Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-08-15

tnuu NFitttc wiz vt5sscS NSJfs =.
any mention Of the sphinx. Neither
IIerodotus, nor Diodorus, nor Ssraoo
have . word to say about 1t. Inc
elder pliny refers to 1t incidentally
As the tomb of Armsis. king
who, so far as modern arch9olo-
eists can discover, never existed. An
Arabian author named AbdallstiiI, who
lived in the thirteenth century, grows
quite enthusiastic over tae SPHINX
which he praises for the majesty OF its
expression, tho sweetness Of It's smile,
and it's exact proportions. This indi-
Gates that In his day 1t was not so
badly mutilated as it now is. These
mutilations are usually attributed to
the Msmelukes, who were in the habit
Of using the sphinx as target for their
artillery practice.
Paul Lucas, q French traveller, who
visited Egypt in the seventeenth century
saws "Near the great pyramids gre
MANY smaller ones, and one Of these is
surmounted by head Of prodigous
size looking towards Cairo. which Is
called the sphinx by reason Of its shape.
It is about hundred feet in circumfer-
ence. and the nose is very much eaten
away. II is cut ont Of q single block
of what looks like marble, but is really
granite. II is said to be hollow, and
the natives declare that bad luck al
uays befalls any one who climbs to the
top. They told me several tales TO
prove this assertion, but If l had not
been so tired from my ascent of the
pyramid I would not have allowed them
to keep me from trying to reach the
summit, which is quite o difficult un-
dertaking.
In 1916 Captain Caviglia undertook
to clear the back of the colossus, and
in doing so discovered the Greek and
Roman inscriptions to which have re-
ferred. His excavations are for the
most part now buried under the sand
again, but he left plan Of them, in which
he marks certain unexplored chambers
as existing behind the statue, fact
which induced Marietta when he had com.
pleted his excavations at the serapeum
Of Memphis to turn his attention to the
sphinx. Marietta soon brought to light
forty yards to the south OF the right
foot of the statue tho remains Of the
oldest temple in the world, a structure
which bears no more resemblance to
other Egyptian temples than the Par
thenon does to the Capitol at Wash
iDgton.
II entirely uDornamented by statues
of any kind, and is q massive, square
pile Of cyclopean masonry, resembling
a fortress rather than a place of wor-
ship. Inside there are two large halls.
forming T. and several lateral
chambers with inches, but not sign
of an inscription on the walls. So
far there has been nothing dis
covered to enlighten us as to the
purpose for which it was built. Mari
cite himself changed his opinion on
the subject several times; now in
clining to the belief that it was tenn
pie. and now supposing that it might
have been tomb, a theory-notwith-
standing the absence of oil funereal
emblems-based wholly on the inches.
The neighborhood Of the sphinx sug-
gests that it may have had something to
do with the worship Of Harmakhouti,
but it NAV even be older than that an
Gent monument. In the interior well
was discovered, aud in this were found
seven statues of Chefren, the builder OF
the second pyramid. One of these is
the finest specimen Of Egyptian art
which has as yet come to light. Ma
riette's funds becoming exhausted. he
was forced to abandon his excavations,
and they were not resumed until Mas
pero, his pupil and successor, set to
work a few months ago to solve this
riddle. which has been mystery for
thousands of years.
MasperO's excavations were at first
nothing more than arepetit'on OF those
of Cayiglia. BY the middle Of April
he had cleared away the sand from the
breast Of the statue and had laid bare a
portion Of the paws, also the steps lead
ing to the plain. Then he struck on a
stratum so hard that it was evident it
had not been touched for centuries.
Under the pressure of the superim-
posed mass the lower sand had
become almost as solid as rock.
lie is now excayating at two points
simultsneously-at the right paw and
the steps--and it is not impossible that
be may find an avenue connected at the
base Of the sphinx with the temple dis
covered by Marietta. If the ends OF the
sphinx is crouched on gigantic pedes-
tai carved, like itself, out Of the living
rock, then it is quite likely that in that
pedestal be will find a door
| leading to temple or to q
tomb. Indeed, every sort of hope
may be INDUCED in, as the explorations
are now being made in soil which
has remained intact for ages. In few
months the wonderful sphinx of Gizeh,
/ perhaps for the first time since the days
when Moses lead the children Of Israel
out of Egypt. will stand forth free from
the sand under which it has been buried
no one knows how long, and then may
be the riddle which has for so many
thousands Of years puzzled gene
ration after generation of wise
men may at last be solved. But, freed
from the sands of the desert, pro
tected from their everlasting drift, the
mysterious Sphinx will have been re-
covered only to fall into a danger far
worse than its past entombment. The
relic fiend is abroad the yandal tourist
will not be satisfied TO cut his name on
The statue he will set to work to chip
off pieces to carry back to England
and to America to serve as paper
weights.