Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-09-22
TIE EGYPTIAN sPaYNx.

On the western bank of the Nile, and
near the second largest pyramid, stands
this famous object, which has from time
immemorial so excited the awe and curl
osity of the traveller. IA long ago as the
time of Herodotus, the first man who ever
conceived the idea of writing history,
and who lived four or five hundred years
before the time of Christ, this gigantic
and mysterious human head was raised
above the sand. looking upon the behoider
with the same calm and serene expression,
as il superior TO the vexations OF life, and
to the mutations OF time, as much puzzle
as it is in our own day. Itwas then hoary
with age, though over two thousand years
have since rolled away. First the Persians,
under Cambyses before Herodotus' time,
| invaded and devastated the country. Then
the Greeks, under Alexander and the
Plolemys, his successors then the Mos
lens, one of whom, as hater of images,
sought in vain to destroy it, and then
many other lesser powers down to the
Turks Of the present day all alike unaf-
fected by any respect for the monuments OF
antiquity, and ignorant of their value as
records Of human progress and decay.
The deep mist and darkness of the
Middle Ages rolled over it for centuries,
and still the Sphynx remains one of the
wonders of the ancient world, mutilated,
dis6gured, neglected, and sometimes almost
forgotten, but always serene, impressive,
and awe.inspiring.
1t is hewn from the salient angle of the
rocky ledge on which stand the great pYra-
mide part of the cap the back, and the
ka brad Cd he
ing supplied by masonry. The savants,
under Napoleon, uncovered the back and
shoulders, and obtained approximate meas
urements; but it was not until 1918 that
the entire figure was displayed to its pedes-
tai. The honor of this work is due to the
italian Caviglia. The loose sand, anciently
restrained by artificial irrigation, and
doubtless highly cultivated, but now con-
tinually shifting about in that rainless
country with the slightest breath of air,
was removed by the labor of from sixty to
eighty persons for several days. No trace
of these excavations, made at so much
cost, now remains. the upper part of the
figure alone being seen, rising as before
about thirty or forty feet above the level
of the soil II faces eastward toward the
Nile. At the rear is the pyramid of Shafra.
while toward the north, in corresponding
position in reference to the pyramid, stands
another rock, which, in the opinion of Lep-
sius, it may have been the intention of the
builder TO carve into another Sphynx, as
twin guardian OF the approach to the sa'
cred pile.
Caviglja's efforts laid bare descent from
the Nile for l35 feet. succeeded by flight
of thirteen steps, after which was a plat
form and second hight of thirty steps to
the rocky pavement or which the figure
rests. The body is that of lion, with
human head and shoulders. Though often
spoken of as feminine in features, the
broken fragments of beard which have
been found demonstrate the incorrecsness
of the assertion. Indeed, among thou
sands Of Hphynxes found in Egypt, but one
is known having a female head, though
those Of the Greeks are almost always
male.
The posture Is recumbent, with the fore
paws stretched out in front distance of
fifty feet The body is l43 feet long, and
the hight TO the top of the head is 60
feet. Batween the forepaws is level space
which was used as temple or a place Of
sacrifice. Here were the remains of an
altar with charred members still preserved
che relics Of sacrifice offered, perhaps,
to avert the tide of invasion that over
whelmed the worshipers. Several small
sphynx-like figures stood near or under the
chin. Under the chin is an immense
granite tablet, fourteen feet high, seven
broad, and two thick, covered with hero
glyphics relating to one Thothmes ", and
fanked by two other tablets OF limestone.
These formed part of the inclosure of the
sacred area.
The traveller, DR.. Pocccke, asserts that
there are openings in the back and top of
the head, but these could have been moth.
ing but seams in the rock, or spaces left
by iislodgment of parts of the masonry, as
Lepsius, most careful observer who visit
ed it in 1913, states that no opening to
the interior whatever, was to be seen,
and that the mass of the statue OBJ
viously must have been hewn from the ma.
tive rock.
TIE following striking passage as to its
present appearance Is from Demon
" Though its proportions are colossal, it's
outline is pure and graceful, and the ex.
preston mild, gracious and tranquil. The
character is African, but the mouth, the
lips Of which are thick, has a softness and
delicacy of execution truly admirable.
That it is an Egyptipn head is plainly evil
dent, Notwithstanding the mutilstion,
bu- the type is fuller and broader than
usual in Egyptian statues. ILLUSTRATED
World.