Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1904-12-24
a,---.Sa--.s~jt,--.ev-.'eS
Tombs of Egypt's Kings
Especial Correspondence

Making an early start, we left the .
little town of LUXOR and its majestic |
old ruined temples which are all that |
is left to mark the place where ancient |
Thebes with its hundred gates flour |
ished in the height of its glory 1000 |
years before the Christian era Cross
ing the grand old Nile in native boats,
we found our donkeys and attendant
Arabs in waiting on the banks to take
US to that place of mysteries, the
graves of the kings that ruled Egypt
when the worlds civilization was
young. After the pickering, scoldmg
and stronger language that is the rule
with the donkey boys was satisfactory
ly concluded, we finally mounted our
little beasts and started on our way
over the hot sands to the Libyan
mountains After jaunt of perhaps
three-quarters of an hour, during
which our sober donkey ride of the
beginning resolved itself into an excit-
ing race, we made our first stop at
the Temple of Kooneh. This is an old
ruin consisting of three rooms, with
walls covered with Egyptian hero
gIyphics and the whole fronted by
row of eight-f1uted columns. 1t is in
fair state of preservation, and said
to be a Ptolemaic structure. Forty
minutes more through the Valley OF
Bab-e1Malook brought us to the desc
late verdure1ess mountains in which
the tombs are situated. We visited
those of Rameses, third, fourth, sixth
and ninth, section 1, with it's long ap-
proach of stone steps beautifully hewn
| from the rock, and, to crown all, that
| of Amenaphis the Great, discovered
| only about four years since. All OF
| these burial chambers are magnificent
specimens of the grandeur of the final
| resting places of those mighty kings,
but that of Amenaphis is by far the
finest of them, and will try to give
faint idea of its awe-inspiring dig
| nifty and magnifcence.
In the Tomb Chamber.
The entrance into the passage Is
| about twelve feet square, and con
| tinues for several hundred feet, direct
| 1y into the mountain on gradual in
| cline till the tomb chamber is reached
| The sides and ceilings of passage and
chamber are deliberately covered by
Egyptian character, showing the great
ness of Amenaphis and the esteem II
which he was held by his subjects
| who are represented in vast numbers
bringing offerings of fowls, fish, fru1
and wine The characters are II
painted sculpture, in the shade of red
green, yellow, black and white; ant
while those near the entrance ar
|; much faded, those of the chamber ar
as bright as when placed there, 400
years ago. This chamber is abou
twenty-five feet square, with ceiling
seemingly supported by square ston
columns also covered with sculpture
characters in praise of the "distir
, guished occupant" These old fellow
!, evidently did not intend that thei
light should be hidden from the worl
| to come or their own estimate of thei
greatness be permitted to fade. A pol
ton of the floor of this chamber, abou
ten feet square, is somewhat lowe
than the rest, and in the center of
is the stone sarcophagus, heavil
carved In this lies, in a wonderfr
state of preservation, the mummy {
the great king. 1t was wonderful
gaze upon him. resting where he wa
| placed forty centuries ago, looking S
natural that one could know the mai
ner of a man. he was. He is the onl
one of those ancient rulers thus ia
discovered in his tomb, the rest ha
ing been found hidden in caves nea
the temple of Queen HataZu, wheI
they had been placed to prevent fal
ing into the hands of enemies.
II Took Burden of Kings Sins.
L In an ante-room near to the Resin
n place of the king are three other nun
B. mics, a woman and two men, who,
re cording to the writings on the wa
" had the honor of being sacrificed jul