The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-11-21

stretched cable that was fastened to the
bow of the rext boat. IN the rear. Station
ed in each Of these bows were men who
| watched the cable to see that 1t did not
slip. and whose duty IL was to repeat down
the line the Instructions received from the
pilots In advance.
Then came three larger boats. that were
the last of each of the long lines Of vessels
and upon them the great strain Of the
towing fell heaviest. They were much
stronger built than the others, and of more
luxurious style Each had a cabin with
an upper deck, and fore and aft were pa
vikons for officers Of high rank; for it
was in these vessels that the chiefs of the
| expedition were ensconced. The pavilions
were the most gorgeous affairs. being fur
| nished throughout in sumptuous style and
! adorned with royal emblems.
On the PROV of the first vessel stood
| two lions of bronze, while the second was
ornamented with great sphinx and the
| third wath buh represented as tramp
| ling upon the enemies of the Queen. AS
| each of these boats was the last OF the line
| of ten, and as they were closest TO the
barge, the strain or their steering gear
was particularly heavy. and for this reason
each of them had two sets of rudde-s.
! whereas the other boats had only one.
| The OBELISk BARGE-
And now came the great barge Itself.
Slowly and grandly it f1oated along, cut
ting the water with its ponderous bow
Cpcn its deck stood two rows of soldiers,
plumed and arrayed in the attire OF the
Imperial Guard and in the bow were
| number of officers leaning against huge
golden sphinxes from whose backs rose
incense censers. Others were seated I'M
der a great canopy in the stern, beside
| which were stationed slaves TO hold down
| the tapping ends. Between these two
| parties of officers and nearer the body of
| the boat were the engineers of the expo
| iition, and spread before them on long ia
| bles were diagrams and plans pertaining
TO the unloading and setting UP of the
| great stone. In the exact center Of the boat
| II lay. Stretched over It was awning,
| through which stole little CLEANS of SUM-
light that flashed upon its polished SIDES.
and around 1t were many workmen to see
| that it did not shift with the motion of the
| boat.
Thus in state, and amid pornp and splen-
| dor, the huge monolith was foated slowly
| down the river to the scene of its erec-
| ton, accompanied by a mighty host of the
greatest lords and mobiles of all that an
Gent land.
|
! two despatch boats, manned with picked
oarsmen, selected for their strength and
skill, and following these came the last
section of tn fleet and the pride of all
that grand fiottlla. IT was composed of
three vessels. Each was larger than any
! of the preceding boats of the fleet, and
! they rode the water side by side like huge
| gulls on the wing. The deck of eacn was
| surmounted by grand pavilion. over the
| sides of which were draped curtains of
| silk, while hanging from the gunwales
| were richly embroidered rugs that trailed
| In the water beyond. Upon the Prov OF
! the first vessel stood the image of a lion
| gazing out over the CLASSY waters. and
| the second was adorned with a huge wing
| ed bull.
THE ROYAL VESSEL.
1t was the third, however, that was The
glory of those three ships of state, for up
| on It's stem, raised high above the level of
| the deck, was sphinx of glistening gold
and the sails were polished until 1t shone
like a mirror, and as it caught the sun
| light it threw the reflection of its holy i'm
| age far out across the waters.
| And what a ship twas, Upon the stern
| was a covering of beaten sheets of gold
| and the sails were of the scarlet of an
| cient Khem, While oars of silver dipped in
! the water to the measure of music. And
there in the center of the vessel, beneath
| an awning ablaze with gold embroidery,
| lay Hatshupsu herself, attired in a trans
| parent robe of whitest silk bound in be-
| meath her breast with a golden snake.
! Their she lay, fairer than a dream, and all
| about her flowed the web of her dark and
| radiant hair. One rounded arm hung down
| by her side and in her hand was jeweled
| fan, while she rested upon her elbow and
| gazed out over the ripping waters be-
You'd.
/ Along each side of the vessels lower
deck, handling the gilded oars and softly
singing to the sound of harps and the beat
| of the blades, were rows of magnificently
| formed men in the flower of youthfi and
naked, save for a white and golden tunic
around their waists. And all the while,
as the fleet proceeded. the priests in the
two accompanying ships offered up sacri-
fees to the gods and whispered prayers
for the safe transmission of the sacred
stone. On the high poops of the vessels
were golden censers filled with costly in
cense. which sparkled with tiny flames and
| spread their perfume upon the air.
Thus in a dream of luxury, and surround
ed by many ships. the great monolith
foated majest.cally donw toward glorious
Thebes.
INSCRIPTIONS DECIPHERED.
The inscriptions go on to give the names
of number OF the officers of the flee:
who performed the difficult task of tram
porting the obelisk, but these names ap-
pear to have been carved at considerably
later date than the picture Itself. The
first OF these officers is mentioned as the
Head Of the Sanctuary of the Queen Te-
taenra" The next officer Is spoken of as
the Head of the Granary, Khemmes."
And last comes the name of great prince
Satepahu. This Satepahu is known by
monument found some time ago at Ably
dos, and which was dedicated by a priest
named Anal, who is supposed TO have lived
during the time OF Thothmes ". The in
scrption then goes on with eulogies OF the
Queen, wherein she is spoken Of as:
THE holy offspring of her father. Anon
Ra, the lord of......who does not keep
away from the father OF all the gods.
Her rays shine Ike the gods of the two
! horizons, fat she is brilliant like the soar
disk. she WHITES the hearts Of mankind.
The height OF her name reaches the sky
and her will Cher commanis) goes round
the great orbit OF the sun"
Then follow words speaking Of The trib-
utes which were brought 10 her feet by
conquered nations. after which come
number OF hines telling ot the oonstruc-
ton OF the ship and the elaborate pre7aTs-
tons made for the expedition. The lines
speaking OF the construction OF the vessel
say that an imperial command was given
for the collection OF sycancTes from all
parts Of the land. and OF these the b5s-
was built The next lines speak OF the SOL
jiers who were TO accompany the eAPedi-
;ioG, which was destined
TO load an obei,sk at Eiepbsntine....The
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