New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-10
THAT MS. !
THE STORY OF A SELL"


From my earliest boyhood think. the passion
for exploring unknown lands has been the ruling
desire of my life. For pleasure, ! have ransacked
Egypt, followed up the mighty HerOd1teab
stream, struck across AbyssnIa wears before King
Theodore had been heard Of anu tailed In an at.
tempt to navigate the lang-tse hiang from the sea
to its source IN Central Asia.
But now | had done much more than TINS. i
was real dlscOyerer, laden with priceless knoWl-
edge dug from the bitches aud wresed from the
sandy deserts of Persia. Layard had made him
self a noble namc from his antiquarian discover
les at Nineveh had not Smith, OF the British Mu-
scum. Won reputation By exploring the origin OF
the Bible and camping in the Verltabe Garden OF
Edeni Monsieur Botta, ! knew, bad created
European fame by his Nlneylte discoveries OF
" CuneilUrm inscripdons. All TINS Knew wen
and il was this that had lmpelled me, ten years
Before the present date, TO lay aside almleSs Hit,
tings to and fro over the map OF the wOrId, ana
settle down INTO one single exploring feat when
would add to the increasing pyramid OF knowledge
and make its author known 10 all ages as Ole OF
the great discoveries of the Nineteenth Century.
les | had declared to myself. Bdbylon ana
NIneveh have been found agln! But there re.
mains another capital OF ancient history, haraIy
even so much as heard OF by the ordinary reader;
but perhaps i'll magnfconce surprising Dotn.
Known TO the student OF IIerOdOtus and POlybus,
vet its site at that day profound mystery, was
determined to probe to the depths Of tue secret OF
the walled capital OF ancient Media WIN lts
palace-the palace OF the Just ana stern Dei0csS,
one of the greatest rulers of history-whose Ties
were of silver ana whose pillars were OF SOLD gold
In u word, had set out ten years DcIoIe 10 us
cover Ecbatana. and here was III England once
again triumphant victor belleyed-ln the
III ht against oblivion and sand. and des0latlon.
The London, Chatham, and Dover halfway lnlghV
seem at first sight t. have nothing mucn III cQul.
mon with the ancient Assyran monarchles but
On that particular day wngn my tove oTG bod in
trusted all my MedO-Perso- As5ynan treasures to
common luggage-van and iistclass carriage on
that favored line. The lug0age-yan Ded my boxes,
crates bags and impedlmenta OF large size, con-
canning not only my personal belongings, Dnt All
the relics had thought lit to bring Win me rom
g Itrrrts Al fD
carriage, that cOntained-beside myselt-my man
uscript written from day to dav, and when act
uay comprised my whole tale Oh work uone an4
discoveries made during the eight years ID which
had continued my Persian explorations: IL lhaue
bulky roll OF paper, and had swaThed 1t round IN
so many wIapplngs that IL had the appearance vi
an infant mummy from The land OF the sacred IBIS
had ratified across Europe as fast AS COT d. aIter
disembarking at Brindlsi from Alexandria fe-
yorish anxiety had taken hold OF me, now that my
task was really completed, to place the results Oh
NV patient toll and the toll of hundreds OF native
worknen, in the hands OF a trst-rate BRITISH pup
Usher Through the prlnting-press was my rOaI 10
Immortality, as knew. NO wonder treasured up
that roll of manuscript. -
NV pan was tc 20 straight 10 well-knOwn
publishing firm with my manuscript, even before
presenting myself to my aged mother and the otnei
members of my family. My publisher fanced l
had chosen with great skill. knew he was the
bead of an equally famous firm who had recently
issued book dealing with Nlnevlte antiquities
entitled The City of Jonah" Human nature,
and the laws of commercial competition; WOulG VI
course prompt him to desire to publish anOther
worI, of original Ieseai ches dealing with another
rortion of Persla-that which | had explored.
Why should l not call II Inc lonio Vi AieA-
anderf' ,,r 4o;,o1
personally up to my neGk IN SAND anu in M to
derpround galleries and cayerns. Not III VAN ilau
| snperlntended armies Of lazy. conteInPlatVe'
quick -wItted Asatcs. Not III vain had squan-
dered my private fortune on Persian deserts Now
| should become renowned! knew my knowledge
was new, solid. precious. My no9k hau Gost o nc
90 ~ nj roc lpsl' III 4
deused essence of Discovery. 1t was mlno oi
unlgue information, which | 1onged to spring on
the learned world OF Europe u.,. IL ~
You can imagine how, feeling AL thls, ai my
previous life seemed merely preparation Ioi thilE
Journey from Dover to LONDON. Every slep Oh
th.t iourney seemed eventful. The prosac scenery
became poetcal. There was Il romance ABOUT the
railway stations. The porter NJ the terminus
seemed more than human. Was ho not taxing the
treasures of Assyria to the cloak-roOm $500
Such were my thoughts when | found tcketS
beinp taken and | was cast adrlit on London
platform. Holding my precious bundle oil manu- .io
scrpt in my left hand and my right clutcMng the
umbrella which had not used IN Persia. but lad
bought in Paris / rushed 10 the van whence my
luggage was being ignOminlOusly shot out Inc
treasures of Deioces were hustled about with scant
ceremony. ! found "a massive gold caplta-one OF
my greatest przes-for which / had had special
portmanteau manufactured, on the point OF beng
pitched head foremost ont OF the van lst0pped
that sacrllege, had all my nun erouS packages
colected-ten in all-and followed the p0rteTs 10
leave the station anu hire a cab. l fancy the
guaru treatcu me with q goo. deal OF extra atten-
ton; so did the p0rters. My luggage was enough
to supply the wants of an Eastern POtentite on
his travels. =.
Pardon my dwelling such details, but every
sightest event at that moment IS OF Importance 10
understand what follows. had seen tue hrst lo9u
properly adjusted, and wheeled OIL toward the cab
rank and was waiting to convoy the second ana
remaining truck-tull, when suddenly remen Oercu
that in tit OF abstraction, or the hurry ana Dusue
OF getting the other things out had placed my
priceless MANUSCRIPT the top OF the irsu Oatch Oh
boxes OF set TO follow the first porter, rushing
down the platform ut express pace, and bumplng
up against one two hapless passengers; By
some mysterious process got entangled IN all the
| labyunthIne passages leading from the booking,
office through the waiting rooms to the exit, and
lost sight of my porter for at least a minute ,
At length coming up with him, round he had
met with an accident He had contryed TO spill
most of the packages on the ground. There was
not much damage done, however, and he quickly
picked them no again and placed them IN his
truck. But the small sacred bag-the precious
manuscript-tne fruit of all my labor, was gone
did not take long to find this out DECISION or
thought and action learned from traveller )
adventurous mode of life One search through the
parcels and boxes, and that was enough; There
we're the trunks bags, wicker hampers OF PERSIAN
make. and a peculiar sort Of huge poItmanteau
with large loose flap at She SIDE ior holulng lne
Turkish - ez" or other cap, but large enough To
hold modest outfit. All these when coulu more
willingly have lost were perfectly safe. But
where the roll of wrapped up manuscript IN its
little bag
Gone! In my frenzy rushed back to the carriage
thinking that my memory might have mis!ed me |
might possibly have lett the missing treasure in
my compartment. But no; remembered distinctly
and without doubt that had actually placed 1t
idiot that was-on the heap OF goods on the top
OF the truck.
was ia free England. aud demanded whore my bag
was. / believe l accused him of stealing IT, No
wonder the fellow looked grumpy and threatened
to report me to the station MASTER The station
| MASTER There was an idea. In two seconds was
| hefore the Official Ind told him my tale, and do