Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-10-06
Watrliman & gnnr,mI.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1880.
Glimpses Of the Orient---No. 10.

Glimpses Of the Orlent---No. 10.
At Argos we are told n touching incident. More
than forty years ago one Of the missionaries of
the American Board, who was then stationed
here, buried child, and in the illness OF Its
mother followed Ii TO Its resting place alone. Ten
years since he returned, to find every trace of the
grave obliterated, and Ia unable to identify the
locality. One Of our travelling companions is an
other son OF this same missionary, and himself
our informant-may to-day unawares tread on
the soil that covers kindred dust.
After dinner Of lamb and rice-prefaced with
that standard Greek dish, lemon souI-we drive
across the northern part Of the plain of Argos for
about seven miles, till we reach the little village
OF Charvati Here we overtake the horses engaged
to take us to Cornth, and here also find the Gus
todan Of the excavated ruins Of Mycen@. In
twenty minutes more we come to the so-called
Treasury Of Atreus. Bya vestibule eighteen feet
broad and whose sides are OF heavy blocks OF
hewn stone, we traverse a space OF seventy-five
feet directly into the side Of the hill, and are
confronted by hinge doorway, eighteen feet In
height and half as wide. The Intel is OF two
stones, one Of which is twenty-eight feet long,
seventeen feet broad, and three feet nine inches
In thickness. The weight of this stone Is esti-
mated To be 100 tons. Passing In we find our
selves in a huge, circular room, Of the shape OF
an old-fashioned beehive or Of an inverted spin
ning-top The height and the diameter are nearly
fifty feet. The courses Of brecca, which make
the wall, gradually contract till single cope
stone completes the covering. There is proof
that the vault was once lined with polished plates
Of copper. Nail-holes appear, and bronze nails
have been found both in the wall and among the
rubbish which once filled the place. The En-
peror Of Brazil, Dom Pedro, few years ago dined
here with DR.. Schliemann. We formed a circle
within, and sang an adaptation Of John Brown,
putting 1t: "Agamemnons body lies a-moulder-
ing" and Heinrich Schliemann dug him ont, /"
As we go marching on" But, according to the
method OF poetry, neither affirmation was abso.
lutely correct. For Agamemnon was buried
probably further on, and secondly, the excava-
tions at this point were made, not by DIR. Schle-
mann, but thirty years ago, by the Archaeological
society Of Athens. Moreover, this vault and an.
other adjoining it, excavated from the solid rock
were more used for the preservation Of treasure
in times Of war and turbulence than for any pur
pose of burial. Within mile or two are FIVE
other similar constructions, one OF which was dis
covered and opened by Mrs. Schliemann, while
her husband was busy about the tombs OF the
Acropolis of Mycen@. We follow the line o.
scattered blocks Of stone and the irregular OUTLINE
of wall for three-fourths Of mile from the Treas
ury, ascending all the while till we come to
/ broad headland Of rock, such as the Greeks inva
/ riably selected for the stronghold OF city Tn,
enclosed area of 1000 by 800 feet is bounded b,
| precipitous rock on one side, and on the othei
three by walls whose average thickness is sixteer
feet, and whose height varies, according to TIN
nature Of the ground, from thirteen to forty-tw,
feet. The main entrance near the northwest an
| gle is the famous Lions Gate. The gateway wa,
double Over the Intel of the outer is an i'm
mense triangular block of limestone, on whcl
are sculptured the reliefs of two lionesses 1t i
the Oldest known statuary in Greece and ha
more Of kinship with the art Of Western Asia, o
even Assyria. than with that of the classic day
| Of Greece Whether Homer lived, or Agamem
non lived or died, before or after the building o
these massive walls, may not be infallibly ascer
tained, but 1t is certainly not a mere fancy t.
connect the name Of the mightiest hero OF thi
land with this commanding fortress and thi
most interesting memorial Of some lion-hearte'
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tombs Each contained from ono 10 90 hodies
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