Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-06-19

Egyptians their language and relig
ion. So, here we have mixed race of
people. The original Egyptians, the
Asiatics, under the shepherd kings
the Greeks, the Romans and the
Arabs. These people have all inter.
married and have given the world a
new race. 1t is difficult to tell what
they are. A boy was once leading Il
dog, NANCY, yellow nondescript fell
low, which attracted the attention Of
gentleman, who stopping the boy
asked what breed the dog was. The
boy thought a minute and
then said, He's just do =
This fifty illustrates the people
in Egypt They ire just humans
They are the yellow dog race of the
world What is to become Of them it
is difficult to determine.
Great Britain Rules.
Egypt is now under the British
protectorate, and while it is nominally
governed by the Khedive of Egypt
Great Britain pulls the strings, and
have done much good for the people
Under British control they have built
dams, mills, bridges, railways, fac
tories and schools. The taxes have
been reduced from 80 per cent to four
per cent and the people have more
liberties and get better wages. They
are learning to read and write. Only
ten per cent of the people can read
now, but they are learning very rapid
ly and in time q majority of them will
possess common education. Under
British rule the Christian churches
have established missions and schools
in all of the principal towns of Egypt
and are doing much good in elevating
the standard of morality among the
common people. The Khedive, or gov
ernor of Egypt is a progressive, ma
tive Egyptian, an educated man, who
speaks five languages. He is in hearty
sympathy with the British government
in its reforms and progressive work
Under the old system of governing
Egypt the money received by high tax
alton was used to build mosques,
monuments and palaces for the
princes, rulers and their numerous re-
latives This is not permitted now,
The Khedive; who is a Mohammedan
has but one wife, although he is en-
titled under the law, and the Mo
hammendan church to have more
Now. the pyramids. The pyramids
are located about six miles from
Cairo on the west bank of the Nile.
Cheops is the largest one, being 755
feet long. 481 feet high and it's base
covers thirteen acres, This was built
by the early Egyptians nearly 5000
years ago. It is built of solid mason
ry, the blocks being nearly seven feet
square. 1t is a marvel how they
elevated these great stones to their
place with the crude machinery they
had in those days. There is no doubt
now that these pyramids were built
for tombs. The early Egyptians and
those who lived up TO the time of the
Greek conquest, thought more of their
graves than they did of their earthly
dwelling. Their religion taught them
that their bodies must be preserved or
they would never enjoy the future life.
For that reason they built these great
pyramids, and cut in the solid rock
the great tombs we find in different
places in Egypt A Pharaoh, as soon as
he was established upon the throne,
commenced to build his tomb There
are about seventy Of these pyramids in
Egypt, but Cheops and the two
smaller ones at Cairo are the greatest
of them all.
The Tombs of the Kings.
CAT Thebes on the west bank of the
Nile opposite Luxor, some 300 miles
above Cairo, are located the Tombs Of
the Kings. These tombs are cut in
to the solid rock of the Lybian
mountains. The entry is made run
ming backward and downward some
thing like 800 feet, and then a number
of large square entries are cut. These
chambers are ornamented with in
scriptions, and with animals and gods
cut on the walls A description Of one
of these tombs will illustrate all of
them. You will see a man with a
hawks head. This is one OF their
gods. A man with fox's head is an
other. You will also see figures of the
beetle cut upon the wall and figures
of some of the Pharaohs with numer-
Gus Inscriptions in hieroglyphics. In
one of these we saw the mummy of
Amenetep II This tomb was opened
about eleven years ago, and the
mummy has not been taken out. The
top of the sarcophagus has been re-
moved and the form of this Pharoh,
who governed Egypt fourteen hundred
years before Christ. is seen well pre-,
served and looking very natural. In
the same tomb We're the forms, well
preserved of three young women
There are no Inscriptions to tell who
these forms were. Perhaps they were
| daughters or other relatives of the
king. The inscriptions inform us that
Amenetep's remains were placed in
this tomb. There are a number OF
tombs which have not yet been dis
covered. Herodotus. the Greek writer
who wrote before Christ, and who Wis
tied this place says there were forty
| tombs Of kings here. About 1881 8
discovery was made of the mummies
of some fifteen or eighteen royal per
sons. 1t would appear from the best
| information available that something
over two thousand years ago robbers
| occasionally entered one of these tombs
and stole the gold ornaments from
them This alarmed the rulers O
Egypt, and they had the remains o
quite number Of these Pharaohs re
( moved and hid They SINK n shat