New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-26
A VISIT TO EGYPT.


| ADDRESS BY GENERAL GEORGE W. CULLUM.
DESCRIPTION OF JOURNEY TO THE LAND OF TIE
PHARAoHs THIRTY WARS Aao-A WONDERFUL
AND CAPTIVATING COUNTRY.
The American Geographical Society held a
meeting Cuickering Hall last evening for the purpose
of hearing paper read by the vicepresdent OF the So
cety. General George ". Cuum. OF the United states
Army ON the subject The Land Of Egypt" After the
Of eight Fellows Of the society," the presi
dent, ChefJustce Charles z. DAILY. introduced tne
speaker whose descriptions illustrated by maps OF
Egypt ana Africa The substance OF Generai Culums
paper follOws
We embarked for Egypt IN January 1851. After skirt
Ing the coast OF Caabra, passing Strombo and Etna,
Saylla and Charybds and wandering among the ancient
Notifications OF the Knights OF Malta we came In ssnt
OF Alexandria. The turbId about the African
Coast showed the proximity Of the Nile, which, AFTER
leaving its fountains n Victoria Nyanza and winding
for than 1000 miles through sandy deserts aud be-
tween precipious cliff finds its way by several mouths
into the Mediterranean. It has been truly said that
Egypt the gift OF the Nile Sir Gardner wilkinson has
demonstrated that body VI water ~ large as Lake
Superior extended over the region about the
upper course OF the Nie--a discovery that solves
the puzzle which perpexed Herodotus when told that
the river flowed from ocean to The filling up OF
this Egy pan lagoon by the silt deposits doubtless
of hundred centuries marsh
Of Lake Moers into the garden OF Africa.
The primitive civilization OF Egypt Is wrapped In as
deep mystery as ITS early geography. Manetho tells
that Menes the first king OF united Egypt, began to
reign in the year 1893 B. c. and this chronology is
rmed by collateral researches OF biologists and anti
quarlans Opinions differ to the reservoir
from which the earliest Inhabitants flowed
into Egypt Some argue that the civil
ization was aboriginal; that tt was Of Asatic
origin and some that derived from Ethiopia. The
las theory best confirmed, though doubtless the
people who Descended tue valley Of the Nile had their
preserved many ebararterstcs OF mis- ancient prOgcnor
the noticeable d renee being hinred al In tine rec
every day in cold water. and twice each night"
Landing IN he Bay Of Alexandria. We found every
Thought Of Cessr CLEOPATRA iOsed out OF minds by
hotde OF donkeyboys guides and other legal robbers
from whom with 'ifcuy escaped By mounting it'll
our nationality had dubbed Unee Sam y for the
nonce After riding all day on pSmy BueepnaIus saw
still bear the proud name OF the Baths OF CLEOPATRA and
the London fogs and the other Sa Just
found resting place in our own Central PARK II seemed
a dream that was gazing on the capital OF
A lI9 '0i painted. aud where Lacisn sang.
urions ppaHqins, the ships Of Tyre aud farshlsh
Ruin only makes reply. Where are the gardens, tne
Museum and the serapenm Rubbish and ashes alone
can tell Yet less forgotten nan Greeks and Romans
are the hordes Of ISLAM, except the meihoty OF no
Caph whose general for SIX months warmed ais 1000
baths with precious papyrus manuscripts
Sailug away from Alexandra, we wandered for
week in the airy borders Of CARO-.
T Gr SYO ra h the srr exsSs Arb
city HeliopOLs the City OF the Sun, full Of his
fallen spieudor forgotten the lovely Pillar
OF on erected than i've thousand years THIS
Of winch sixteen in Italy, six in England five In
Egypt, in France. two IN C0nstantinople one In
Park was thuus ns OF years fsted dOw0 the Nile
from tue qualres Of syene eOpols, whore 1t stood
for sixeeI hundred years until removed to Alexandra
by e4ar Augustus trophy Of the Battle OF Actian.
Our oDel!sk after having in tue ong course OF use
IN ,fnapa
ander and long line OF Moslem rulers, low stands
dreamed by the Eastern world when the obellsk had
been beng for 1000 years.
were set TO see. The pyramids OF zsh are probably
the Oldest monuments "a the world VI the several
names the Oldest The best known Is thai CT the pyra-
md OF Chops This massIye pile would cover nearly
two Of Washington Squares aud Is twice as high AZ
Trrty Church spre. OF the many theories that nave
been 6roachtd object hch these mountains Of
stone intended suoserye the most plausible Is
OF Pny. who says that ihey we're an dle anu sy
display " royal wealth" That much time and labor
we're txpnfed Tor Astronomical puposes Tor which tue
smallest fraction VI their cost Wouu nave sancen as
| well, seems prSposterOus; and the Ingenious
theory Of Professor plazz Smith, taat 'ae pyramids
built TO preserve the sGcrel euo, OF Nses u uvl
strengthened by the thas the cubit OF the ancientS
nnsstng glance al the catacombs OF Bruiss,an and
hasty VISIT the wepreseryed Temple OF DeBdera, we
iyod spd ia said 10 baye been capable at one time OF
seudng into the the field 100000 fOo-aoldirrs and
81 900 chlrots. The principal remains or ms giant
metropolis the temples OF karnhc ana Luxor Oh tue
eastern bank OF the river and the Ramesiun. ON the
Western bank. Everything about these temples
Is Of colossal size and stupendOus grandeur.
The worldrenowned Temple OF Karnac was the
greatest OF the rhebian prodigies. This prehistoric
temple, erected by a succession Of mOnarchs from
Osrtestn Damesss H. OF whom Tried 70 Quito
Predecessor. most magnificent architectural
relic of winch either the ancient uOdern world
boast The f0recourt 1279 feet III length and $50 feet
broad, leads colossal pyonS to the majestic
Han Of Beauty, unsurpassed by anything la antiquity.
In the nrghbornOOd O the Ranesium Il the celebrated
vocal statue OF MemnOn. wuich my love Tor the beauty
OF the myth OF the Son Of Aurora led me TO Visit
at the hour Of dawn. Arrived at the foot OF the
Image, Just the rising sun Dathed The DiOW OI
tie NemnOn In q Hood VI radiance, was almost WIZ
delight To hear astraln OF delicious music proceed
ing the stony colossus. Gazing lntenuv upward,
saw ittle bird warb.iBg It's matln melody fIom
crryiCr In MCmnOn's shattered ueck moment more,
and with hOarse crOak, Ike tho voice or the expected
oracle, the Innocent sOngser WAS seiZed Dy a nawR
whose Liscordant notes swcetCr 10 me than any
heat hen .ce. did The bird OF prey symbolic
the god iEht, Horus. whom the Egyptians always
reprrrentsd as hawk headedi
The Thousand wonders ol Tnebes the angry cataracts
of lhe Nile and all the objects interest ciust
crinK about island OF Phae would require volumes
TO describe. few words Egyptian art must con-
Guide this discourse. The bngt or Egyptian art Is us
Journalism. all primitive art. that Of Egypt was
historical in It's purpose. The supremacy OF the priests
vino dictated every thing to the all paint
ing and ali sculpture 10 dead monOtOny. There 10 no
sympathy with nature. as IN the schools OF
was his own The delineatlon Of the lower
animals was indeed more successfully achieved
than that OF human figure, which had liked aritl-
meca measurements and was great only In It's ulagnf
The architecture Of the ESypins was iostereu py
their the gods whose presence they saw IN
tina perpetual conflict between the Nile aud the Desert
such stern submty nowhere exsts as In Egypt Tor III
every pyramid, temple catacOmb Is embodied the
thought OF death