The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-12-24
Hieroglyphics.

known as "Cleopatra's Needles" have
/ been before the world good deal this
this autumn.
One Of these which had been lying
on the sesshore at Alexandra for cen
turies. and was presented by former
Pasha of Egypt to England. some fifty
years ago. was lately on its way to the
latter country by a ssa voyage. but is
now detained on salvage claim. at
Ferrol, seaport in the northwest OF
Spain.
Tue other, which has long stood ON
the sesshore at Alexandria. has lstel =
been presented to the United States by
the present ruler of Egypt and will be
brought to this country. VIA the Medi-
/ teranian sea. and across the Atlantic
I Ocean carly next summer, if engineer
ing and steam. working together, can
accomplish such voyage.
/ Each Of these needles, which WAS re-
moved to Alexandria long before Cleo.
patra was born, were cut from quarry
Of red granite at Syene, in Egypt, the
average length beng from seventy
three to seventy-six feet. Pharoah
and Joseph may have consulted togeth-
! er within view Of these obelisks, and
| some fou- centuries later, Moses and
Aaron may have played together. in in-
| fancy, near where they We're originally
erected.
They are. in fact, probably, with the
exception of the great pyramid. the
oldest monuments in the world, made
by human skill and labor. There re-
main sever al minor obelisks in Egypt.
There is one in the garden of the Se-
raglio, in Constantinople. There are
eleven in Rome, brought from Egypt
by some of the Imperial Cesers and
erected in front of St. Peters and other
churches by pope Sixtus ". nearly
three centuries ago.
In the year 1926 what is known as
the obclisk of Luxor. removed from
Egypt, was erected in the Place de
La Concordia ut Paris ah excellent site,
ut q cost Of over 100000, and is a
great and novel ornament in the hand
soonest Of all European cities. 1t
weighs 100000 pounds and is formed
of fine red Syenite granite. Each Of its
four faces is covered with hieroglyphic
inscriptions, deeply cut aud carefully
finished.
The question is-whnt are HERO
glyphics: The multitude in general
may wonder at these inscriptions. or.
RS frequently happens. regard with
contempt what their Ignorance fails to
understand, and feel amused ut the ap-
paren,ly absurd idea of much enthusi-
asm and learning being called into
play by ~ old stone. covered all over
by rude carvings OF ridiculous little
birds, and meu and women, lntermin-
gled with circles and squares. triaugles
and lines, snakes AND tadpoles.
/ On the other hand. there are those
ior whom a relic OF the remote past has
| n fascinating charm. sni who absolute
/ ly revel in profound discussions Of such
things. which they call enchorials and
idecgraphs. These and other intelli-
gent inquirers may desire to know, a
little i'll advance of the erection If one
Of Cleopatra's needles on American soil
what story the craven figures upon it
tell TO the present generation.
That an Egytisn obelisk does tell a
story is fact that vas ascertained
within living memory. The obelisk of
Luxor, now the pride OF Paris, tells its
own story-bears craven on it record
Of the achievements of Sesostris, the re-
nowned Egyptian monarch. who is sup
posed to have conquered all Asia and
Ethiopia, and. according to Herodotus.
the great historian. reigned 27l2 years
before the Christian era began. If this
be his record. the obelisk is over $500
years old
Up to aperiod within the present
century. the hieroglyphics of Egypt.
though abundant, were simply msan-
ingless (rhe word comes from two
Greek words-hieros. sacred. aud glup-
helm. to carve.) There were innumer-
able monuments--templcs, tombs, rolls
of papyrus-covered with curious SYM
bols aud figures. which obviously
mean, something which historians en-.
gerly desired to obtain; but all these
mementocs Of the past were in Ian
guage of which no mortal, however
learned, knew one syllable or sound.
Some suggested that these symbols
were not tho expression Of any language,
but were merely csbalistic signs by
which the priests of Isis sought to ex.
press religious ideas Some thought
they were ornamental. engravings. A
! few believed they were records of re.
mote past.
/. Here was literature which nobody
could read--a vast museum. filed with
objects of the highest interest to the
! theologian. the historian, and other in
quirers. What was wanted was simply
"a key to render all this intelligible-
only one small taper 70 kindle flame.
aud these cold stones, these voiceless
manuscripts. would glow with the
warmth OF life. and sparkle with intel
ligence.
A few earnest attempts We're made,
early in the seventeenth century, TO
b solve the ancient riddle One Kircher.
German scholar, made great display
of hieroglyphic lore. which imposed
upon others, and perhaps upon himself
also, but turned cat To be entirely base
less-mere speculation and guess-work,
in short.
After much investigation, the learned
came In determine, with something like
certainty. that the hierogiyphics were
not mere symbols. as Kirchsr had imag-
ined. but veritAble letters. expressipg
the language of the Egyptians. and, as
Bishop Wsrbnrton sAid, employed "a
record openly and pisinly their laws,
policies. public moraif. history. and. in
"a word. all kinds of civil matters. Still.