The sun., 1891-12-13

Thebes ana established tho nrst state with I
theocratio form OF government II IL not
Brursch says. to Ethiopian priests that thu
Egyptian empire owed its polity and It's hiRf
civilization: much rather was II the Egyptiani
themselves that hrst ascended the river te
found In Ethiopia temples cities. snt
fortified places, and to dihnse the bless
inss Of . civilissd regime amons rude
dark -coiored population. On the assumption
that Egypt was indebted to her civil and social
development to Ethiopia We should Justly OK.
meet 10 encounter monuments Of the greatest
antiquity In that primitive homo Of the Egyp.
tlan. whereas in going down the river we
| ought to light only upon monuments OF later
age. Tho fact 10 precisely the reverse All
| the buildings In stono a. vet discovered and
examined. which were erected on both sides
| Of the river BY Egyptian and Ethiopian Kings.
| furnish inoontrovertible proof that the long
series Of temples. cities. sspulchrss. and mon
uments In general exhibit distinct chrono-
logical order. Of which the starting point Ia In
the pyramids st the apex Of the Delta.
Before marking what Brussch has 10 say
about the grade OF civilization which con-
| fronts us at the very dawn OF EGyptian his
| tory. some reference should be made to the geo.
graphical and ethnogrnphical terms found on
the earliest monuments. The Nile Valley 10
designated In tho old inscriptions. as IL 10
among the later native Christians, BY the
word Kamit signifying "tho black land" and
obviously suggested BY the very dark color OF
the soil The nsighboring region OF the Ara
bian desert bore the name OF Tesherit. or "the
red land" On countless occasions tho King 10
mentioned as the "lord OF the black country
and OF the red country" In order to show that
his rule extended over both Egypt proper
and its relatively sterile dependencies. An
other significant name applied to Egypt on
the old monuments is Tamera, which seems
to have meant "the country Ct the inunda-
tion." To the west Of the Nile Valley dwelt
groups Of tribes which bore the general title
OF Ribu or Libu. These were the ancestors OF
those Libyans now represented by the Brr-
bers. but who then inhabited the whole north
ern coast Of Africa as far as the Canopic
branch Of tho Nile. It is plain from the testi-
mony OF the old Egyptian monuments that
the Lbu or Libyans were q light-colored race.
with blue eyes and blond or red hair. As
carly 80 tho time Of the fourth dynasty 1888
$685. members Of this blue-eyed race wan
dered into Egypt to display their dexterity
as dancers, combatants. and gymnasts In the
public games. We come nextto the conglom-
Grafton Of tribes inhabiting the wide regions
OF the upper Nile. and having on the monu-
ments tho common name OF Nahasu. In the
ancestors OF the negro race. II. finally. We
turn eastward. and look across the Isthmus Of
Suez. we discern branches OF the great peoples
collectively designated by the Egyptians un..
der the name OF Aamu. These were the pa
gans or inndels OF the old Egyptian records.
In the colored delineations OF them they arc
distinguished chiefly by yellow or yellowish-
brown complexion. while their dress is some-
times Of great simplicity. but sometimes shows
o taste for splendor and richness In the care
fulness Of cut and the variegated patterns
woven into the fabric. In these Aamu scien-
tiflc research has recognized members OF the
great Semitic family Of nations. It Is. more
over. an established fact that even In the most
glorious times Of the Egyptian monarchy the
Aamu were permanently settled In the neigh
borhood OF the present Lake Menzaleh. where
many places formerly bore unmistakably Be-
mitic names. Among tho Aamu peoples who
appear in Egyptian history as commanding
respect by their character and their deeds are
the Katts tHittites, the Khsr tPhGniciansh
and tho Ruten lSyrisnsl . ',:
IL
Much OF our knowledge OF the earliest his
torlcal era Is due to the fact that the land on
both sides OF the river was from primitive
times divided into districts called nones. This
division is found on the monuments Of the
fourth dynasty. and thirty-threo centuries
later the same districts appear on Ptolemiac
and Roman monuments. To the rigid system
Of local self-government is largely due the
perpetuation Of Egyptian usages and institu-
tions. Each district had its own capital and
its own local governor. whose office passed
by inheritance. according to the old Egyptian
law. from the father to the eldest grand
son on the mothers side. Each dis
trict. or nome. also had its particular
cult. and from tho sacred lists which were
studiously kept up we learn the names Of the
temples OF the chief diety. Of the priests and
priestesses. OF the sacred trees, aud also the
names Of the town harbor. Of the holy canal
the amount Of cultivated land. and the area OF
the soil which was only fruitful during the in
undatiop. From this and much other infor-
nation furnished by the registers OF the
homes We are able to form Trustworthy pic
ture OF early Egyptian life In all its details.
We learn that tho husbandman. the shepherd
and boatman were the first founders of the
advanced civilization which fourished In the
Nile Valley. The ancient inhabitants. like
their descendants. were for the most
part an agricultural people. Thousands OF
bas-relieis and explanatory inscriptions on the
walls OF sepulchral chapels give abundant dis
closures respecting the labor OF the field and
the rearing Of cattle. On certain festival days
the Pharaohs themselves sailed along the
sacred rivor in gorgeous royal ship to per-
form mystic rites In special honor Of agricul-
ture. The priests regarded the plough as
most holy implement. and held that the highest
happiness OF man after the completion Of his
pilgrimage on earth would consist In tlllng the
Elysian fields. In feeding and tending It's cattle.
and navigating the breezy wnter OF the other
world in splendid skifYs. Yet although the