Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-07-18

traveller in the Fast gives the following
interesting account of his visit to the remains
of ancient Memphis, founded by the first
known Egyptian king-Menes ''But what
did we see Of this wonderful city Only a
succession of mounds" says the writer "a
few pieces of ancient statues and far down
below the present level, with its face in the
centre, a magnificent figure Of woman in
Egyptian dress with noble features and finely
modelled form, almost perfect although prob
ably 1000 years old. As n matter of course
We fingered and looked as long as we thought
sentiment required then pushed on to the re-
markable ruins of the cemetery, which was
connected with this city, or, l should say,
magnificent city Of the dead-to the very con-
fines of which Memphis extended. 1t is now
but little more than a vast mountain of
sand, being just on the precincts of the Afri-
can desert. There are so many tombs every
whore peeping out, and so large number of
pyramids-Sl in all-scattered about that the
interest is keenly excited at once, and at ey-
cry step some new developments take place.
When we remembered that old Memphis was
II miles in circuit and was occupied with
villas, gardens and sacred groves, We can real
lze more than in any other way the wondrous-
ness of the scene which remains to us to-day.
After passing the largest pyramid, considered
the oldest monument of antiquity in the
hbAlNAf We AthAtLhtu IhllIg 70 tllt Olt nlllt
house of refuge standing in the midst of the
sand, dsmounted and lunched-thus securing
a good resting season, and after about an
hour started out with our guides to the two
special points of interest here. the mRusoleum
of the Sacred Bull, and the tomb of the priest
Iih, the latter built about 1850 B. &. These
were uncovered in 1860 by the Egyptian au-
thorities, who, first noticing mounds in the
sand bearing the appearance of heads, APP
pointed a commission, and, after n labor of IL
months, an avenue of sphynxes, 600 feet long,
was laid open, the pcdestals or statues being
perfect in all cases. This was paved and led
to the mausoleum of the Sacred Bull, where
these objects of worship had been entombed
for several dynasties. There were found
three separate chambers of temples the lat
est where dates were found-Gj0 Il. C.-be-
ing the only one now open. One cannot help
feeling an interest in every detail of such a
place. There are the long avenues broad
and high, hewn in the solid rock, while all
along the sides are deep recesses where are
now standing the sarcophagi of the bulls.
Twenty.tiv perfect ones stand in one archive,
each weighing 40 tons and many OF them
fully engraved with figures, representing life,
death, and immortality But it is no more
wonderful to see them where they are, than
to understand how they were put there. One
which was presented to the French had been
abandoned when moved some little distance
as too heavy to be taken away. They are l3
feet long, II feet high, and feet deep, and,
although many of the covers have been re-
moved, nothing was found in any of them.
Above the sarcophagi are inscriptions relating
to their burial, and in whose reign they died.
Many tablets were found upon the walls,
which were placed there as offerings to the
god; these, however, were all allowed to be
taken 10 Paris"