The New York herald., 1878-03-05

advanced to Phila full Of interest thought oil
the ancient civilization Of Egypt in ITS most repeleht
and selfish form. twas here that The Egyptians were
dragged generation alter generation, to dig out mon-
strous stones and them down he river, to do
honor 10 the kings. For centuries the work con-
tinued-lhe most selfish work, take H. ever ordained
by king For centuries II went on-Cheops this
age, Abydos the age after; Karnak requiring twenty
centuries alone. Hero was the scene OF their toll.
Here the taskmaster carried out the orders OF the
king and forced the uncomplaiuing slave. can well
understand tho horror with which the Israeites re-
garded Egyptian bondage II they ever came TO Assouan
TO dig stones for k.ngiv tomb have doubt they
did their share OF the work. aud that this sandy
rocky plain they trudGed their weary oad from year
to year. their hearts fixed Jerusalem waiting Tor
the hour whom God would put It. into PDaruohs heart
10 send them out of The house OF bondaPe. The glory
OF that dead civilization quite f.ded away, and l
thought only oil iis scl1shness oil barrenncss and
1t seemed only ht rcsriDution that the monuments
which wore 10 commemorate for ages tne ovcr u
crsashg glory or the Kings should be gwen over 10
the Arabs aud the bats, should teach no lesson so
plainly tho utter vanity OF human pride aud power
BEAUTIFUL PuiLE.
But, no-we are not iconoclasts-and lot not IN
one impatient moment, one moment Of sympathy for
the beaten races throw aside the magnAcence OF the
old civil zaaon. "ls something, after ALL 10 have
made poem This say. for We have passed the
granite gorge aud throwing lie silk over tho brow,
we note that are tho river bank and that hero
at last is nesting beautiful Phii, beautiful as poem
And Brugsch Is looking on with beamng eyes, for he
loves Phllp with scholars love aud has written
book about it, and tho other evening, whom talk ran
dry anu were each saying what we woulo do II we
had the possessions or the late Mr. Vanderbilt hc said
he would buy pnp and repair the temple and plant
the island with rees and there live the remainder OF
his days Well II / had the possessions OF the de-
parted railway KING there Two things would not
do. l would not write for newspapers except to
enunciae great principles In the Crisis OF the
nations fate and would not buy Phia But IKE
enthusiasm wherever and 1t Of the genuine quality,
for II s the Alpine air OF this misty, toggy work a-day
world ana. as said, Egypt has been worshippod by
our friend with q scholars love. So rode along
the bank apd dismoun.ed, and embarked on daha;
beeah which was to ferry as over. This dahabecah Is
under control OF sheik, whose duty is 10 carry
vessels up and down the cataracts For seventy
years and boy, he has done this work. ana as he
stood by the rail looking on his turbAned head, his
swarthy face tngcd with ay. and his flowing robcs
he looked quite handsome apd venerable He had twcn-
~ FIVE OF crew, including children. There was
minor character baggy clothes who gave ordersbu
the old man was moral influence, and he
watched every phase and ripple of shs stream
should like to hnvo interviewed the sheik for the
HERALD. man who has spent seventy years In these
Nubian sotudes striving with mad, eccentric river,
must have thought we'll on many grave problems
But my in strange tongues do not include
| Arabic; and SO 1 am dobarred But We are now
moving along the stroam and wayward currents en-
compass us, and the skek Is no longer mere moral
influence, but active power He shouts aad gescu-
la,es ana tho oil shout chorus, ending with
an ODD refrain. something like prolonged moan. II
and
although the with all Of his power upon US,
we stand upon the decK ana watch. Tho General sx-
presses his admiration OF the seamanshp Of the
Araps-an admiration which Is justified by the mau-
ner In which, surging through the pers OF the stream
we nestle under the temple walls Of Pnil@.
PLuxoIxa THROUGH THE cArARAors a.
| We land, not without orort and crmb Into the
ruin Phila 10 not specially interesting As temple
| after you have Thebes and Abydos. can think
oil nothing useful to about 1t except that ss ruin
| Il is picturesque. Nature comos aid The tenn
pies we have been visiting have been mainly In the
sand on tho dessrt But here wc are In volcanic re-
gons Around piles OF granite rock The island
| Is green and the date palms salute US as we pass.
There flowers, ana instead OF bulgng and sliding
through sand, step tr,ppingy over stones aud turf
In the sanctuary note three young Germans eating
lunch we pass 10 the other bank 10 the cata-
ract This is one OF the features OF the Nile.
the river here spreads channels and runs
over rocks One channel is used for vessels ascend
lug the stream the other for vessels descending the
stream. The before US Is not more than quarter
| OF mile long. The river - narrow, the banks are
steor and tho stream rolls and dashes like sea, the
waves lashng the banks and roaring should call
the cataract simply narrow, heavy The danger
| In navigating 10 from the rocks and beng dashed
against the banks. II s relief fresh from 500 mcs
| Of easy, placid sailing, the river as smooth rs q
pond TO see II In this angry mood. While here
| We note men swimming towards us, each man
on log, with q garment tied to the head
They aro natives who propose TO run the rapids for
| our amusement They swim, or rather hold on 10 q
log aud propel themselves into the current II IL
hazardous enough for the current sweeps like tor
| rent and tho least want OF nerve would dash the
swimmer against tho rocks But they go through
bravely enough and como out into the smooth water
below. Each swimmer, carrying his log on his shoul-
der and drawing his single garment around his shver-
Ing ioins, s,mes for bakshsssh Hassan makes the
payments, but tho crowd becomes so clamorous and
aggressive. and would probably carry of Hassan. bag
and ALL but for the who restores order
his stick. We return to our donkeys, having had an
interesting but rather wearying day. And in the
morning, before We are up our boat has turned Its
PROV and We going home
RETURNING TO CAIRO
On our way home wo stopped long enough to allow
all OF the party but Sam Bey and your
TO visit the sombs Of the kings had letters 10 writc
and we were running swiftly toward mails and mall
ing distance from Now York. We stopped over night
at Konoh. and saw old friend the Governor, who
camo down on his donkey ana drank a cup OF coffee.
We stopped hour at Stout, and two OF mission
ary friends came board and told Us the from
the war and from homc We gathered around them
in anxious wonder, hearing how Adr'anople had fallen,
how Derby,Had resigned andhox England was,to go
arraod into the European Conference. 'T begin 10
think now,n said the General. ''ior the first time
that England may 20 in" Some one proposes laugh.
ngiy that toe General, who is his way to Turkey,
should offer the Sultan mis- services "No," no said,
~ have done all the lighting care 10 do and the
| npIu counirx l ever shall fight for ia the United