The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-03-13
WHOLE NO. 1892.

il was believed Osiris was buried
here. To the ancient Egyptians the
burial place Of that god was as sa-
cred as Mecca is 70 The M0slems or
;he Holy Scripture TO the Mediaeval
Christians. The government has,
therefore, been digging in all direc-
tions, a1d we started after Brugseh
to see the work. Mrs. Grant rode
along on her donkey, and the rest of
US went in different directions on foot.
There had been troubles in the neigh
borb0od-riots arising out Of the bad
Nile and taxes. So We had a guard
who hovered around Gs-one soldier,
whom We called. in obediencs to the
law of physical condolences, Boss
Tweed-keeping watch over the
General He was q fat aud ragged
fellow, with a jolly face. 1t was
quite walk to the ruins, and the
walk was over hills and ridges Of
burning sand So the Marquis wen;
to the village to see ifthe eamels had
come bearing the luncheon-a sub
iect that was of more value to bis
practical mind than the tomb Of a
deity. II was an interest
ing walk, to Us especially, as it was
our first real glimpse of the desert
and Of an ancient city. The General
and the writer found themselves to-
gether climbing the highest of the
1t was rather al efJrt to
keep our footing on the slippery sand
Beneath US was one excavation forty
or ffty feet deep You could see
the strata that age after age had
heaped upon the buried city. The
desert had been slowly creeping over
it, and in some Of the strata were
marks of the Nile. For years, for
Of years, this mass, which
the workmen had torn with their
spades, had been gathering. The
city was really a city OF tombs In
the ancient days the devout Egvp-
tian craved burial near the tomb of
Osiris, and 80 for centuries. 1 sup
pose, their remains were brough; to
Abydos from al parts Of Egypt
This fact gives special value to the
excavations, ss it gives 8 special So
lemnity to our view. As we stood
on the elevation talking about Egypt
and the impressions made upon us BY
our journey the scheme was very
There was the round lem
pie; here were the gaping excsva-
tons hlled with bricks and pottery.
Here were our party, some gather
ing beads and skulls aad stoneS;
others having lark With Sami Bey;I
others following Mrs. Grant as a
body guard a. her daIkey padded
bis way along the slopes. B=vond,
lust beyond, were rolling plai of
shining sand-shining, bu 'ninS sand
and as the shrinking eye followed
the plain and searched the bills there
was no sign Of life; nothing except,
perhaps. some careering hawk hurry
ing TO the river. II was the apothe-
osis of death and ruin, a 6t mantle
for the sepulchred city below. | have
seen no scene in Egypt more strik-
ing than the view from the mounds
Of Abydos.
HOME AGAIN
The sun was beating with eontin-
led fsrceness, and we kept our way
10 the cluster Of trees and the vii
age. The Marquis. with illumina-
ted eyes, informed US that the cam
els had come and the luncheon was
ready. We sat around our modest
table AID feasted-feasted in the
temple sacred to the memory Of Osi-
ris, and built by the pious manif-
cence of Sethi, the king who rests
with God The walk had given US
an appetite and put Us all in high
spirits, and We lunehed in merry
mood. There were toasts 70 the
khedive, to Sami Bey, to the Gen
eral, and the invariable toast which
comes from gracious womanly lips-
to friends and dear ones at home.
Then Brugseh told Us of Salib, an
Arabian who had been for twenty
years, working at the excavations.
He worked with 80 much diligence
that be had become entirely blind,
and it was now bis only comfort to
wander about the ruins, direct the
Eorkmen, and perhaps trace with his
fingers many a loved inscription that
his zeal had brought to light. Sslib
lived near the ruin on a pension al
lowed by the khedive, and after
luncheon we called on him and took
our coffee in bis house. The coffee
was served on the roof, while some
Of US, weary with the sun, lay under
the shadow Of the wall and the date
trees, and others sat about the court
yard smoking, and Brugseh, who
never misses his chance, improved
the shining hour 70 copy hero
glyphlc inscription. After an hours
rest We went back again very much
as We came. Bot the journey was
long, the road was dusty, and when
We saw the flag flying from our boat
we were, some of US ct least, q wea-
~, very weary party. We had rid
den fifteen miles on donkeys snd
walked two or three on the sand,
and the shelter and repose Of the
cabin was grateful when az last it
came