The record-union., 1893-02-27

nature puts on her dusting-cap and cleans
mouse for them very thoroughly. since
the heavy rains dissolve them to the very
foundations; but the natives. accepting
TINS novel type of eviction as the natural
| thlng, soon reconstruct them, and rest
assured that for another twelve months
each day will bring naught but sunshine.
with the ancient Egyptian the present
lie was held to be quite secondary to the
everlasting life beyond death. In this
simple, trite fact lies the explanation of
| why, with few exceptions, all we have to
remind us of the old Egyptian empires is
| connected with their tombs. Rome and
Athens give US pure, living, almost speak
Ing works of art, but about all the art re-
mains of Egypt there is repose that
speaks of death. Art had no position, for
itself alone, in the Valley of the Nile. All
human ingenuity was directed toward
| nndlng the monuments that should be
most lasting; hence the pyramids, the
| most stable of human structures, the
huge stone sarcophagi, and the graves cut
! IN the solid rock. Even the body itself
must be forever preserved from decay by
mummitication. This fact, perhaps, also
explains why Egyptian art never bore
ripe fruit, since it never shook itself free
from this ruling idea, but after a time be-
came mere copy of previous models.
The sandstone hills which form the
| dividing line between the fertile Nile
| Valley and the dry Sahara were the
chosen metropolis of the old and middle
empires. Once an extensive system of
irrigation probably carried the green line
further westward, but the sands have
taken advantage of the inactivity and
| quarrels of man to annex this territory TO
the realm of sand. For twenty-Six miles
| series of pyramids of varying size ex-
tend along this debatable borderland un-
u! they culmlnate in the great one of
Ghizeh. One rising like stranded hulk
attracted our attention particularly as it
rose above the engulting sea OF sand-the
so-called step-pyramid. 1t is peculiar
because, although it rises to hight of l4S
feet. 1t Is made entirely of fine brick
Well may it look ragged and itinerary
| aged, for, if the ancient record is true, it
was built during the first dynasty, and
hence is the Oldest pyramid in the world,
the ancestor of all the long line that ex-
tend northward.
Passing the Sakkarah pyramids, some
large and imposing, others mere babies,
an index in stone that the king whose
body they were intended to receive re-
CURED them all too soon, we came to the
famous Apis mausoleum, which the un-
tiring efforts OF the great Psychologist,
Mariette Bey, has freed from the enyel-
opiug sands. Like the catacombs at
Rome, 1t is series of excavations in the
rock extending long distances beneath
the sands. Like their Roman copies they
are at different levels and are arranged in
an Intricate system of avenues and inter-
Sectlng passages.
Here in huge stone sarcophagus rested
the mummy OF the sacred bull OF Mem
phis, and in the rock-hewn chambers
were placed, in similar collins, the num-
mics OF the rulers of the old empire. Even
though far beneath the surface of the
ground, we found the temperature SO
warm that it was pleasant relief to again
ascend to the burning sands above, wnere
an occasional breeze relieved the sitting
heat.
Descending into another underground
furnace, heated seven times hotter, we
found ourselves in the interesting tomb of
IL. This Ii was powerful official of The
early empire, who, like Joseph in later
times, rose from humble position until
he became the most potent lord of the
kingdom. Lest posterity of the gods
should forget his deeds and importance
they are faithfully recorded in writing
and by pictures on the walls of his tomb
chamber. The entrance of this burial
temple has fallen into ruins, but the in
terror of the rock-cut tomb is in a re-
markable state of preservation. In gor-
geous bas-reliefs, with all the luxurance
of old Egyptian coloring, one can see
the princely Ii sitting in state, sur
we can stand and look at his slaves at
work in the fields, or, perhaps, we will be
more more interested in the file of tall.
upright peasant women, with great bowls
OF vegetables, fish, wine and beer on
their heads, while in their hands they
hold by the wings squawking geese and
ducks, which they are bringing for tie
table of their noble lord. On another 81 lie
of the room bakers are at work kneading
the dough; or we can watch the priests as
they slay the animals to propitiate the
gods. The work is clear and wonderfully
well executed, and these gay pictures in
troduce US directly into the everyday life
OF these ancient dwellers on the Nile.
From this dream of the past, which
seemed so ideal with its long perspective,
we were brought back to the present all
too quickly. The cause was not difficult
to find. a party out on the Sahara Des-
ert, eight miles from any station, was too
rare prey to be allowed to escape un-
plucked. Doubtless memories of the
morning fray still stuck, as arrow heads,
in memories of our donkey boys. Ac-
cordingly, true to Oriental methods, they
calmly announced that, like Laban of old.
they had revised the original contract,
and that if we would attain the goal of our
days wanderings we must serve them
with more gold. Circumstances lent a
peculiar force 10 their propositions, We
with them. and thus their Irresistible
logic would have been Vindicated had
they not overlooked two verv important
facts; first, that there were no ladies in
the party, and second, that we We're
student crowd who had not entirely for
gotten-although it was warm-how to
walk, as do not a few of our countrymen
when travelling in southern climes. Not
anticipating very long walk we set out
at pace that promised six miles an hour
at least while the patient donkeys and
their drivers, not so patient, followed. a
little subdued. Before long the amount
OF their eXactlons began to diminish in
direct proportion to the square of the dis
tance Travelled, until ere long the vanish
ing point was reached and we were again
galloplng over the sands. One of tie
party, however, enjoyed the walking so
much that he continued on foot until the
entreaties OF the donkey boy became so
piteous that he could no longer say him
nay.
After this little thunderstorm. the re-
malnder OF the trip was made under a
cloudless sky. The great Saharah. like
its nelghbor across the Nile, is not level
but series of rolling hills covered with
hot sitting sands. The yellow vista is
broken only very rarely by line of
camels, which remind one of flock OF
wild geese deploying in the immensity of
unbounded space. Our way lay along
the line which separates the fertile Nile
Valley from the burning wastes. In
places a few steps takes one from the
greatest fruitfulness to the most barren
wastes. Most fitting is it that the abodes
of the dead should lie Just within the
limits of the desert. Perhaps the old
Egyptians, with their childish, naive
objective faith saw, in this stepping over
from fertility to barrenness, "A symbol of
the transition from lite to death, a step so
short but yet so great, and this is but an
other manifestation OF their conception of
certain phase OF that great problem of