie desert;
priests, sacred scribes, Egyptian dignItaries,
sphtnxes, obelisks, pyramids, camsls, palm
trees from The moist oasis, dreafy sccEes nom
the deserts, across which the dTeai simoom
courses on its career or death-:,l were 70 be
found among the wonders OF niyi-L' char
acter In the ATd6fd1l Nights ever saw trans
cended.
THE ADVANCE CT AR -FIa~T AR.
I The procession was preceded by a grand
COZ ts1e Of horsemen in Iich costumes Of gold
ana in dresses OF striking cOior>, supposed 10
be symbOlical of wealth, prosperity nd gran
deur. They were heavily armed with the
weapons or stern and OverpOweTing wsr,
showing audacity to attack and power 10 oe-
fend. In the garnishment Of their steeds aud
the brtlliancy of their appointments they
were suitable dUdHts cOtsTTEeT OF the chariot OF
the mighty monarch who presides over the
destInies OF the Memphi-the Grand Ouro. \
transparent motto accompanying them-Pro-
claims:
4 Iight true king, that dares do aught but
wrong"
rrba 5as{eyr Of tl,a sao.oora -, all t+- ,or. %
once burst on the spectator-it begins with an
Egyptian scene of 3 time prehistoric, too re-
mote in the ages of the past to have date,
lost as 1t Is in the haze of a far-gone an
tiquity. Here, at the outset, is indi-
Gated the hoary time when the Memphi
plant of the Nile, the sacerdotaI cast-the
Chartumfm, as Moses calls them-hieroglyph-
. ice, obelisks, pyramids, palm trees, csmels,
[ Nubian slaves and PhOenician merchants, ali
recall the Nile and the cities, fanes and monu-
ments on its banks, amid which highly CIV
] il1zed people made advances in art and science,
| when even Greece was rude, and which were
/ lost sight of-except among the secret order
4 ancient days-when the Christian world lay
( for centuries buried in ignorance of lore
! they were unable to appreciate, but were not
I too stupid to condemn and crush as something
! impious and appropriate only to demons.
\ The first car comes on, drawn by white
1 horses signifying purity-they are led by
slaves in showily decorated costumeS-these
! indicate the conquest of savage splendor by
the eseverefollowe OF civilization. In front, on
D y
! cOUchdHt, the faces calm with uninpassioned
and unrelenting fate-they have wings, show
Ing that their sphere scars in the shadowylands
! whose lustre is undimmed by human passion.
/ golden scutcheOn on the seat In front, bears
the word MEAPHI, above which is pictured
an arched gateway within a fortified tower,
indicative of the entrance of the neophyte,
where there is power TO exclude the prefane
without and 70 protect those within who
| pain of mind and body, to the interior Of the
( sacred panouph: Banners in rich silk, orna-
lei, and blue. Fc6 tTsieds s siIken cords iI pen
| dant from their arms, and containing strange
devices of emblemattc meaning-wave here
and there upon the vast car as II moves along,
/ the object on which is fixed the gaze of thou
sands of admiring eyes. In the center is a
/ chair of state, covered with rich, crimson
drapery that is gracefully ornamented with
| gold. Upon this is seated in awful state the
| Grand Ouro himself, the highest dignttary of
the Mempht-the being whose command is
! obeyed with implicit and uUquestioning obe-
| dience. It is impossible to describe the gran
deur OF MS dress. y pom his head Is crown OF
gold, gemmed with jewels that glitter and
flash in the glory OF light amid which he is
seated, surrounded with display that shows
| the regard his people feel for his unappIOacha-
| BILE dignity. Jewels deck his arms, his neck, his
! bosom, and sparkle from his robes. Behind.
| and towering above the Grand Ouro. is one of
those colossal human figures that are peculiar
! to Egyptian architecture. Its vast arms are
+ raised with protecting care above his head,
| over which they stretch a canopy OF ceTulean
! blue, studded with stars OF gold. The mighty
/ figure is winged, symbolizing aspiration,
soaring thought, benevolence. It's counte-
! nance is calm and serene, expressive of intel
\ lgeuce and spirituality. The attendants, in
helmet and warlike dresses, assist in COM
[ posing scene OF richness and beauty mex
pressibly fascinating and bewildering.
| THE SECOND R-TRAVELERS IN
EGYPT.
The second car gave a view OF travellers in
| Egypt. The date OF the scene is two thousand
years before the christian era The motto
carried along with this car was the following !:
''Fnom those sunny tracts,
Far of, beyond the sounding cataracts."
