Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-01-28

in the mechanical arts in this country,
We are perhaps only on the very
threshold Of the knowledge possessed
by the Ancient Egyptians thirty.ive
centurleS ago, In my opinion an obe-
liSk is simply the representation of the
| creative power; it was unqucstionably
intended to stand before temple; the
proportion betweccn its height and that
ot the wall or pylon against which il
was seen projected, were invariably
such that from every point of view the
pyramidion of the ohclisk was seen
above the top of the temple. Obelisks
were always erected in pairs; unfortu-
natcly W. have but one, and il is not
reasonable 10 expect that We can get
another one from Egypt; in fact |
have good ground for assuring you
that there is not the least hope Of our
getting another Egyptian ohehsk, un.
less We can buy one from the European
residents of Egypt But can see no
reason for not having another ohclisk
cut out ot the beautiful red granite OF
Connecticut, and erected ON neigh
boring knoll, ON which there could he
cut \ brief historical record
lie had been requested, the speaker
said, IL write detailed history of the
ohcliSk for publication in aschool book,
hut had declined, He then gave IN
extended accouAt OF the hciroglyphics,
which have before been fully dcscrih-
cd and gave some facts about Thoth-
mes Ill, Harnesses, ThchcS, Memphis,
and luclus NeruS, rothmes was on
ahlcd ~ conquer Asia and exact trih-
ute from the most powerful Asiatic
kingdoms, He built new temples and
restored others that had been destroy
cd 10y the \Slatic cunQucNrs. Among
the latter was the Temple of Tn nj
lleGopolis, BctorS that temple he
erected n pair of ohclsks. of which ours
is one, have Il model orthat tcmplc,
which is nS interesting MS the oholisk
itself ltiS ths oldest model or plan in
cNistcner. II was found 1T HoEopohs
hy IN eminent German archrologist,
who sold il toa Californian. who sold
his collection NJ auction IN this city,
where il was purchased for $6O, during
my absence III Egypt. knew of the
existence oft this exceptionally interest
ing object, and on my return homo
promptly purchased IT," Harnesses
built ship canal from the Mcditcrran-
can 10 the Rcd Sea thirty-two cen
turtles before NJ dc l.esscps was born.
This canal lasted for more than
thousand years, so il must be consider
cd Il success Traces GIFT arc still 10
hc seen.
There are good reasons for believing
that the exodus look pmcc III the latter
pnrt Of the reign ut Ramcses H., and
that his were the hosts that were swat
lowed up IN tho Rcd Sea while in pur-
silt OF the fugitive lsrnritcs The Bib
lical record does not state that tho PIN
moh was drowned. and had he been
stated. Kings IL those days, rs in these,
did not lead the van of their armies.
From M Egyptian standpoint there
was nothing moro remarkable III the
flight of the lsncltcs thnn there would
he to-day in the sudden departure from
one OF our lndinn agencies of discon-
tented tribe, led by some ambitious
chief, il would he u matter Of consider
able Importance to the Indians but of
remote interest to the inhabitants Of the
scabeard There is nothing startling in
! the fact TINT the lsrnoltcs crossed dry
shod while the Egyptians were drowned.
A combination Of low spring tidos, with
winds from certain directions, causes
the waters of many cstuaries, and mo-
tahly those of the Red Soa, to How out
so M to lonve dry passages across them /;
this combination is generally followed
by sudden and great rise Of tho tide,
from which there IL no escape.
CLEOPATRA had nothing to do with
our oholisk She died eight years be-
iorc il was removed Ivy tho Romans
from llcliopolis TO Alexandria, for, ~
you are doubtless aware, the Latin and
Greek inscription on tho claw Of the
copper crab, found between IL and its
pedestal, states that il was regretted ut
Alexandria in the eighth year of Au-
gustus, which corresponds to the TWEEN
ty-third year before Christ"
At the conclusion Of the lecture DIR,
lolton fixed the date Of the compile
ton Of tho obclisk ns 1891 u. G., and
argued that il was begun by Thothmes
H., the Pharaoh Of tho Isrnclitcs who
wnS swallowed up by the Rod Sen