Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-06-03
VISIT TO EGYPT
AND RIVER nile
Continued from first page)


boat drawing two feet of water can
not easily navigate. This is an in
stance of river being the largest at
the little end. We were told that
not a drop of rain had fallen in
Egypt for seven years and at the
time we steamed up this river it was
said to be the lowest stage for over
100 years.
All along this river water is be-
| ing lifted by hand to irrigate this
valley which is from one to fourteen
miles wide. From this small val
ley is produced the support for all
! it's millions and the flood of this
stream was worshiped as a god.
Central Africa is, country of
great moisture; about the first of
June commence their torrential rains
and about a month later this water
has reached upper Egypt. The At
bara comes down laden with rich
silt and with the greater flow of the
white and blue Nile mixes its muddy
water and covers the entire Nile
valley with fertility that as the wat
er recedes leaves a valley fertaiized
as no other valley in the world is
made rich. The water at its height
is about forty feet above its lowest
stage. All the valley except few
high points are under water. For
this reason no homes are built in
the valley, the people only living be-
hind wind break of palm leaves
that is removed before the flood time.
This food lasts until about the first
of October, when the people move
back from the foot hills, SOW and
plant the entire valley, practicing the
most crude and laborious methods.
The crops from this labor were be-
| ing harvested in March when we
were there.
Outside of this flood territory, on
either side, are the Libyan desert
on one side ana the Nubian on the
other, not a living green thing ap-
pears on these vast sand plains. Out
at the edge of these deserts these
ancient Egyptians built their pyra-
mids and most OF their great castles.
These pyramids built more than
1000 years since were only to cover
the remains Of their builder. Each
king, as soon as he came into pow
er, enslaved such a number of his
subjects as could be spared from pro-
ducing a living for the whole, and
so long as he lived, piled up these
great stone pyramids. If he lived
but a short time his pyramid was
small; if he was long king his pyra-
mid grew TO great proportions. From
the size Of his pyramid could be cal
culated the length of his rule. 1t
was the belief of these people that
If their remains were destroyed that
the spirit could not find a home and
to avoid this most awful situation
| they used every known means TO
prevent this destruction and to pre-
serve and enshrine these remains to
conform to their belief. After some
hundreds of years, finding that IN
these massive crypts, they were not
safe from the yandal they changed
their mode of burial and about 1900
years B. C. they began digging back
into those solid lodges in the edge
of the desert. Great passages were
drilled in the solid rock, many OF
them a half mile in extent. Here on
the walls were engraved their his
tory, the remains deposited after
embalming, the opening closed with
great stone and the sand or the
desert covered over the opening, TINS
done so perfectly that one woulo
never suggest or suspicion that great
work that had been hewn out be-
heath. These rulers, perhaps more
than any other, that have existed
seem TO nave STSdlcI PlluC IL 49,
ing to the world a history OF theil
achievements and on all their tenn
pies are engraved a history OF the
life and chief events of their life
with a history of the building OF the
temple. Up to the time of fndine
the rosetta stone some hundred years
since all these inscriptions were en-
shrouded in mystery, but the finding
of this stone was the key that un
locked the mysteries of these Nero
glyphs and now as we stand before
these obelisks, pyramids, temples anc
other monuments we have interpret
ed to us these ancient secrets, We
feel to be looking away back beyond
that veil that has seemed to separ
ate us from the great past.
Come along with us; we are a
the train, just pulling out OF Alex
andria. We are going up5athrougi
: this wonderful country; our train il
: more modern than any we have be
fore ridden on in the Orient. 1t ha
fine dining car service, its com
-. l. Ia