The morning call., 1890-08-24
SIGHTSEEING
IN THE ORIENT.
Observations of an American
Lady Travelling in Egypt.
Luxor and Thebes-The Vocal Memnon-An
Egyptian Water-Carrier-Karnak
by Moonlight.

Egyptian Observation-Disclosures
by Moonlight.
IHYIN American who is travelling through
NklS the Old World has been furnishing
INV the Troy Budget letters, in which
she gives the result OF her observations in
foreign lands. The following is an extract
of one written by her while in Egypt: OF
all the places Oh the Nile the neighborhood
around Luxor and Thebes is the most in
teresting. Thebes was the most celebrated
and magnificent of the ancient capitals of
Egypt. 1t was the capital of the kingdom
of the Pharoahs when in the zenith of their
power, and whose remains exceed in ex-
tent and grandeur all the most lively mag
nation can depict. There are so many
things of interest here that will only take
the time to enumerate them, for my letter
has quite outgrown ITSELF as / had no idea
of writing so much. You cross the river in
small boats to 60 to Thebes, which is Just
opposite Luxor. Ike sailors always sing
as they row. In fact, an Egyptian cannot
work at all unless he callsspun allah to
come and help him. A leader sings the
first line and all join in the refrain. We
were often awakened in the morning by the
sailors singing as they worked. scrubbing
the decks to the tune of the music. We
found the donkeys at Thebes wait
ing for us on our arrival. Our
first visit was to the Rameseum. tenn
pie of Rameses II, the hierogyh-
les of which show Rameses III con-
Quering whole armies alone. Here is the
enormous statue OF Rameses the Great Tor
I'D. which weighs over 1000 tons. This is
not to wondered at when you remember
that il measures sixty three feet around the
shoulders and thirteen feet from the crown
of the head to the top of the shoulders. 1t
is tina largest statue in the world. Whether
it owes its destruction to an earthquake or
to the Persians it is difficult to say, but as
il is now it is broken off at the waist and
the upper part lies PROSTATE upon the
ground. Although the Arabs have cut
mill-stones out of his face, you can still sec
Medinet Haboo, Dayr ell Medeeneh, the
TOmbs of the Kings, way off in Valley
of DesolatiOn. On onr way back to the
steamer we passed the Colossi. One Of
them is commonly known as the Vocal
Memnon, and, according to the ancient
tradition, uttered musical sounds when
first touched by the rays OF the morning
sun. We know that this tradition has some
foundation, for Greek and Latin writer's OF
the time bear testimony to having heard
the sounds at sunrise, but what caused 1t
no one knows. Some say that the shrink
ing Of the stone was caused by the warm
rays from the sun, others that one OF the
EGYPTIAN PRIESTS
Concealed himself in the statue and at the
appointed time made the music by striking
with small pieces of wood ON the inside of
the statue. This seems the more plausible
of the two suggestions, for on the visits Of
royal personages the sound has been known
to have been made expressly for them in
stead of as it usually is at sunrise. These
two statues, which are both of Amenhotep
III, probably stood ut the entrance TO his
temple. They were m0nOiths and are sixty
earthquake q B. c., but repaired under
Septimus Severus. AS seen now they stand
alone in the midst of the Theban plains and
look like two old hoary-headed grand
fathers who had wearled of the people of
to-day and so taken their great arm chairs
of into the plain where they could sit and
talk quietly over good old times" They
measure IS feet inches across the shout
derS and 10 feet inches from the nose to
the bottom of the foot We spent two days
at Thebes examining the ruins. The first
day was devoted to the excursion Of
the temples. For these long excursions,
Egyptian water-caIriers always go along
with you to carry koolah of water. Each
girl selects one of the tourists and devotes
herself to that one. There was the pref
tiest little girl about 3 or years old who
chose me and followed us all the way to
the Tombs of the Kings. She was study
for an artist, with her soft brown eyes,
olive skin, perfect features, line black hair
and white teeth. Her gown was a little
blue cotton slip, with veil of The same
over her head. She carried her koolah on a
little cushion, and held it balanced on her
head by means of her right hand. When
gave her any money she would put it in
little bag she had strung to her neck and then
put the bag back in her dress. The second
day we went to Thebes, was just going to
get on my donkey when l felt something
rubbing against my dress like big dog. |
looked down and there was Fatima She
followed me that day, too. Just as we
we're getting into the boats to 60 over to the
steamer a man came up to me and said,
"Fatma's father want to know how many
shilingS young lady give for
FATIMA."
You see, he had noticed how fond was of
her, and l do not doubt that her father
would have sold her for several shillings.
The Temple of Luxor is very irregular.
owing to its having been built on the side
of the river. Here stands the companion
piece of the obelisk which is in the Place
de la Concorde in Paris. The word Luxor
signifies palaces" from those erected by
Rameses the Great and Amenhotep III.
Formerly dromos connected this temple
with that of Karnak. This avenue of
colossal sphinxes was nearly mile in
length. The Temple of Karnak, the grand
est in all Egypt, was formerly the Temple
of Ammon, the Jupiter of the Egyptians.
1t was built by different kings, and hence
is the largest temple in Egypt, as each one
made large addition. Those who did the
most for it were Rameses Ill and XIII and
Seth Ill. 1t has suffered very much from
the periodical raising Of the Nile. Some
OF the sculptures are very fine, among them
that Of SETH /, Shishak of the Bible,
RameseS ii, etc. 1t has three obelisks, one
said to be the largest in the world.
We were fortunate in seeing karnak
by moonlight. The great court,
with its enormous columns cast,
| we went to the races and spent very en-
| juyable afternoon. Luxor has become quite
| a winter resort, and the guests have organ
| lied these races, which take place every
| week. You pay some trifing fee as en-
| trance to small Enclosure, where there are
| perhaps hundred chairs. This is all the
| grand stand they have. After you have
| taken your place servant brings you cake
| and lemonade, and you learn that you are
| the guest Of the Englishmen who have
race was Arabian horses. Then e Pick
a-back" race. The natives with boys on
| their backs ran this. Each boy had q num-
Der pinned on his shoulder to distinguish
| them apart. 1t was right amusing to see
| the men tumble the boys off their shoulders
| ing were past. They had camel races,
| buffalo races, donkey races and foot races.
| They ended up with
TUG-OF-wAR
| Between the natives and the sailors on the
| different boats anchored at Luxor. 1t was
very evenly matched, only when the sailors
| began their mon0tonous chant calling Oh
"Alah" to help them just thought the ma.
tives better give up, but the latter finally
| came out ahead, much to the delight of the
| home population. We did not 20 any
farther up the Nile than Luxor, for our