The Iola register., 1890-02-07

|
| TWAS LOWERED BODILY.
side of the worthy Ali covered with bat.
and perspiration, and with the skin rubbe,
off my knees and knuckles. Then another
man came down, hand over hand, like
sailor, and, as the rest were told to sto,
above, we were ready to go on. Ali wen
first with his candle-of course we each hac
a candle-leading the way down Ions
passage about five feet high. At length
the passage widened out, and W.
were in the tomb chamber,
think the hottest and most silen
place ever entered It was simply sitting
This tomb chamber is a square room cut in
the rock and totally devoid of paintings o,
sculpture. l held up the candles ant
looked around. About the place were
strewn the coffin lids and the mummiec
remains If the two bodies that the Arabs
had previously violated. The paintings or
the former were, noticed, of great beauty
though, having no knowledge of hicro
glyphics, could not decipher them. Beads
and spicy wrappings lay around the re
mains, which, saw, We're those of a man
and woman. The head had been broken
off the body of the man. took it up and
looked at it. 1t had been closely shaved
after death, should say, from the general
indications-and the features We're dis
| figured with gold leaf. But, notwithstand
| ing this, and the shrinkage of the flesh,
| think the face was one of the most impOs
ing and beautiful that ever saw. 1t was
| that of a very old man, and his dead coun
| tenance still wore 80 calm and solemn, in
| deed so lawful look, that | grew quite SUI
| perstitlous Though, as you know, l am
| pretty well accustomed to dead people,.
and put the head down in a hurry. There
were still some wrappings left upon the
face of the second body, and did not re
| move them; but she must have been fine.
| large woman IN her day.
There is the other mummy" said Ali
pointing to a large and solid case that had
| the appearance of having been carelessly
thrown down in corner, for it was lying On
its side.
went up to it to examine it. It was well
made, but II perfectly plain cedar wood
not an inscription, not solitary god on it.
Never see one like him BEFORE" said ALI.
"Bury great hurry, he no 'maish,' no
.tineesh.' Throw HIM down there on side" T"
looked at the plain case till at last my
interest was thoroughly aroused. l had
dust of the departed that had made up my
mind not to touch the remaining coffin-but
now my curiosity overcame me, and we set
to work.
Ali had brought mallet and cold chisel
with him. and having set the coffin straight he
began upon it with all the zeal of an expert
enced tomb-breaker. And then he pointed
out another thing. Most mummy cases are
fastened by four little tongues of wood, two
on either side, which are fixed in the upper
half, and passing into mOrtises cut TO re
ceiye them in the thickness of the lower
half, are there held fast by pegs OF hard
wood. But this mummy case had eight
such tongues. Evidently it had been
thought we'll to secure it firmly. At last,
with great difficulty, we raised the massive
lid, which was nearly three inches thick,
and there, covered over with a deep layer
of loose spices "a very unusual thing, was
the body
Ali looked at it with open eyes-and no
wonder. For this mummy was not as other
mummies are. Mummies in general lie
upon their backs, as stiff and calm as
though they were cut from wood: but this
mummy lay upon Its side, and, the wrap
pings Notwithstanding, its knees were
slightly bent. More than that, indeed, the
gold mask, which, after the fashion of the
Ptolemaic period, had been set upon the
face, had worked down, and was literally
pounded up beneath the hooded head.
1t was impossible, seeing these things. to
avoid the conclusion that the mummy be-
fore US had moved with violence since it
was put In the coffin.
Him very funny mummy. Him not
.mafish' when him so in there" said Ali.
..Nonsenser' l said. who ever heard
Of a live numInyi"
We lifted the body out of the coffin,
nearly choking ourselves with mummy
dust in the process, and there beneath it,
half hidden among the spices we made our
first find. It was roll of papyrus, care
lessly fastened and wrapped in n piece of
mummy cloth. having. TO all appearance,
been thrown into the coffin at the moment
of closing.
Ali eyed the papyrus greediiy, but
seized il and put it in my pocket, for it was
agreed that l was TO have all that might be
discovered. Then we began to unwrap the
body. 1t was covered with very broad.
strong bandages, thickly wound and rough
" tied. sometimes by means Of simple
knots, the whole work bearing the appear
ance of having been executed in great haste
and with difficulty. Just over the head was
q large lump. Presently the bandageS cov-
ering it We're Of, and there, on the face, lay
. second roll of papyrus- 1put down my
hand TO lift it, but it would not come away.
1t appeared TO be fixed TO the stout, seam
less shroud which was drawn over the
whole body and tied beneath the feet, as
farmer ties sacks This shroud. which was
also thickly waSed, was in one piece, being
made TO fit the form like garment took
a candle and examined the roll, and then i
saw why it was fast The spices had con-
gealed and glued il to the sack-like shroud.
1t was impossible to get it away without
tearing the outer sheets Of pspyrus.
At last, however, wrenched it loose and
put it with the other in my pocket
Then in silence we went on with our
dreadful task. With much care we ripped
loose the sack-lke garment and at last the
body of man lay before US. Between his
knees was third roll of papyrus. l Sc
cured it, and then held down the lights and
looked at him. Being doctor, one glance
at his face was enough to tell me how he
had died.
This body was not much dried up Evil
dertIy il had not passed seventy days in
uatron. and therefore the expression and
likeness were better preserved than is
usual Without entering into particulars,
will only say that hope shall never see
such another look as that which was frozen
on this dead mans face. Even the Arabs