Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-05
A PLUCKY LECTURER.
Miss Amelia B. Edwards Delivers
Her Discourse on Old Egypt,
WITH HER BROKEN ARM IN A SLING
The Life Of the Egyptian Explorer Graph
ically Described.
A LAND OF MUMMIES AND SPHINXES


D., LII. D., suffering the most intense pain
from her broken arm, which she carried in a
sling, filled her lecture engagement in Old
City Hall last evening. Before o'clock
the hall was filled with representative peo-
pie from both cities and the East End, car
riage after carriage having depos-
tied its occupants at the door
way and a continual stream of pedes-
trians having traversed the stairway.
Upon the platform appeared tie huge screen
with which the lecture was to be illustrated
with stereopticon views. and table with a
large vase filled with lovely roses, beside
several chairs. In subdued expectancy the
audience ava tied the advent of the plucky
little woman, and when she did appear
promptly at the specified time, she received
a very enthusiastic welcome. She was escort
ed on the platform by her travelling panion
Miss Woodbury., and Mr.. John w. Black,
who. in introducing the distinguished lady,
referred very feelingly to the accident she
had net with which had resulted in the
broken arm.
A second ovation greeted Miss Edwards
as she arose to commence her address. In
person she is not nearly as large as her title
might indicate; her massiveness is intellect
ual and not physical.
THE ARM OUT OF SIGHT.
The broken arm was obscured from view
by the arrangement of handsome shawl,
but the eqtreme pallor of the lady's face
and her enforced retirement from the plat
form at one time was testimony that the
broken arm was tangible 10 the lecturer
though screened from the audience. Miss
Edwards in opening her address referred to
her misfortune, but said while she had
broken her arm she hoped it would never
be necessary to say she had broken her
word to an American audience.
The subject of her lecture was "The Ex-
plorer in Egypt" and she said that she
thought the ignorance of the average Ameri-
can or English citizen regarding Egypt was
due to its remoteness. To visit and study
modern Egypt one must travel from 5000 to
5000 miles, and to become familiar with
ancient Egypt one would have to travel
back that many years. In speaking of
Egypt Miss Edwards said she was discours-
ing upon the oldest nation known to history
to the youngest. Egypt was the
parent of ali nations, the parent of all
sciences, and it was difficult to select
starting point in Egyptian history. Long
before the Christian era Egypt was -four
ishing nation, and in 1870 years. ending
with the reign of Cleopatra, there were SO
royal dynastles and many kings. During
that time all the greet temples and pyramids
of Egypt were built that have since claimed
the attention of the explorer.
LIFE OF THE EXPLORER.
In speaking of the explorer. Miss Ed
wards said that many people had an idea
that his was most delightful life to live in
a tent and 90 out and find wonderful things,
but the idea was erroneous. 1t was a hard
and laborious life, and the qualifications
necessary for an explorer were numerous
He must be acquainted with ancient and
modern history: he must be a good all
around archaologlst, be endowed with a
strong will, an equable temper and a
strong constitution, be able to detect for
gerry at the first reading, know by the in
scriptlons on the articles found and their
decorations in Just what age they were manu-
understand every kind of Egyptian
writing, and be willing to live life of self
denial from the moment he started on his
journey.
Once in the field it was busy existence.
Up with the first ray of sunlight, he must
apportion to each one Of his force their par
ticular task for the day, and in order to be
successful he must know and study the
country thoroughly. Then he must, with
the Thermometer registering $50, take
pictures and superintend his men. In the
evening he must make notes, write letters,
classify and arrange the results of the days
Iabors, and probably spend the remainder
Of the "a hours in shooting mice by the |
light of night lamp.
RATHER QUEER RATS.
The mice, Miss Edwards said, have pro-
pensity not only for possessing themselves
of anything and everything in the eatable |
line, but have voracious appetites for letters. |
journals, pictures and everything of that |
sort, devouring them as young ladies do |
romances and novels. |
Alter describing the liie of the explorer, |
with the aid of the views, Miss Edwards |
gave a description of his fields of labor. A |
view of the river Nile, with several of the |
low, fat vessels used by exploring parties,
was first seen, and followed by map of |
Egypt, on which the exact lay of the land |
was seen by the audience. A quick trans
was then made TO the in
teresting places, where huge pyramids,
clay coffins, ruined temples, and queer
delight the explorer, and add to
the knowledge of ancient history already |
gained. A series of pictures taken from
that were buried with the originals
centuries ago completed the lecture, and,
with an enthusiastic demonstration by the |
audience, the little English woman retired
from the stage. Miss Edwards was the guest |
If Miss Pelietreau, of the Pennsylvania
Female College Yesterday. and left on an
Early train for Philadelphia, where she will |
address an audience at the Academy of |