The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1898-03-12
The PEIRIEIEp CITY. (
Fables OF Towns in Which Everythinl
80 Gt4..

Fables OF Towns in Which Everything
Was Turned to Stone
Among cities of fable the petrifiet
variety was interesting. We have it il
most parts of this world-our prosai
islands knew it, but as a submarin,
curiosity. In the days when London ell
joyed the presence of an ambassador
from Tripoli, that tpersonage'astonisheG
the Royal society once at least The
famous traveller, DR.. Shaw, had men
TONED the story of a petrified village
near Cyrene. Scientific people derided
1t, scientific people upheld tin short
a discussion arose. Some members OF
the Royal society, recollecting that
there were grave and responsible inhab
itants of Tripoli within reach, put the
question before the ambassador. He
explained with vengeance. One of his
| friends, person, of course. whose hon
or could not be impugned, was well ac-
qualnted with the spot. Shaw made a
| great mistake in describing it as a vii
lage. City was the proper word. The
walls inclosed an exact circle, numer-
Gus streets crossed at right angles, with
shops and avenues of trees, and noble
castle stood in the midst In the shops
and streets were people variously en-
ployed-the gentleman noticed in espe-
cial baker and his customers, loaves in
hand, woman sucking her baby, etc.
He entered the castle and found king.
or somebody of rank, lying on a gor-
geous bed with guards about him. Ami
mails abounded, such as donkeys, cam
els, oxen, sheep, birds. but everything
was stone of peculiar blush tint, even
the money lying on shop counters and
in peoples hands; witness brought a
quantity away, and the ambassador re-
GREETED that he could not find some
pieces presented to himself at the mo-
ment. A description was forthcoming.
however; the coins were as large as
English shillings, with a horses head
on one side and writing in unknown
characters on the other. A happy little
touch represented that MANY of the fig
ures had lost head or limbs-petrifac-
tions will not endure forever, of course.
The Royal Society expressed warm
gratitude for this communication.
1t is scarcely worth while to seek the
origin of fable which is sufficiently ex-
planned by the vagaries of imagination.
That it was localized at Cyrene-among
countless other spots-may be due to
the presence of a large and well-pre-
served metropolis there, with many
statues erect in Shaw's time, if not now.
He himself made long and perilous
journey to Harnam, in Numidia, where,
as the Arabs avouched, a Bedouin en-
was on view, surrounded by
oxen and sheep, all turned to stone. In
this instance no shadow of foundation
for the legend could be found. But it |
was so widely diffused in those days |
that rumors of the marvel reached the |
court of France, and M. lie Marie, con-
sui at TripoG, received instructions to |
inquire. He employed some Janis
saries, who even undertook to bring |
away petrified Bedouin: but they
pointed out, very reasonably, that
full grown specimen would be too
heavy. The consul declared that
baby would satisfy him, to begin with
at any rate. After many months, dur
ng which his interest was kept up by
frequent drafts for expenses, the jan
ssaries returned, and, sure enough,
hey had a stone baby-a very pretty
me, too, for it proved afterwards to be
! little statue of Cupid found among the
'uins of Leptis; they had broken off
he wings and 'quiver. Bruce also was
empted to visit this spot, called Ras
sem; aud Capt. Smyth, of her majesty's
hip Adventure, went in search of it. but
n another direction. The sultan of
Hezzan' told him a story much like the
and he travelled, full of
!ope, nine days through a desert coun-
ry. In this, case, however, there were
eally buildings and bas-re!iefs of men
nd animals, if not STATUES. London. +
standard. 'sO2't; -1d tt:a 81 =