Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-12-27
TIE TOMB OF AGAMEMNON.

TIE TOMB OF AGAMEmN0N.
Explorations of DIR. schlfemann at Ny
cenee.
We extract the following from the
New York Herald's account of DR..
Schliemann's discoveries at Mycena:
then turned to the treasury of Aga
memnon, commonly called "Tomb of
Agamemnon," which lies about three
quarters of mile from the citadel.
1t is dug in the side of little hill,
facing deep ravine. A passage 147
feet long and about 80 wide, formed of
two parallel walls, each 80 feet high
and built of hewn stones of about 8
feet by 2, leads to the grand entrance,
which is Ii feet nigh, and at the top, &
wide, but its width gradually increases,
and it is feet at the base. This gate
is covered with one block of beautiful
ly hewn stone, 81 feet long and high,
above which there is triangular open
ing of IL feet high and the same width
at the base. Curiosity having made
me climb this gate found in the tri-
angular opening some traces which
convinced me that statues or little col
umns were placed there. There was
formerly on each side of the great gate
column with base and capital, and
enclrcled with elegant sculptured Or
naments, which, according to Speaker
had no resemblance to any other sculp-
lures of ancient Greece, but which ap-
preached the style of carvings at Per-
sepolis. In the great entry the marks
on the bolts and hinges of the doors
are visible, and on the same line with
these marks series of little round
holes of about an inch and half i'm
diameter and half an inch deep, and
at the bottoms of these two little holes
which evidently held nails Of bronze.
The treasury contains two chambers,
the first of which is shaped like q cone,
OF 81 feet diameter and about the same
height. It communicates by g. door
| with an interior chamber of quadran-
gular shape, which is only 81 feet in
length and width, and is roughly dug
into the rock.
This last was entirely dark, and, I'M
fortunately, I had brought no matches
with me. [ told the boy who had come
with me from Charvati to go and get
some, but he assured me there was
not such thing in the village. Being
convinced that, even in the house of
the Peloponnesus, there must be some
matches, I told him I would give him
half drachma (eight cents for three
matches. The boy stood stupefed and
aghast al such liberality, but could not
bring himself to believe it at first.
Three times over he asked me if T
would truly give him " fifty lefta" if he
would seek some matches; twice gave
him simple affirmative answer, but
the third time swore on the ashes of
Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. Scarce
had [ calculated this oath than the
youngest made off at full speed toward
Charvati, though more than mile
distant from the treasury of Agamem-
non, and came back in hot haste with
bundle of brambles in one hand and
ten matches IN the other. [ asked him
why he had brought three times the
number of matches I had told him to.
First he gave me evasive answers, but,
being pressed on the point. at last ad-
mitted that he was afraid that some of
the matches would be bad, and that he
had brought ten instead Of three in or
der to guarantee himself against all
chances and to carry off the promised
recompense when he arrived. He soon
kindled fine fire in the chamber,
making light enough to scare the
thousands of bats which had establish
ed their dwellings there, and which
made loud noise in their endeavors
to escape. But, blinded by the bright
ness of the blaze, they failed to
find the door, and few rest
lessly from side to side Of the room,
annoying us much, flying in our faces
and hanging to our clothes. The great
hall or dome is built of hewn stones of
from thirteen to thirty inches long, and
eleven to twenty-five thick, laid on each
other without cement. In each of
these stones there are two little holes
containing the remains Of bronze nails,
which have been set in there, and, even
yet, som entire nails may be seen In
the upper stones of this dome. These
nails can only have served to support
lining which extended over the whole
interior of the edifce, for, while we
might admit that those below, say to q
height of twelve feet, served to suspend
arms and other objects, it is utterly out
of the question that those which We
see in thestones at the top Of the dome
could have been employed for the
same purpose. Besides the construc-
ton Of this edifce shows, even in the
smallest details, 8 wonderful care and
art. After having defed the ravages
of time for thirty-one centuries, it is
still in state Of preservation as perfect
as though it were just built. There is,
therefore, but little reason to doubt
that it was adorned in most splendid
manner. So, am perfectly sure that
the whole interior of the great hall was
lined with polished plates of bronze Or
brass. I believe this the more, as we
see in several ancient authors, that the
Greeks had, at a very early period,
adorned their houses in this manner;
for we can in no other way explain the
brazen houses and chambers of which
the ancient poets and historians speak.
Scene in Australian Diggings.
AT Opossum, the new digging region
in Australia, man named Bernard
Houlov hos dicoOvoro1 q ,,,,orof vol