The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-23
EXCEEDS THEM ALL.


Few yWhoppers.
We have had Marco Polo and Sir John
Maundeville and Baron Munchausen,
and quite recently De Rougemont has
been added to the list of monumental
liars, but away back when the world
was so new and ALL as kipling says,
there was an Egyptian who. in the Ian
guage of Beresford, could give them all
two stone and a chimney sweep and
then beat them. He fiourished a mat
ter of A centuries ago in the then
promising city of Thebes, relates the
Chicago Chronicle. His strange tale of
travel and adventure Is written on a
papyrus in the collection Of Mr.. Goren-
ischeff in St Petersburg. The name of
the author is not known, but he lived
probably early in the 18th dynasty,
when Egypt was just beginning to ex-
pand her frontiers and acquire knowl-
edge of the outer world. Prior to the
time of the sixth dynasty, B. C. 5000,
the Egyptians knew little of the outer
world. To them the Nile had its origin
in a celestial river somewhere between
the islands of Elephantine and Phiae.
AS they gradually pushed their ships
and extended their frontiers up the
river this mystic source still receded,
but the belief in it's existence was never
lost. They only, as. Professor Maspero
remarks, placed 1t further south and
pCOpIGu II Win ST. diiSSI llldl NelS. be
yond the known was the greater I'M
known, a species of scientific frontier
between this world and the next Here
was the great central ocean, sprinkled
with groups of the ISLANDS of the
shades" peopled by dwarfs. monsters
or spirits, but chiefly inha bited by the
strange race of "serpents with human
voices He who went forth into these
regions and visited these islands might
return to his home, as did our traveller,
but he could never revisit them, for
they at once dissolved into water and
were forever lost. According to the
Egyptian, the language was unknown,
and SO no vocabulary could betray' the
region. To this strange region our voy-
ager went long centuries ago in search
of gold, and strange adventures befell
him.
The ostensible goal of the expedition
had been the gold mines of Nubia but
the sturdy crew, whom the author de-
scribes las so of the best sailors in the
land of Egypt, who had seen heaven
and earth. and whose hearts were more
resolute than lions" were now on a
more difficult task. After contrary
winds and Gains the great ocean was
reached but as they approached the ISL
and 1.-The wind blew freshly and raised
waves eight cubits high" and the YES
sci was wrecked. Then, says the author,
CHUNG 10 tne beam, Dut tnOSe on the
vessel persisted, without one escaping.
A wave cast me on the island, and,
after having spent three days alone.
with no companion but my heart. I had
slept under bush and set my legs in
motion in quest of something for my
mouth He was. however. more for
tunate than many shipwrecked marin
ers. for the island produced refreshing
fruits As a pious Egyptian, for the
work is rather of a Puritan type. the
author lighted a fire to offer sacrifice
to the gods" and at once the marvellous
nature of his place of safety is revealed.
Il heard says the writer, "a sound like
that of thunder, which at first took to
be the noise of the full sea (high tide),
but the trees quivered, the earth trem-
bled. l uncovered my face and per-
ceived that it was a serpent (not tur
tle) which was approaching.
This father of sea serpents was a
authors description does credit to the
journalism of so remote an age. He
was thirty cubits in length and his
Wattles exceeded two cubits; his body
was incrusted with gold; and color
appeared like that of real lapis lazul
He raised himself before me and opened
his mouth, and | Frustrated myself be-
fore him." Great as he was, however,
this monster had kindly, and, indeed,
affectionate heart, for he speaks to the
terrified sailor, saying: Who hath
broust thee, little one? IF thou lest
not tell me Immediately who brought
thee to this island ! will cause thee to