The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1890-05-01

ing changed from smooth granite to a
soft, uneven compost. lowered my can
die to observe. We werecrouching along
over kneaded human forms!
A very strange spectacle, which seemed
to us an embodied nightmare under the
excitement Of that awful journey. Twas
almost delirious. No scene recurs to my
memory now more fresh and striking
than that black cave, with a slender glow
Of candle light here and there, and the
half naked figures glistening with per
spiFation stretrhed out above q pavement
Of heads and limbs. Many Of the fares
had been gilt, and they shone Pickering
here and there npOn the dusky mass. We
could not yet any explanation Of the ex-
traOrdinary nianglIng. The Arab said
things had been 90 ever since he could
recollect. Il must besupposed that these
were mummies Of priests and attendants
buried with the sM red reptiles In their
charge great personaves, some Of them,
evidently. Their families had been laid
with them, for there were as many women
perhaps as men. and great number Of
children. Everyone had been stripped
and torn to pieces-all Of those on the
surface, at least, Tor 4 hurried examine
tion failed to show how deep the serried
piles Of bodies lay. Mingled With them
were sheets and strips Of cloth, fragments
Of sarcophagi and quantities Of woInen's
hair in scalps-wigs possibly. On tie
other side Of this vanlt lie this hindmost
battalions Of the crocodile host-innumer-
able. Standing on the human pavement
there is just space enough above and In
front TO observe the manner Of their dis
posal, for the topmost layer or two has
been pulled down. II II were not certain
for other reasons that the present entrance
Is not that formerly used, the arrange
ment Of these crocodile mumnIies would
pruve Il. They filled the space completely
from floor to arch and side to side until
the upper ones were Temoved-neatly
alilned, tail to head, head to tail, with
palm leaves laid between and the inter.
sites filled mp with countless multitudes
81 young and eHgs, these latter tied in
bundles and wrapped each one In q strip
81 cloth. Sinre every layer was piled TO
the rooi. Il Is manifest that those who
arranged them must have worked back
ward; and since Il would be as easy to
drag an elephant through those passages
us to drag the superb specimens here
unequaled in my experience alligators
and crocodiIes, they must needs have
been brought from the other side. Tie
denomination Is complete, for We had the
EXTREMIST difficulty In drawing behind us
two heads chosen among the smaller ones.
Moreover, Il is unlikely that the hats used
that long subterranean outlet; they are
probably acquainted with q better and
nearer route. fancy that the enormous
blocks Of stone upon the floor Of the Sec
ond chamber had been put there alter ex-
cavation, out Of the way. No one can
form an idea how far the caverna extend.
Removing the top layers as they went,
and crawling beneath the roofs, Arabs.
We were told, had explored q vault be-
yond this and fourd more crocodiles still
on the further side. The mountain, they
said, was stuffed with them; and Il IL
possible. Assuredly the pits are q mine
Of nitrate; and this exportation Of mum
mics for manure may effect one good thing
at least by causing them to be emIaied.
Treasures may lie beyond the vaults where
those myriads Of croUodiles are stored.