San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-10-17


that this was the real or main tomb, to
which the other had merely served as
an antechamber or perhaps had been,
placed there as blind to deceive those,
who might search for the principal
structure. Here the passages were I'M
usually spacious and lofty and were
decorated with paintings far excelling,
both in design and coloring, those i had
been copying.
Nervously pressing on down the pas
sage, which was crossed at intervals by
others as lofty as itself, / came finally
to an immense vaulted chamber of &C.
tagonal form, in the midst of which
stood huge sarcophagus of highly pol
ished syenite. At its head there gilt
tered a huge golden ibis, its long neck
curved in graceful folds and the slen.
der, curved bill pointing downward to-
ward the place where the heart of the
inclosed mummy would naturally have
been. About the sides of the apartment
stood eight other stone collins, but
smaller and of red granite instead of
syenite.
As the sight of these objects burst
upon me by the Pickering torchlight /
felt myself trembling with excessive
emotion. Here was, it might be, the
greatest Psychological discovery since
the finding of the Rosetta stone. No in
truder before me had ever disturbed the
silence of this most awful sepulcher
Nor Cambyses nor Alexander nor any
of the long list of the conquerors of
Egypt had penetrated the secret of this
rock hewn abode of the dead. Since
the deep and solemn chorus of the de-
parting priests of Osiris had died away
in hollow echoes through the long cor
ridors about them no sound had broken
the silence of the ancient dead. What
if they were to wake and ask me of the
doings of the world since they had
slumbered there? Not history's sell
could answer them.
These and similar thoughts flashed
through my mind, mixed with tri-
umphant feeling of exultation and self
graduation. But it was already late.
had eaten nothing since morning and
my fellahs were tired and grumbling,
so / was compelled to abandon my dis
coveries until the morrow, though sore
ly against my will. So jealous was ! of
my findings that, after seeing all of my
workmen out of the tomb, l had my tent
pitched before the outer entrance, In
order that none might gain access to
the new treasures which were within
the inner chambers.
After restless night l was up with
the dawn, and, eating hasty break
fast, hastened to the scene of my dis.
covery, but before repairing thither
sent q messenger to Professor Batesi,
who was then considered the greatest
living Psychologist, and who was su-
perintending some excavations at a
point about ten miles from my camp,
announcing my discovery and begging
him to come to me at once. This was
an unselfish act ON my part, as / knew
very well that the scientific world
would be apt to give him entire credit
for my discoveries if he were to arrive
on the scene so soon and should desire
to appropriate my laurels, but my de-
light was so great that felt the neces.
sity OF a companion to share it with me.
The first task set for myself was the
removal of the grand central sarcopha-
gus. had pretty we'll made up my mind
that this was the real coffin of Thothmes
iii and that the one found in the outer
tomb had been merely blind. l sent
to my camp for tackle and small der
rick 80 constructed as to be capable of
being taken apart in small pieces and
readily put together. While awaiting
its arrival examined the great golden
ibis closely. 1t was apparently of solid
gold, ten feet high, and the finest speci-
men of the goldsmith's art / had ever
seen. The modelling was perfect and
the minuteness of the work remarkable.
The tiniest feathers, the smallest scales
ON the long, slender legs, were repro
duced with scrupulous exactness.
"There has never been found anything
to compare with it, I said exultantly
to myself.
In a short time the men returned
with the apparatus, the derrick was
erected and clamps were placed across
the polished surface of the massive lid.
At my command the men at the wind
lass began to turn, and the great slab
rose slowly from its place and was
lowered carefully to the floor. Leaping
upon a coil of rope at hand, / looked
down into the sarcophagus. As l did so
the light from my torch brilliantly re-
flected from a huge mummy case of ap-
parently solid and massy gold. As is
usual with mummy cases, the head of
the case was modelled into the form of
face. These faces are supposed to be
likenesses of the inclosed mummies as
they looked in life The face was that
of a man still young, of pleasing and
yet commanding presence Two crystals
inserted for eyes gave it lifelike and
almost terrifying appearance. The case
was carved with many and elaborate
designs and was studded with the bod
les of many scarabs, which were set
deep in the gold
These details / observed at glance,