The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-01-02
THE PHAROAHS.
How the Mummies Of the Ancient
Egyptian Kings We're Discovered.

How the MummfeS Of the Ancient
Egyptian Kings Were Discovered.
The most generally interesting among
the recent discoveries in Egypt was the
finding of the Pharoahs in 1881. The
story has been given to the world in
print, therefore it will be only outlined
here. But by far the most fortunate way
is to hear it directly from the lips of the
keeper of the museum, Emil Brugsch,
himself, his vivid, briefly direct nara
ton adding the last charm to the striking
facts. By the museum authorities it had
been for several years suspected that
some one at Luxor (Thebes) had discov-
cred hitherto unopened tomb; for
funeral statutes, papyri and other OBJ
jects, all of importance, were offered for
sale there, enc by one, and bought by
travellers, who, upon their return to
Cairo, displayed their treasures, without
compromising their value. Watch was
kept, and suspicion finally centered upon
a family Of brothers; these Arabs at last
confessed, and one of them led the way
to place not far from the temple called
Detrel- Bahari, which all visitors to
Thebes will remember.
Here, filed with sand, there was shaft
not unlike well, which the man had
discovered by chance. When the sand
was removed the opening of the lateral
tunnel was visible below. and the tunnel
led into the heart of the hill, where, in
rude chamber twenty feet high, were
piled thirty or more mummy cases. most
of them decorated with the royal asp.
The mummieS proved to be those of
Seth l., the conquerer who carried his
armies as far into Asia as the Orontes,
and of RameSes the Great Called Sesos-
iris by the Creeks, the Pharaoh who OPP
pressed the IsraeliteS and of Seth IL
the Pharoah ofthe Exodus, together with
other sovereigns and members of their
families, princes, princesses and priests.
AT some unknown period these mummies
had been taken from the magnificent rock
tombs in that terrible Apocaclyptic Val
ley of the Kings, not far distant, and hid
den in this rough chamber. No one
knows why this was done; a record of it
may yet be discovered. But in time all
knowledge of the hiding place was lost,
and here the Pharaohs remained until
that July day in 1881.
They were all transported across the
burning plain and down the Nile to Cairo
Now at last they repoSe in state in ain
apartment which might well be called
throne room. You reach this great cruci-
form hall by a handsome double stair
way; upon entering, you see the Phara-
obs ranged in majestic circle, and care
less though you may be, unhistorical,
practically, you are impressed. The
features are distinct Some of the dark
faces have dignity; others show marked
resolution and power. CuriouSly enough
one of them closely resembles Voltaire.
This, however, is probably due to the
fact that Voltaire closely resem bled a
mummy while living. How would it
seem, the thought that beings who are to
come into existence A. d. 5000 should be
able, in the land that we now call
the United States of America what will
it be called then?), to gaze upon the
features of some of our Presidents-for
instance, George Washington and Abra-
hon L In 7 Il ~
is not as striking as it should be, for New
World ambition grasps without difficulty
all futures, even A. d. $4,000; it is only
when our eyes are turned toward the
past, where we have no importance ana
represent nothing, that an enumeration
OF centuries overpowers us little. But
in any case, after visiting Egypt, we all
learn TO hate the art of the embalmer;
those who have been up the Nile, and be-
held the poor relics Immortality otfeedIfor
sale on the shores, become, as it were by
force, advocates of remation.-Harper's
Magazine.