The San Francisco call., 1910-03-26
Records of a Magnifcence Long
Ago Swept Away Impress
Lessons of Today
Former President Spends Day
in Sight Seeing and Rides
on a Camel
By JOHN cALLAN o'LAuGHL1N


Of his sight seeing among the antiqui-
ties is in some respects the most re-
markable Of his "trip. 1t gave him. he
said a clearer appreciation Of the
. sweep Of the ages.
= The tombs at Sahara. 5000 years old
preserved records of a civilization ex-
listing when the Greeks, Romans and
selites were savage, nomadic tribes.
Then, to cross the desert on a camel
and be entertsined at luncheon on the
Nile in as delightful manner as such
service could be rendered in any occi-
dental city. offered a striking contrast
IN the life Of the human race
IMPRESSED BY ANTIQUITIES
The colonel has bsen impressed by
many antiquities, but those which will
remain specially in his memory are the
-tombs Of the kings at Luxor and kar-
max and the Sphinx by moonlight.
It was easy to see that while inter
ested profoundly in the monuments of
the past he really is most deeply ap-
pealed TO by present political, social
=: and economic conditions. An instance
Of this was shown in a tomb. A beau
tffully engraved story on wall pre-
70: sented q court OF law with native
undergoing z beating by officers of JUS
tice to induce him 10 testify.
The worst corruption of Tammany
hail. said Colonel Roosevelt, was
: nothing compared TO the corruption and
;. tyranny recorded as a matter of course
. IN these hieroglyphics."
= one OF the correspondents suggested
Ia
committee might adopt this method TO
-eNtort testimony favorable to Secretary
Ballinger.
The colonel merely smiled and turned
: Ene conversation upon another repre-
sentatiOn.
: ToMBS OF SACRED BULL
Colonel Roosevelt was particularly
interested ia the exploration of the
: lonbs Of the Apis or sacred bull of
~ the god Ptah which lie in Stygian
darkness below the memphite desert
temple
The vast metropolis of Sahara, six
miles IN extent. once was covered with
temples Of huge proportions and superb
decorations, but the immensity of the
nlagnincence availed nothing against
the assaults of time They have
erumbled and merged into the sand of
a desert, leaving only the giant pyra-
AS monuments of the wonderful |
s1rclltecture Of the past And these
pyramids, once ornate and beautiful as
well as Impressive, now have taken on |
the mOurnful color Of the yellow sand /
for centuries rolled against them. re |
lieved in the distance by the roseate !
hues of the Gizeh triangles and the
green crowns Of the date trees along
the Nile
kHEDIVE SENDS CAMEL CORPS
Roosevelt arose early in the morning
and after breakfast received a messen- !
ger who brought the compliments of |
the khedive and placed at his disposi- !
tiOn q. special camel corps. The animals
were Of the best Bisharian breed and 1
there was an accompanying guard of 4
soldiers in sand colored uniforms with /
cartridge belts over their shoulders and /
rifles pendent from their saddles
Roosevelt and Kermit mounted cam
els while Mrs Roosevelt and her 1
daughter were assisted into the sand \
cart with broad tires. Preceded by two |
soldiers on Arabian horses and followed +
by the camel corps the party proceeded !
10 the metropolis.
The sky was unlike that hitherto
seen. Clouds We're scuTrying across the
heavens and light wind made the |
journey comfortable.
Soon the Sphinx. which had been seen
yesternight in the more attractive light /
pyramids Of Gizeh were alone out
standing in the immense nothingness Of
sand.
Arriving at Apis the party was met
by the government Egyptologist and
moving picture machine which was i'm
mediately set in action. Descending
through the narrow sloping passage
cut in the sand Roosevelt entered the
dark doorway from which came hot
dark air as from furnace.
DARKNESS AND SILENCE
Across the threshold he plunged into
the darkness and silence Of the dead
Each member of the party was fur
nished with a sputtering candle and
conducted through the narrow corridors
over f1agstones, around fallen debris,
past a huge block of granite for an in
tended spulcher which had evidently
y en- dropped pellmell when the wor-
snip Of the god Ptah suddenly ceased.
Coming TO the caverns and the walls,
the guides lighted candles TO show the
sarcophagi, within which had been in
TERED sacred bulls covered with ar
mored plates Of gold
Roosevelt entered one of these vaults |,
He ascended the ladder and peered into
the black interior The enormous labor
involved in the construction of these
sarcophagi may be appreciated when it
e understood that the collins are IL
feet in length, 10 in height and weigh
between so and 20 tons. Roosevelt was
greatly Impressed with the engineering
ability Of the people who brought these
monster blocks TO the cave and con-
veyed them along the narrow corridors
10 their final resting place
The party left the darkness at Apis
and emerged once more into the kindly
light Of day The members of the
party were met at the entrance by Am
ba ssador and Mrs. Strauss. Colonel
General Iddings and Miss Iddings and
a number Of correspondents Thence
all proceeded to the temple but a short
distance away.
ENOUGH CAMEL RIDING
Roosevelt declined a mount on his
ca mel, saying that he preferred TO walk
He made Egyptologist Watson scramble
10 keep up with him in the yielding
sand. This temple presents probably
the best record of Egypt's early art,
showing the various occupations and
the like, and the dress of the inhabit-
ants OF that period Roosevelt pointed
oft the animals he saw in equatorial
africa depicted on the walls. animals
dow extinct in northern Africa.
I don't know what benefit an Amer
iran polfffciau will receive from this