Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-03
TOMBS 1000 YEARS OLD.
REMARKABLE RELICS OF ANTIQUITY At
AsSOuAN

put MS influence seems to pervade the whole
town still. Anyone who knew it in the old
times finds himself full of wonder at its COM
paratiye neatness; at the names-often, it is
true, badly misspelled-over the corners; at the
great increase of European shops and at the
long rows of new houses among the palms
which lead to the unfortunately chosen site of
the first English camp. 1t will be remembered
that Immediately below the Cataract the Nile
is divided by two large islands-Elephantine,
called BY the Arabs Gezeeret al Zaher, the
Island of Flowers and Gezeeret Atroon. On
the eastern shore Is Syene, the modern As
souan, and the main channel of the river has
always flowed past the town. But during the
past few years a change has occurred in its vol
ume, and the stream of deep water seems now
rather to favor the western side of Elephantine,
and to be disposed to leave Assouan high and
dry.
Great mud fats line the shore at the north
ern end of the town. and what little OF the river
runs past the old quays is now received into
shallow bay from which it has no direct exit.
1t was ON the banks of this bay that the wisdom
of officers who should have known better, but
who were probably deceived by the old maps
and charts placed our camp, with a result
sadly attested by the crowded state of the
walled cemetery on the road to Mahatta. In
any case with all the country to choose from,
1t is strange that camp should ever be placed
down stream, below a populous and dirty town,
with no outlet for its drainage but land-locked
Day. Meanwhile the question arises Will AS
souan have to migrate to the site Of the old
Egyptian Aboo, on Elephantine. At present,
except at high Nile, when there is but little
traffic, the entrance to the harbor is so difficult
that it has perforce been abandoned by the
postal and excursion steamers. They can no
longer thread the narrow and devious passage
among amor black granite powders which M ,eaas 70
way below the town at sandy nat, 1mmedl-
ately opposite the yellow slope of Sheykh Ali,
nall way uD which are the wonderful tomDs
which General Grenfell commenced to exca-
Vate In 1887, and which have made go powerful
an addition to the many attractions OF the
place.
Relics of a Most Ancient Race.
EVIDENCES of civilization extending back to
the period Of the twelfth dynasty Of the
old Pharaohs, says a writer in the London Sat
urddy Reuie,o at least 1000 B. G., and beyond
that again, to the unknown age of the pyra-
mid builders, are not to be seen everywhere,
and the interest Of the grottoes, as described
couple of years ago, has been greatly enhanced
by the researches of Major Plunkett and other
officers, who have left as distinct mark on the
antiquities of Assouan as their soldiers have
left upon the outward features of the town.
The new stopping place, ,necessitating as it does
long walk or ride into the town, is thus not
dahabiehs, who can still moor near the old Ro-
man quay. or close by the railway station at
the southern end of the old town, have pleas
ant sail or row to reach the landing place at
the foot of the yellow sandy slope under the
tombs.
Standing at the station, and looking due
north. we see, beyond the black and shining
bowlders of the bay, gay with dahabiehs, and
the low-roofed bungalows Of the military hos
pital on Elephantine, background of sandy
heights crowned with the little white dome of
an ancient Sheykh. or saint locally and appro-
priately known as the Ali ihn Sultan al Howa.
"Ali (the lofty son of the King of the Wind"
Immediately under the shrine Of this exalted
parsonage is the ruin of a castle constructed Of
rude brick by some early Arab conqueror. It
is also appropriately named. Viewed from
the town of Assouan which its builder meant
to protect or Cypress, 1t appears at night to be
Immediately below the North star, commonly
called In the Arabic of Egypt al Nagmeh, THE
star" and the castle is the fortress of the
Sheykn al Nagmeh. 1t stands on a shoulder of
the hill, and is founded on q stratum of hard
sandstone rock, which runs along the brow of
the slope northward and southwark for miles.
In the face of it are cuttings which look IKE
ancient tombs, and IL we follow 1t Tor lew
yards we come to the remarkable double tier
of rock shrlnes with which the name of Gen.
eral Grenfell is so deservedly associated. In
Benz Hassan, with which some of them are Co
temporary; but apparently Machoo and Sab
bena Princes of the Aboo under the sixth dy-
nasty, set a fashion followed by their sue
cessors under the twelfth, and kept the archi-
Iectural features OF their tombs within the
narrow portals.
Mnmmies and Funeral Offerings.
ONE of the most striking features Of this
ancient system of interment has perished
at Beni Hassan; but here we have the original
approach rising hundred feet from the rivers
edge-a kind of slide, nearly perpendicular
with narrow steps on each side for the bearers
,I,x>l fhA m re
ing place. The pathway leads to the top of the
bank Here gaunt Arabs show piles of hum
dreds of wooden masks taken from mummies.
Here are also thousands of pots of red earthen-
ware which contained the wine, beer. honey |
and corn of the funeral offerings.
The staircase leading from the waterside |
ends at the tomb of Sabbena, who may have |
members of whose family are commemorated |
the walls. The columns are square and |
rough, and deep mummy pits render the noor |
dangerous in the dim light. Here we see the |
cartouche of Pepy Il, a late king of the sixth |
dynasty. but of period so remote that |
there is no use in attempting to date 1t |
Passing one or two doorways. which look |
only too inviting, but are silted up with
sand, we come to the most important |
of all. the tomb which is generally known as
'Grenfelrs." 1t is carefully protected with |
shutters. and fully deserves any attention NJ |
Grebaut and his satellites are likely to bestoW |
upon it. 1t commentaries a high and mighty |
functionary of the twelfth dynasty, and Is, |
therefore contemporary with the more famous |
grottoes of Benz Hassan. This tomb 1t was. We
believe which had the advantage OF MI w allis-
Budge's personal supervision at the opening |
and exploration. Mr. Budge's adventures on |
the occasion were of a most thrilling character,
and are described by those who have heard |
them narrated to resemble too closely an ex-
ceedingly bad nightmare to De pleasant SUD SUD
iect of contemplation: but he penetrated, after |
what appear to have been protracted journeys |
through drainpipes, and KIND Oh obstacle race
in general to the long-hIdden abode OF the |
BODY of acknowledgements, Prince OF the |
Land of the Elephant"
A Gloomy Passage.
MO other tomb of the kind has yet been
1N opened. Its designer seems to have de- |
sired to produce an effect almost theatrical |
and he has fully succeeded. The gloomy en-
trance. with its great rough-hewn square col
umns and its mysterious side aisles unrelieved
by ray of light or scrap of carving, leads to
SQUARE doorway some go feet from the entrance,
which it exactly faces. A narrower passage is
then entered. At the very end, with the day
light streaming in clear and full upon it, is the
shrine which bears the portraits Of Ra-noob-
kaoo-necht, of Neb- Sahoo, his wife and their
Young family. The passage by which you
reach it is unspeakably impressive. On either
SIDE are three deep inches in the dark walls.
Before you yawns an apparently pottomless pit
Each of the inches is seen to contain an up
right mummy, WHICH Rdzes a. you Will e~u eyes
1'hasa civ senulcbral figures are carved