The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-07-10

=
William Jennings Bryan.
these could be saved from the second
death.
This is the explanation Of the mum
my given by archaeologists. The
double, it was supposed, never left the
place where the mummy rested. n
the soul, While it went away to COM
mune with the gods. returned from
time to time. and for his reason
OOlnS were made for the reception of
the soul and for the habitation of the
double. one can hardly believe as he
looks upon the shriveled forms that
they were Inferred so long ago. 1 will
inclose with this article a photograph
of the mummy Of Egypt's greatest
builder. and known as 'th Pharaoh
of the OPPRESSION" who died more
than 5000 years ago The hand no
longer SWays the scCpter; the eyes
look no moro upon the gigantic statues
which he scattered along the Nile, ~
the voice docs not now dt land the
making of "bricks without straw but
the mortal remains of thl5 famous
ruler wildly recaI the days of Is
racl's bondage.
With the mummies are many mum
my cases, some covered with hero
2IyphlcS, some Ornamented With pic
lures in ~colors, and most Of them COW
- - * a 'Ip1i III1II NJ q luz
mask and an outline of the form Of
the occupant. The process by which
these bodies have been preserved is
still Il mystery, but the fact that they
have outliVed dynastios and survived
the countless changes of so many CEN
turtles gives to them a lasting interest.
The collection of statues and images
of gods. human beings beasts and
! birds runs up into the thousands.
Some of these are heroic in size. others
are not more than an inch in height;
some are strong. some beautiful and
some grOtesgue. Granite. both red and
black, dlabaSter. stone. iron, bronze.
and clay-alf have been brought into
requisition for this work. Some of
the bronze has. upon analysis. been
found to contain practically the same
combination of metals as the bronze
now used. There are even statues III
wood, and one of these-a photograph
Of which / secured-attracted my at
tention because the head and face
bear a resemblance to the late Senator
Hanna. 1t is called "Sheikh ell Beled.'
or village chief: that it should have
resisted decay for more than forty CEN
turtles IS little less than marvellous.
While the e~xcavators have been
searching for historical records. they
have occasionally found treasures Of
great pecuniary value. y considerable
quantity of gold and silver in the
form of jeWclry has been unearthed
anu tItt museum contains specimens OF
exquisite workmanship which not only
display the skill of the artificers. but
portray the habits and customs Of the
early Egyptians.
The museum also contains enough
of cloth. found with the mummies, and
of pictures of looms, to show that
weaving was an industry with which
the people Of those days were familiar.
: = * x =
But we must leave the museum and
proceed to those masterpieces which
are too large for any roof save that
formed by the Vaultcd skies. / am.
however. constrained to offer one crit
clSm of the museum in passing. 1t is
under the control of a French society.
and the only catalogue ohtdinabIa is
printed in French. While most of the
exhibits bear a brief description in
both French and English, some arc
labeled in French only, and a few not
at all. As there are no guides to show
a visitor through the numerous ronms
ana point out the principal objects of
interest, those who are unable to read
French are at a great DISADVANTAGE
Considering the number of English
and American tourists. it seems
strange that more attention should not
be paid to their accommodation.
But to the temples. We reached
Egypt after the regular tourist season
was over, and could not visit all Of
the ruins. We selected the most IA
nous, those of the two ancient cities,
Thebes and Memphis, and they alone
would repay a visit to Egypt. The
present city of Luxor, 420 miles from
Cairo. covers a small part Of the vast
area once occupied by "Hundred-gated
Thebes."
In the very heart of the city a mann
moth temple has been found where
kings Worshipcd through many reignS
1t was built during the eighteenth dy-
nasty (B. G. 1900 on the site of a
still older sanctuary and dedicated tc
Ammon, his Wife, Nut, and their son
khons, the mOon-god. some of thc
columns are Il feet in diameter. moro
than 40 feet in height, and support
great blocks of red granite 20 fee1
long and four feet in width and thick
ness. Some of the columns represent
clustered papyrus and capitals Shaped
like the lotus bud. In he temple are
a number of statues of RameSeS II.
some sitting. some standing. One o
these statues is As feet in height. an
another of less dimensions was un.
earthed only about a year ago. Wher
J, excavations were begun houses Wer,
!, serenely resting on the top of tn
temple. and it is believed that furthe,
excavations will disclose an avenu.
= leading to other temples two mile
5. away.
: In front of the Luxor temple is az
obelisk of pink granite. a part O
which is still under ground. Obelisk
= were always erected in pairs, and tn,
companion of this one was removes
some years ago to Paris. These graa
monoliths come down to US from til
period when the Egyptians worshippc'
t the sun, and they were intended t
represent his rays. The oldest Egyp
e tan obelisk is at Heliopolis. not IA
from Cairo. and is SIS feet in height
It is supposed to have been erecte'
1000 to 1900 B. c.. but it is in an ex
s cellent state of preservation and bid