Year: 1876

Boston Transcript : Well does the
Athen@um call Gen. Ceso.a's latest dis
covery OF antiquities in Cyprus as ro-
mantle as q chapter of the Arabian
Nights Onthe site of kourium, Gen.
di Cesnola was measuring the shaft of a
fallen column, when he observed under
it a mosaic pavement, comprising Eeyp-
tian and Assyrian decorations the gull
loche, chevron and lotus flower being
disposed to form pattern. This ap-
peared to be the original floor of the
place, aud its character and design may
be studied in the fragment brought to
this country. In a certain part of this
pavement, the explorer found that some
one had preceded him for space of,
up, and further observation proved that
the earth had been disturbed to a depth
of about five feet below the surface, as
if by one in search of treasure, who had
given up his task on finding no warrant
for success. The removal of the rub
bish from this place led to the discovery
that the earth there yielded hollow
sound, and this encouraged Gen. Cesno-
Ia to make deeper excavations than his
forerunner had ventured on. It seemed
not improbable that there had been origi-
nally a staircase, the wooden casing of
which had fallen in even before time had
fiIel tho shaft with debris and mold
Penetrating twenty additional feet, the
diggers found their expectations Of sue
cess encouraged by the discovery OF two
stone steps placed before the entrance
of passage which had been cut in the
native rock. When cleared out the pas
sage gave access to doorway, which
was reasonably enough believed to be
that tomb, for it was situated as innu-
merable tombs are found to be its en-
teranoe was stopped by a slab of rough
stone, which had been either carelessly
or hastily placed. On removing this
slab


AN OVEN-SHAFED CHAMBER


was discovered, twenty-five feet high,
filed to the very Top with infltrated
earth, as in ninety out of every hundred
Cypriote tombs. After spending two OF
three days in clearing away the upper
portion of the earth, the excavators
found a second doorway, leading to
another and inner chamber, which was
likewise filed with earth. Gen. di Ces-
nola allowed his laborers to remove the
earth TO within foot of the rocky floor,
and then dismissing the greater number,
he, with the aid of two trusty men only,
set to work to exa mine the remaining
earth, literally taking it by handfuls,
passing the fine mold, mere dust as it
was, between the fingers of tie workmen,
doing 50 not once only, but at least twice;
it was this care which insured discovery
of a very considerable number of articles
of great value and minute size which we
have yet to describe. Near the middle
Of the place was found heap of pecious
objects, the position of which as a whole,
and their disposition severity, proved at
once that this was no sepulchral cham
Der, which had been entered after the
lapse of probably 500 years from the
time when the rough stone was set
against its entrance. The antiquities
were in pile, just as, possibly, they
had been hastily set down on the floor
by those who brought them there for
security or concealment on the occur
re-ce of sudden alarm, which has
proved to be final one for it was evi-
dent, that from that hour, no one had
touched the precious things. The first
object discovered in the pile was


LARGE BRACELET OF SOLID GOLD.


The next find consisted Of numerous
other personal ornaments of the same
metal Convinced by the position OF
the heap that he had penetrated to q
treasury, and not opened a tomb,
the fortunate explorer determined to
open the second chamber in the same
manner as the first. This operation led
to the discovery of q third chamber,
and after that to the opening of another
similar excavation, a series which was
found to terminate, In a low passage. It
required two months labor of the prira-
tive fashion followed by the native work
men, ere these excavations were cleared
to within foot of the floor throughout,
the place of which YVES readily discover
ed by means of boring rods. In one of
the latter found chambers the 1aborers
came on candelabra, tripods, and other
utensils of bronze, the tallness of which
soon brought them to notice. All this
time the explorer was convinced that the
as yet unsearched earth contain ed treas
ures, and one may readily guess the
anxiety with which he watched the slow
tolls OF the worhmen, and longed for
their termination. It was needful to
keep secret The fact that treasures were
already recovered, and almost equally
desirable to be able to search the whole
of the excavations without admitting la
borers less trustworthy than the i'm
mediate attendants of Gen. di Cesnoia.
At last the rough work was done,
and so far as all but few persons
knew, nothing of greater value than the
bronze utensils had been found. The
trusty hands were then set to their task
of scraping up the fine, powdery earth
with native knives, and passing the dust
between the two set of fingers to bask-
cts, the contents of which were again