Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-03-29

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ancient Pagan ceremonies. mysteries
and Fites. upon the strength OF which
their DESCENDANTS tell fortunes, work
good and evil charms, sorcery, etc,
are known IN the world rs gypsies,
and speak language composed Of
remnants Of ancient Egyptian, Cop
tie. Arannaic, Hebrew and Arabic.
From Port Said to Slut one
notices while travelling not only
4 land green like an emerald carpet,
frequently MORE or veined by num-
erous canals, channels and pools
which reflect in silvery hucs the
strong light Of the clOudless skies
above, hut also vast numbers Of
gigantic mounds Of unburnt brick.
These mounds, ruins of ancient ceH-
tiers Of commerce, civilization,
science, art, etc, each cover several
square miles OF ground, and are
called in Arabic ssrell'' or fISome.o
Such are today the once glorious
cities Of Pelusiam, BuhastIs, Scrap
ium, En- Shemesh or On, Memphis,
Ptoleniaidon, AphroditopOlis, Anti
nopolis, etc. will,in short, describe
one which in most respects is typical
Of all the others. II is called Tell
el Nahudiyeh or the mound Of
Jewry, probably once a house of
bondage unto the Jews, whose en-
ployment, one would judge, from
the hundreds Of carloads OF broken
pottery strewn about the site, was
the manufacture OF earthenware
goods. From the top Of the highest
ruin, anciently n citadel or strong
hold built Of large adObes, bricks and
Ornamentei with granite, alabaster,
plaster, etc, We percsive at n dis
lance deep trenches once full Of
water, large hulwarks, high walls
and remains OF gates, and distinctly
trace with the eye the outlines of
streets and avenues generally at
right angle. ali built ofadObes, which
though very slowly, on account
of the dry climate, yet are gudu-
ally crumbling into heaps Of earth.
Nearer by the "uuburnt bricks
mixed with straw'' are clearly dis
tinguished, IS well as the "slime
they had for mortar" Massive
walls stand one within another, just
as ages ago they were telescOped and
caved in 10y the mighty hattering-
rams Of Banylonian, Assyrian,
Greek and Roman, and the only re
mains Of ancient art are fragments
Of such gigantic statues, columns
and obelisks as had to be broken into
a hundred pieces before they could
he conveyed 10y camels, as construc-
ton material for modern cities and
villages
The Pyramids are undoubtedly
the most interesting remsins Of
ancient art and science that / have
noticed on the banks Of the Nile as
far as | have yet proceeded. In
number they reach a score or more,
Of which the great pyramid of
Ditch Is the grand prototype. We
leave the other pyramids out Of the
question. for any purpose which
they could suhserve the great one
could with much more reason.
What then, was the object OF this
vast pile? Some say a sture-house
for grain. But It was utterly im-
practicable for such n purpose.
Others say 4 safe for royal treasures.
This pyramid could contain more
bullion and Jewels than ever existed
In Egypt, and whence the
need Of twenty more? Yet Others
claim that IL was an astronomical
observatory. Strange, AnObserva-
tory from which only half a
dozen stars are visible under favor
able circumstances, and twenty Oh
servatories cycling the same STAR,
Further, one learned individual
gTavely asserts that IL was tine
grave OF a hull-the god Apis.
The caves. etc, on the borders Of
the desert ON both sides Of the Nile
| viii now refer 10 IN conclusion.
The caverns, excavations. sepul-
chres and miniature temples cut
into the cliffs which border both
sides Of the valley have undoubtedly
served the purpose Of graves or sep
ultures for mummified human be-
ings or animals, but 10 me II is not
in any way certain that this was
their original or ultimate object.
Many Of them were evidently made
for this purpose solely aud were
later inhabited 10y christian monks,
as the sign Of the Cross often attests,
being carved into the rock. over or
through the beautiful hieroglyphics
which still adOrn the cell. hut those
ara the common sort. But the finest
specimens of these elifi-temples
have though not the identical
yet strictly similar internal arrange
mei.ts 10 the great pyramid, except
that the latter Is free Of all hierOgly-
phics and carved Images. Those
which have inspected have like
the pyramids several chambers, n
hall, passages, shafts, n gallery,
well. or cistern; AMI nOtwithstand-
ing the whole arrangement is very
SPACIOUS, there has never been found
hut the solitary stone chest o. ark, Of
dimensionsl in very few instances
different from the ARK Of the eoven-
ant, and which in sizr, shape or
uattern j. entirely unlike an Egypt
i'm tsarcophngus. When rambling
alone i'm these lonely places / was
forcihly reminded Of the words OF
an eminent traveller who wrote:
1--WE had been told that what we saw
was a tomb, but L required a constant
effort OF the imagination to convince Us
that it was such. Only one sarcopha-
gus in one chamber and twelve cham
bers highly ornamented. exclusive Of
the long corridor, and all for nothing,
, NAV have been n subierranean tenn
ple exhibiting the creed and initiation
Of the worshippers. But never was
there such n supeTfluous waste, II we
are to suppose that all this was done
for the reception Of one sarcophagus."
Perhaps, rs another traveller says,
certain tomhs cannot be better des-
crihed than in the words Of Ezekiel,
who refers to the chambers ofimage-
~ thus:
"Then said he unto me, son Of man,
dig into the wall: and when / had
dicged into the wall. behold door,
and he said uutp me, Go in. and bet
hold the wicked denominations tina:
they do there, 20 went IN and saw
and behold every form OF creeping
things, and abominable beasts, and all
the idols OF the house Of Israel por-
trayed upon the wall round about
At a later period these temples
were filed with mummies Of men
and beasts, whose bones and linen
now lie scattered on the floor.
{. u. T..
Accommodations For Visitors.
We are requested by those men,
bers of the Old Folks Committee
who are also entrusted with the