The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-02-16

class than as place for the solemn rites
of religion" The entrance is grand and
lofty, and the exterior wall is covered
with spirited sculpture, representing a
huge warrior, marching VIGOROUSLY over
the field of battle, treading his enemies
under his feet, holding in one hand an up
lifted sword and in the other the hair OF
captives, begging for quarter. Within
the area, enclosed by wall twenty feet
high, are wings of pyramidal towers,
courts, colonnades, chambers-the whole
giving an adequate idea of the vast size
and magniticence of an Egyptian temple.
No place in Egypt compares with
Thebes in interest. Homer, twenty-sev-
en- centuries ago, sang Of its unrivalled
walls and hundred gates, which, by the
way. have never been found. Spenser
wrote OF its
High towers faire temples, goodly theaters.
Strong walls, rich porches, princelie palla-
ceS,
Large streets, brave houses, sacred sepul-
cheers,
Sure gates, sweet gardens, stately galleries,
Wrought with fair pillours and tine ina.
geries."
This "populous No" of the prophets Ma
hum, that had the waters round about II,
has been turf ed into dust. has had Its
multitude cut off, and the site is now o.
cupied by four small, dirty villages
Luxor and Karnak on the east, and Cur
neh and Medinet Aboo on the west OF the
Nile. Rames. somestimes called
Mennonium, residence of the ruler and
his gods, is one of the most splendid pile
of ruins that this land of desolation fu"n-
ishes. Many columns, with their historic
cal carvings, remain; but the most re-
markable and impressive object here Is
the statue of Rameses, the largest ethgy
ever chiseled by human hands. 1t meas
ured twenty-five feet across the shoulders
The ears are four feet in length. Ii now
lies dishonored and crownless, and
crouched among its fragments L saw a
miserable Arab family cooking and
working and begging. The famous Co
lossi still sit as Miss Martineau said,
keeping vigilant though silent watch
over the mysteries Of the past" They
are in the midst of cultivated field, and,
during an overflow are entirely sur
rounded by and partially covered with
water, These two statues, quite Isolated,
are all that remains of a series of like fg-
lres that guarded the way TO the Kane
sion. The pedestals and backs are sculp-
turel with figures and heirog lyphcs. One
of these statues is the Memnon, from
which, when the sun rose over the noun
tains, a strain of music issued to greet his
coming The testimony MS to the sounds
Is induhitable. What produced them Is
a rerHta qu"Sh,
The tembs of Thebes are wonderful.
The Libyan hills for miles have been
excavatcd for sepulchres. These are not
mere holes in the rocks, but immense
chambers, reached by flights of steps and
lateral openings, covered with protusion
Of inscriptions and pictures. Kings,
priests. and the humble, sleep in these 81.
lent homes. With alphabet OF letters
and symbols you can apell out the record
of names and dynasties. The ruler who
appointed Joseph his Chancellor of the
EXchcquer, the Pharaoh of the Exodus,
the Pharaoh Memo of the Book OF Kings,
the Shishak, who defeated Rehoboam and
plundered the temple in Jerusalem, have
here IN Thebcs, or elsewhere, their tombs
or soulptured histories.
The eastern quarter of Thebes is now
known rs karuak. The principal struct-
ure is the palacc of the kings. 1t was
approached by four avenues, lined with
enormous sphinxes. These animals,
made of stone, larger than tul!-grown
elephant, are in Il cuuchant posture, with
faces turned towards tbs avenue. The
approach from Luxor had 1000 of these
enormous figures. What sight, when
the thoroughtare was crowned with
priests and worshippers and animals Tor
sacrifice! The total length of this edl-
fee, serving as temple and palace, was
about POO feet, with circumference OF
one and halt miles. The grand hall had
a forest of l34 pillars. from ~ to % feet
ia height and from 9 to ii feet IN dame
ter. Some obeisks still stand. One, the
loftiesf, is of II single block of granite
ninety feet high. The obelisks IN Rome
and Paris were carried, in part, from
Thebes. OF temples, palaces, gaieways,
columns, sphiuXeS, statues, sculptures, l
despair OF giving faint notion col num-
Der or grandeur. That vestige should
exist after the lapse OF ages, the lcono-
clasm of superstition or ianatlcism, the re-
verre Of conqu ,rors, is due to the dryneSs
of the atmosphere. This is a ralnless lat
itude Herodotus said, "During the
REIGN of Psammenitus, most remarks
bile prodigy bcieli the Egyptians; for rain
fell At Egyptian Thebes. which had new
er happened before, nor since in my time,
&c the Thebans themselves affirm. For
no ram ever falls in the upper regions of
Egypt
Assouan was the ultima thule of our
VOYAGE. 1t is at the foot of what Is, by
gpidebook exaggeration, called the First
Cataract. In its neighborhood are the
granite quarrieS, which furnished the
materials for the Colossal structures with
which the Valley of the Nile once
sboupded. An obelisk, near leo feet
long, lies undetached in its native bed.
The population of AsSouan Is very mix
ed. Pure specimens of the negro are
numerous and conspicuous. Quite m ac-
tive trade is carried on here IN ostrich
eggs and feathers, ivory, ebony, gum
arabic. silver, bows and arrows, spears,
shields, wicker-baskctS, and Nubian Ia
dies costumes. the Nubian men, as well
US the women, wear rings IN their ears
both in the upper and lower portions
and the women wear. in addition, rings
in the iusides of their noses. Their hair,
plated into strings, is creased with cas-
tor oil. Grease and silver ornaments are
substituted US feminine adornings for
clothing.
The surroundings Of Assouan are bar
ron and uninviting. No wonder that
Jnvensl, when banlshe3 there by D)mi'
ti,n took sweet revenge IN satirizng
the Romans who banished and the Esyp'
tisns who received he misanthrope
There is a telegraph line from Cairo to
assonan 4 short railroad has been built
around the cataract, and u party of Eng
iish engineers was in the village to sur
vey and super,nterd the extension OF the