The picture on this car was redo
hated hat in in the desert. " A palm tree ee
rears its rough stem and casts out its fan-Hke
leaves, showing that water is near, while some
stunted shrubbery gives glance OF the penu-
Tious hand with which nature deals ont her
treasures In those arid Wiids: In 'front.' OF the
tree kneels camel, one Of ''the air ships of
the DESERT" on its hump is a rich cloth of blue
with brilliant stars sprtnkled over It's surface.
A sort of hood falls below the animals ears
upon its neck: it is Of rich male
rial, scarlet, and trimmed elegantly
with with deep fringe, ring the whole law
is grouped the company that forms this poT-
ton of the caravan. The camel-driver in his
picturesque cOstume-three hOrsemen, guards
of the travellers, equipped in Egyptian armor.
A rich Egyptian lady, dressed IN most tasteful
and picturesque fashion, an image OF oriental
lovellness decked in The barbaric splendor Iof
far Cathay and wealth from mystic Jud. "
With her is her Ethiopian maid, dressed with
principal figure Is Pboefdcian merchant OF
fabulous riches, with his Nubian slaves at
tending upon him. Each Of the per-
Levels are 1avished with instituted hand, and
there is about the whole that display of over
moving adornnent that suits Ins Orlental
taste. To describe the costumes OF the various
tabieaux on the different cars is a task we
excuse ourselves. Only the sight OF tn ir ex-
eeeding variety, elegance and richness could
make the dressing of those who took the
| characters In the tablsaux conceivable. Hues
were~plended, no wealth OF silks, satins, vel
vf4ff oil tlan
of grandeur and splendor in personal adoFn-
ment were wanting. This display, and the
picturesque, often sculpture-like, attitudes
OF the living figures as they assumed the ges-
ture and position suited to their part-were
among the greatest charms OF the procession
the effect. II charmed every eye and dazzIed
the Imagination by is su digestive beauty and
splendor. The second car was greatly admired
the very interesting tableau of the travellers in
tire desert.
THE THIRD CAR-ANCIENT MEMPHIS
The subject represented On the third cal
was scene from ancient Memphis; the time
. six hundred years before the Christian era
Thescene is very pee uliar one for rePresen,
tation on such stage, and the boldness and
skill of the artist that designed 1T, demands
appreciation. Diagonally from the left side q
the front of the car to the right of the rear, Il
, a prominent foreground OF gardens, foliage
and herbage, and an eastern well. Tine spec
tator, gazing upon 1t in tne rich light that was
view of the city as ii appeared from a dis
tance-the city of Memphis beside the Nile
, There are buildings or many shapes, temples
, OF wondrous architecture, and, beyond them
! pyramids, with their apex rising In the naiss
" due to their stern and simple
form, toward the heavens. The scene Is
tersely, but crap hically desert bed in the motto
, OF the transparency accompanying this car
''Gardens, and pIllar'd streets and porphyry
dOmsS,
I And high built temples, fit TO be the homes
There were two views on this car, one
showed an Egyptian at the well "hiling the
) pitcher from the chrystal font The other was
| a domestic scene, woman with her distan
) and musician "rapt In the strains his nngSr'
! cast upon the ambient air" The costumfne
in these scenes, again, was one of the mosl
! effective ingredients of the tableau-lt wal
, all poet could dream or art supply.
THE FOURTH CAR-STREET SCENE IN
ANCIENT MEMPHIS.
! The fourth car gave a street scene in an
. cient Memphis. At the rear lowered granC
!, obelisk covered with hteroglyphtcs; N thi
front was fountain Of elegant design. TIT
E transparency preceding this ear bore th'
Q words:
''The bright and youthful dancers meet,
{ / With laughing wing and winged feet,
3 At morn aud merry eve-"
GhaEeeysh, an Egyptian dancing girl
5 robed in enchanting attire OF be
r witching magnincence, postures in from
: / Of the obelisk; another dancer is witt
: propriate parts in the tabieau, all in rieE
{ Egy ptian attire. This car was preceded b.
I horsemen in varied dress and armor, united 4
9 the subject. This tableau was at once poetic
: in the sensuous form, and suggestive OF TIA
I iuxuriant habits Of the dWellers bv thesNle
I IS so delightfully."- represented by Moore in hi
: enchanting story, The Epieurean-"
! I THE FIFTH CAR-THE GOnS OF EGYPT