The Irish standard., 1886-05-29

once we came upon the temple. Its
n umerous pillars and their gigantic
size sent thrill through us, and tle
wild, weird scene presented recalled tC
my mind forcibly the words Of the poet.
Horace Smith, in his address to the
Egyptian mummy:
And thou hast walked about, how strange q
story
In rhebes' street three thousand years ago,
When the Memnonium was III all its glory
And time had not begun to overflow.
Those temples, palaces and piles stlpendous,
OF which the very ruins are tremendous.
It is said that when Napoleon>s army
came in sight of the Theban monu-
ments, they Immediately halted, and in
passion of admiration clapped their
hands and shouted aloud, as if, says
one traveller, the end and object of their
glorious tolls and the complete con-
quest of Egypt were achieved and final
ly secured by taking possession of the
ruins Of this ancient metropolis.
THE TEMPLE OF K.ARNAk
was built by kings of the Eighteenth
Dynasty, and is pronounced without a
parallel in the world. 1t has twelve
principal entrances, each composed Of
several huge propyla and colossal gate
ways, besides other buildings attached
to them, which in themselves exceed
the dimensions Of ordinary temples.
Their sides are equal to. the bases OF
the greater number Of the Pyramids of
Middle Egypt, and are built i'll so-called
rustic style, each layer of stone project
ing little beyond that which is above
it. One Of the propyla consists wholly
Of granite, and is literally covered with
exquisite hieroglyphics. The
MAGN1F1CENT AVENUES OF sPHINXEs
lead in several directions to the pro
pyla. In fact one of these avenues ex-
tends the whole distance to 1Auxor, Two
miles. Between each sphinx is al in
terval of six feet, so that there must
have been large number of these huge
monsters on either side. The body Of
the great temple is preceded by a long
corridor, at whose sides are colonnades
of thirty columns iu length, and
through whose center run two rows of
not less than fifty feet high, consisting
6rsto
THE SUPERB 'sHALL OF COLUMNS y
500 feet long and ITO feet vide, sup
ported by 1874 pillars, some of which
are 66 feet high and 80 feet in circum-
ference and others 81 feet high and II
feet 6 inches in circumference. Next
appear two shape]y obelisks marking
the entrance to the adytum sane tuary,
where the monarch is represented as
embraced in the arms of Isle. The
adytum is built entirely of red granite,
and is divided into three apartments.
The central room is the principal 1t
measures 20 feet long, 16 feet wide and
13 feet high. Three blocks of granite
form the roof, which is studded with
clusters Of stars
GLOWING ON A GROUND OF AZURE.
The tomb is remarkable for the num-
ber OF it's astronomical enblems. 1t is
encompassed with a golden circle 365
cubits in circumference, to represent
The number Of days included in the
wear. The rising and setting OF the
sun are also depicted with great accu-
eacy, proving that the Egyptians were
not by any merns ignorant of astron-
on,ical emblems. This edi1ce is said
to have been the abode Of Rameses H.. Z.
whose statue in sitting posture was
considered the largest in the world,
The following inscription is recorded
thereon IL am Osmandyias, king OF
kings; il any one desires to know what
prince I am, and where ( lay, let him
excel my deeds.'' The future of
EGYPT AND THE soUDAN
is one of these things that no person
can calculate upon. It is no doubt a
country of illimitable possibilities. The
soil, when sufficiently watered, is fer
tile in the extreme in no other coun-
try in the world car the same number
Of crops be produced within the space
of one year. The adaptability of the
soil for growing certain crops that will
always occupy prominent place III the
export trade Of country situated as
Egypt is, will readily lead the least i'm
aginative to believe that with capital
judiciously expended she may yet hold
her head as high as she did in the days
of old, but scarcely ever as a nation.
The amount Of capital required to be
invested to bring about this state OF
affairs will have to come from some
foreign power, and this would neces-
state the complete sale Of the country.
England evidently intended more than
rescuing Gen. Gordon from Khartoum
when she sent forth the late expedition
up the Nile. By having complete
monopoly Of the valuable commodities
which that country can produce, it
L ind II mt