The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1900-12-22
GEMS WORN BY CLEOPATRA.
Mines from Which Her EmeraIds
Were Taken Have Been Dis
covered.

A journey of exploration to what
are known as the emerald mines of
Cleopatra is described by ID. A. Mac
Alister in n London periodical. They
lie in the mountain range that ex-
tends for long distance parallel to
the Red sea and few leagues west of
its coast in latitude rather south OF
Eofu on the Nile. This, like some 9TH
er parts of the region, such as the
porphyry quarries of Jebel Dokhan,
was far better known than IL is now
and more thickly peopled about 20
centuries ago, and only during the
present one, so far as we know, have
isolated explorers at long intervals
found their way to the treasure house
of ancient Egypt. When its rulers
first used the emerald for personal
adornment is unknown. Whether the
large, clear stones, which according
to ancient authorities ornamented the
Egyptian temples. were really emer-
gem-owing to its regular shape,
which is commonly six-sidcd prism
and its beautiful tint stands less in
need of the lapidary's art than many
others, it probably formed part of the
regalia of the princes at a very early
period. That it was known to the
Romans is certain, and the mines now
revisited used to send their treasures
to the gem cutters of the capital.
Ever since then the stone has been
highly esteemed.
In the middle ages few jewels COM
manded higher price; for, in addi-
ton to it's beauty, fancy endowed it
with medicinal virtues. 1t was q
prophylactic against epilepsy and a
cure for dysentery. Like the sapphire,
IL guarded the chastity of the wearer
and resented any trespass by breaks
ing into pieces. Though n more pro-
sale age has Invested it of these vir-
tues, it is still highly valued, nor do
we condemn its less brilliantly colored
relative, the aquamarine or beryl,
which is practically the same mineral,
the tint of the emerald being due to
the presence of small quantity of
the metal chromium. These mines of
the northern Etbai seem to have re-
NAMED untouched since the decline
and fall of Rome caused them to be
deserted. According to Mr.. MacAls-
ter the workings are only small pass
ages, hardly more than burrows, ex-
cavated in the emerald bearing schist.
and sometimes extending for a long
distance. Many scattered ruins may
also be seen-dwellings watch towers
and tombs, besides those of fen settle
ments. In these, no doubt, the min
ing population used to live, and the
differences in style suggest they were
occupied for long time. Some are
mere novels, very roughly built; 9th
ers show more careful construction,
while n third group are well finished.
Mr.. MacAlister also found three
rock-cut temples, for the soft stone
lends itself to that kind of architec-
ture. He thinks that their pillars,
though very primitive in style, indi-
cate Egyptian designs, with traces Of
Greek influences; one, indeed, contains
n crumbling inscription in that Ian
guage. Broken pottery, sometimes
ornamented, is abundant, but there Is
no evidence that the neighborhood
attracted visitors for any but business
purposes. Notwithstanding this there
was in those times settled instead
of n nomad population, and travellers
once must have been frequent, for in
one place many drawings of persons,
animals and tribal marks are
scratched upon the rocks. The SUBJ
jects are varied enough; family scenes
and fights-in which the weapons are
swords and spears, bows and arrows
-camels and dromedaries, horses,
dogs. goats and oxen, besides ibex,
gazelles and ostriches. Some of the
| figures evidently are much older than
| the others, but, as Whole, they re.
call to memory the Sinatic inscrip-
| tions which some 40 years ago were
believed to be memorials Of the wan.
| behring's of the Israelites. TO this at.
tractive hypothesis the late Prof. f
II. Palmer gave the death blow, when
he demonstrated them to be-as, no
| doubt are those of the emerald mines
only the fraffiti of travellers, none
Of them, probably, earlier than the