The Irish standard., 1886-05-22

MINN I
acted by the Egyptian government
making it compulsory for every ugly
looking
WOMAN TO SHADE HER FACE
from the vulgar gaze IF the ''madding
throng,;; and let an American decide
the test, I have no hesitation in saying
and say it boldly, that no pilgrim to
the land Of the Pharoahs would ever
have an ocular demonstration of the
physiognomical phenomena which is
day after day witnessed as the condi-
tion of things now exist. But fearing
that some who judge the Egyptian wo-
men by the Cleopatra standard should
accuse me of libelling the fair, or rather
dark sex, shall bid the subject
fond and an affectionate adieu. Even
with darkness the hustle on the
streets of Cairo does not cease the
coffee houses and hotels are filled With
light, and in the warm atmosphere,
teemed with outdoor life, for there all
who are afoot have lanterns; and there
are the tellers of the Arabian tales, the
Nubian singer with his mandolin, and
the Egyptian magician performing
such marvellous feats of ledgerdemain
as would lead one to the conclusion that
he was assisted in his miraculous jug
Cling by the Prince of Darkness. And
NOW TO THE PYRAMIDS.
Long before reaching those 'sg ants of
the desert'' they present an appearance
resembling that of huge mountain.
The drive out to them is a most enjoy
able one, that is to any person who ap-
preciates the luxuriousness of an
Oriental cline. The first or Great Pyr-
amid is believed by some authorities to
have been erected by the order of
Cheops, who fourished about 5000
years before Christ, and was built to
commemorate his glory and valor. Its
height is 4S0 feet 8 inches, and it's base
base 756 feet square. 1t is built of a
light-colored granite that was conveyed
by some unknown means distance OF
at least twelve miles. Some of the bet
ter class of granite used in the con-
struction of the Pyramids, was, how
ever, taken out Of the syene quarries at
Assouan, and was probably brought
down the river in boats constructed for
the purpose. as the distance is nearly
four hundred miles. The entrance to
Great Pyramid is about 40 feet from
the ground and feet high. The pas
sage is Oh an incline, and is 800 feet in
Length and conducts to
THE MORTUARY CHAMBER,
excavated out of the solid rock, and
measures 46 feet by 27 feet in length
and IA feet 6 inches in height. AT a
distance OF 106 feet from the entrance
it is closed up by block Of granite, ,and
an upper passage proceeds from this
entrance. Climbing by a few steps on
to the second passageyo ascend to the
entrance of the Great Gallery, hence a
horizontal passage leading into what is
called the Queens Chamber, which has
a triangular roof20 feet inches high,
and length of II feet by a breadth of
is feet inches. One hundred and fifty
feet further OH you enter the principal
chamber, or the Kings Chamber, which
contains sarcophagus feet 81 inches
long, feet inches broad and 3 feet 5
inches high. The chamber itself mea-
sures II feet inch by 81 feet 8 inches,
and 19 feet / inch in height. Two
small air channels venti]ate it. The
tremendous size of this pyramid would
readily lead one to believe, as some au-
thorities assert, that 100000 men were
in the building of it. There
are other pyramids in close proximity
to this one.
THE GREAT SPHINX OF GHIzEH,
at two steps from the Pyramids, is, in
the opinion of NJ. Maspen, the most as
tonishing work of the hand of man,
which past ages has bequeathed to us.
1t is an immense bed of carved rock
about 70 meters in length. The height
of this monstrous edi6ce, if the sand
from the desert which has been accu~
there for years was cleared
away would exceed That of the highest
houses. No fashioned monument
either in Egypt or in the rest of
the world can be compared to this
strange idol, the vestige of stage
of humanity which battles all our ideas.
The impression which such a spectacle
must have produced on imaginative
races. and who were dominated ty the !
senses may be understood from that ex-
perienced by the Egyptians Of the
present day when standing before that
enormous head emerging from the sand
and casting across the desert its sad
look. The Arab at this sight flies teri
rifed. either throwing stone or firing
i gun at the strange being. The tenn
pie opposite,
IF 1T is A TEMPLE,
~, - ,lo~o a%or nc ;ko oxr1,, Tho fonfoc,l |