The Washington critic., 1890-03-16
HURRIED CITIES OF EGYPT.

Miss Edwards Second lecture on the
Land of the Pharaohs.
"Rameses the Second was the greatest
forger that ever lived"
The utterer of this startling statement
was Miss Amelia b. Edwards, the place
Lincoln Hall and the occasion the delivery
of the lecture on "The Buried Cities OF
Egypt" yesterday afternoon.
A larger and more intelligent audience
than that which greeted her was never be-
fore gathered under one roof in Washing
ton, every seat in the large edillce having
been occupied and many people being
obliged to stand. All present were well re-
paid for their attendance by hearing lee
ture of absorbing interest and seeing soma
of the most beautiful productions of the
Photographic art.
Miss Edwards commenced by referring to
the great antiquity Of Egypt, pointing out
that the pyramids were hoary with age be-
fore Abraham was born. From the reign OF
Magma, the first Egyptian uler, to the time
of Cleopatra covered o period of 4,910
years and comprised thirty-three royal dy-
nasties and over three hundred sovereigus.
Then before the time of Magma there were
prehistoric traditions extending back for
many thousands of years further. Egypt
was filed with ruins of by-gone clviliza-
tion when Greece and Rome were In their
infancy, and It was with q view to obtaining
some accurate information regarding the
ancient history of this interesting country
that the Egyptian Exploration Society, of
which she was honorary secretary, was
formed. She then alluded to the great aid
the society had received from DR.. Winslow
of Boston, and said that, owing to his ef-
forts, the subscriptions from America to-
ward the work the society was engaged In
were larger than those from Great Britain,
Ireland and the colonies combined.
The lecturer then gave a description of
what had already been accomplished by
| the society in the way of exhuming the
opened was that of Tel ell Maskoota,
which was proved by certain inscriptions
to be one of the twin treasure cities of
Pharoah, which we are told in Exodus the
Israelites were forced to construct while In
bondage. The style of architecture, the
mode Of building and the various articles
found in the ruins were described in
| graphic language.
The result of the explorations of Mr.
Petrie one of the agents of the society
were then described at great length, par
ticular interest attaching to the story o
the manner in which Pharoah's palace Of
| Tel Dephne was discovered, as the style o1
the masonry there confirmed the BbiC
story Of the Israelites being compelled tt
make bricks without straw; the lower pnr
tion of the walls being composed of bricks
made with Nile mud, mixed with straw; II
the next part the bricks were of mui
mixed only with few chopped reeds
while the top portion of the wall wa
found to contain bricks made of muI
alone.
Many other very interesting details o
the ancient buildings of Egypt and The
contents were given. The remark ahnv,
quoted was made by Miss Edwards in call
ing attention to the fact that the name o
Rameses II. was found on vast number o
monuments erected before he was born
The lecture was made additionally attrac
tive by series of very fine stereopticoI
views.