The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-05-06

BENI-HAssAS, EGYPT,
Feb. Is. 1852.
On our return from Assouan, the limit
Of our trip up the Nile, We stopped three
days at Luxor and Karnak TO explore the
glories of Thebes. The Nile new runs over
what Is supposed TO have been a large por-
tion Of that ancient city. Thebes has al
ways marvelloasly impressed the mind and
imagination Of the traveller BY It's extent
and the vastnesS Of its monaments. There
are temples whose front elevation was hun
dreds Of feet in length. fragments Of cOlos-
sal statues Of dimensions truly enormous,
colonnades that rose to over seventy feet in
height The principal monuments Of
Thebes are ON the western bank of the Nile.
The Tsmbs of the Kings are in the desc
late valley sf Hsb.eL NolOOk. All the
tombs in this valley ars excaFated in the
solid rock, and were originally 50 bails up
and covered over as to afford no trace of
the spot where the royal mummy was de-
posited. But in spite Of all the precautions
taken these mumn1ies were found and arc
now scattered in different museums Bats
and owls now dwell in these caves that
were destined to hold proud mortak for
ever. These tombs, with their endless HE
roglyphies, like the temples, show the
evanescent glory Of mankind
Egypt has so many ruins Of temples that
the tourist becomes surfeiied long before
he sees them all Anopg the most inter
esting Of these ruins near Luxor are those
Of the temple built in honor of Rameses
the Second Here was found, with hands
reposiRg ON the knees in Egyptian fashion,
the most gigantic statue ever carved from
solid block Of granite. II measured 50
fest in height, and is calculated to have
weighed 900 tons II now lies in ruins,
and the wonder is who could break this a.
gantic structure, An English writer says
Of il: BY some extraordinary catastrophe
this granite statue Of Rameses has been
thrown down, and the Arabs have scooped
their millstones out OF his face but you
can see what he was, the largest statue IN
the world Far and wide his enormous
head must have been seen--eyes, nose and
ears. Far and vide yen must have seen
his hands resting ON his elephantine knees.
You ST on his breast and look at the 0siFide
statues which support the portico of the
temple, and they seem pigmies before him.
Nothing that now exists 10 the world can
give any notion of what the effect must
have been when he was erect. Nero tow.
ering above the Colosseum may have been
something like it; but he was Of brass, and
Rameses of solid granite
An Egyptian temple was not place Of
public worship like a Greek or Roman
temple 1t was an edifce erected by q
king IN honor of some divinity to whom he
wished to pay special homage. either in re
turn for benefits conferred or in the hope
Of future fayors. This is shown BY the
sculptures on the walls, in all Of which the
king is the principal subject He wages
war with the enemies of Egypt and brings
them home captive; or he offers, in times
of peace, gifts and sacrifices. The history
of an administration, wars or public events
are inscribed on the walls of these temples
which served as the archives of the govern
ment. These buildings were the pride of
the ancient Egyptians, who thought of
making them eternal They certainly last
ed long while, for some are no doubt over
5000 years old and tolerably well preserved
vet. Most of them are of red sandstone
which in this climate lasts long time.
Others are made of immense blocks of
granite, so large as to defy all machinery
TO remove them At Karnak there stands
an obelisk 80 feet high and 8 feet square
at the base-all one block. 1t is said that
5000 men were employed Z months in
bringing it from Assouan, 1873 miles. But
how did they do it? The ruins of Karnak
are really stupendous. Here are yet seen
columns SO feet in circumference and 20
feet high. At one place there stands
forest Of them, about l40 in number In
mense blocks of sandstone, used as entabla-
lures, span these columns Egyptian archi-
tects never made use of an arch, hence
many of their temples fell through their
own weight. l might 60 on to describe
these ruins more in detail, if time and space
were more at my disposal 1t is sad to
think. however, that amid all these magnif-
cent ruins which carry us back in many in
stances nearly forty centuries, there Is no
idea of God manifest anywhere. All these
structures were made for the glory of man,
and as such they are fast passing away.
But if art and science be an evidence Of
civilization then the ancient Egyptians were
highly civilized. Everywhere are now Wis