Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1882-09-12
EGYPT'S CONQUERORs.

10 rob Egypt has been the favorit'
pnstime of conQuerors. Something "
the situation of this peculiar land has
made Il always worth conquerlng. IL Is
only small territory, scarcely rs large
rs the State of Maine. 10 is bounded by
deserts, and has only one outlet to the
sea Its population can never have been
more than five or seven millions. tire
malned for several thousand years,
Brugsch Bey tells us from its moni'
ments, shut In from the world, indepen-
dent aud singularly industrious. Then
were built the great cities OF the Nile,
the Pyramids, the Sphinxes, the Laby.
rlnth, aud endless canals, wells, and
many works of real value. Wealth ac'
cumilla,ed, and the spoil Of Egypt be-
came the tempting lure of generations
of Eastern warriors. The Perslans raw
aged and plundercd II. The Assyrinns,
Ethloplans, Greeks, Alexander, visited
Il; II fell to the Ptolemles. They drove
of cilectually the other plunderers, and
once more the narrow land grew 10 be
the richest portion or the earth. Caesar
conqllored II, the Romans pillagcd II for
generations, the Saracons still found
wealth In Egypt, and the Cairo OF the
Middle Ages became one Of the faircsi
cities OF the time. i
Napoleon l., the Turk, and the Khe-
dive have been the chief spoilers 0l
modern Egypt. its tombs are plllaged
IN the cause of eclencs, and foreign bond
holders are hardly more mercliul than
were the PharaOhs and the Ptolemlcs.--
IL Ia indeed remarkable that after 80
many ages Of spollatlon there should be
ANYTHING left IN the land TO rob except
its mummies. No other country could
hayo borne such succession OF disas-
ters aud expressions. But there i
somcthlng IN the situation and pecillarl-
lies of Egypt TINT makes Il evon more
important 10 the world Of to-day than u
WINS 90 thai % Cnsar and Alexander. II
IA ptlll the highway to the Ehst. Dis
coyory, sclence, the progress Of roads
and rollwuya, have failed TO provide any
better mems OF traffic than Tho lied Sea
and the narrow canal that links II to the
Mediterranean. n, m the London
Times (July ~ snggests, the canal un.
der English or European control would
bo wldencd, decpened, and adapted Y
the use Of the trade Of the world, u u
easy 10 see what n vast accession of Inv
portance would be given 70 Egypt TIC
narrow land, undern tolerable govern
mcnt, would become once more . scent
OF industry. Iis people from the Delt1
10 the CaiArncts would soon grow pros
perous, and perhnpe content Asaconl'
ncrclal centre Egypt has advantages
that make II certain to become again one
OF the worlds chief resorts I.
Brugach Bcy's history drawn from W
monuments shows that the EgYpnnnl
we're the conqueroys of antiquity. Tn
phnraohs led out their great armies int
the lands Of tho Hlttltes and the Asey
rims. and came bark laden With plum
der, There On the tombs and templeI
we may see pictures Of the spoil, th'
raptlyes. the gems, nrmor, and the flerc'
assault upon some captured town. MAS
sacte aud ruin followed the Egyptian
army. Atlnst Tie outer world retalla
lei, Tho Ausyriana robelled In th'
nalares of 'lhebes. Tho PerHians hel'
an iron rule over the people of Mem
phll. The Nile stfeaned with blood.-
Alexander conquered the fallen enipir'
with ease. The Greeks and Roman
held ERypt until $50 A. y. The kara
Gems made II a Moslcm shrinc lIs IN
test conqliepf was Napoleon. Young
flerro. relentless. hu acenied 10 eniulnt
| Alhxander. and looked forward 20 IN
conquest of indiM but Ills to Napo
leou'a invasion that We owe The chic
modern inquiries into the history an
monuments n Egypt. The men Of bel