Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-06-12
Miscellaneous.
EGYPT REVISITED.

The romance of visit to Egypt is sadly
marred by the report of railway, iron
bridges over the Nile, and broad carriage
roads to the very base of the Pyramids.
TIE railway to Upper Egypt will soon take
one from the Mediterranean in the morning
almost to the Capitol of Upper Egypt in
the evening.
Bayard Taylor has again visited the Py-
ramids, and in his letter to the Tribune,
describes new wonders. He writes from
Cairo, his present headquarters, and tr.-
vels, March %, so far into the forgotten
past, that he leaves his progressive friends
Of Kennett, (who have gone back 10 the re-
gular connecticut, entirely in the rear. He
says:
ave engaged an open carriage 20 francs
for the day, provided ourselves with lunch,
and set out at 9 O'Clock. Just above Bou-
lax the Nile is now spanned by splendid
iron bridge, beyond which broad highway
has been built, leading to the very base of
the Great Pyramid. This is certainly bet
ter than the former approach by ferry boat
and donkey-path, for it reduces the practi-
cal distance from three or four hours to one
and half.
The way was crowded with camels and
country people, the former bearing huge
but not very heavy burdens of freshly-cut
clover. Women and donkeys bore loads
Of vegetables, and the boys ran yelling after
them. Our dark footman, in his white cap
and shirt, ran in advance of the carriage,
parting the multitude to right and left with
his long stick, aud crying out: Take care,
there Take care for your legs! the
strangers are comingl" Thus we passed
over the bridge. entered the avenue of aca-
cias leading to Gizeh, and saw the Pyra-
mids flushed with faint rose-color against
the gray sky.
found the Sphinx buried under ten or
fifteen feet more of sand than when l saw
him last. The face was evidently intended
to be seen from below, for its expression
becomes almost grotesque when the specta-
tor is brought so near its level. About
eight years ago NJ. Mariette discovered
very ancient temple, although lying wholly
below the surface of the desert, has been
kept tolerably clear Of the drifting sand.
1 have seen nothing in Egypt which seems
so old as this temple. 1t is built mainly of
rose-coloIed granite, the pillars simply
square monOliths, roof and doorways of the
same, and no sign of inscriptions or decora-
tive sculptures. 1t is certainly Older-and
who shall say how much older P-than. the
Pyramids. In some sepu.charel chambers
lying back Of the pillared court the roof is
made Of huge blocks of ala5aster. The
whole edilice. in its bare and massive SIM
plicity, suggests Stonehenge rather than
the later architecture Of Egypt.
A small fee opened for us one of the low
er rooms of the Khedive's house, and we
lunched in coolness and quiet. One of the
native hangers-on, after looking at me for
some time, said:
"You were here long time ago"
Yes" L answered.
Twenty years, or more ?''
YES"
"And there was n gentleman with you
Nemtzotcee (German), l think?''
"Yes."
"And you had trouble with the men who
went up the Pyramid ? You went to yon-
der village [pointing toward it called the
Shekh, and had the men punished ?"
"Yes.n
"And there was boy who carried a
water-bottle and the shekh of the village
told him to bring coffee for you and there
was no coffee at first and the shekh gave
the boy slap, threw him out the door, and
told him not to come again until he brought
it?"
| Eyes well p''
81 was that boy"
questioned Achmet, to Know whether