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THE GENESEE FARMER 



July SO, 1831 



MISCELLANIES. 



THE SEPULCHRES OF THEBES. 



The whole side of the Lybeian motln- 

 tain, near Thebes, is pierced even from 

 its base to three quarters of its elevation 

 with sepulchral grottos. Those nearest 

 the base are the most elevated and spa- 

 cious; those which are found in the most 

 elevated part of the mountain are the 

 poorest and most badly executed, ine 

 lottos between these two extremities 

 hold a middle rank, in execution as well 

 as position, which last iudicates order 

 and richness; and in examining them, 

 the poor ofTer the most interest, because 

 here can be seen the advancement of; 

 the arts and trades at this period. A door 

 opening to the east conducts to a gallery 

 about twenty paces long ; this is sustain- 

 ed by columns or pilasters, winch vary 

 in number from four to ten. At the ex- 

 tremity of this gallery in a pit which cat- 

 acombs, where the mummies are depos- 

 ited. The depth of these pits is from 

 forty to sixty feet. They meet long sub- 

 terrnean alleys, roughly hollowed irornj 

 the rock, and which terminate in a hallj 

 about thirty feet square. This hall is 

 supported by pillars and still contains 

 many remains of mummies. There are 

 also found a great number of subterra- 

 nean passages, which probably lead to 

 other halls more concealed from view. 



In the upper gallery are carved in bas 

 relief, or impressed upon the plastering 

 of the walls, while fresh and moist, a, 

 crowd of subjects, relative to the female 

 ceremonies. The most interesting pic-j 

 tures there found are those which oner 

 the details which appertain to the arts of 

 the ancient inhabitants of the country.— 

 There may be discovered their first oc- 

 cupation, such as hunting and fishing; 

 there the progress of civilization may be 

 traced ; there may be seen the arts of the 

 saddler, of the wheelwright, and of the 

 potter ; pictures of their exchange and of 

 commerce, rustic scenes, marches of 

 troops, and a cause of the punishments 

 in usage among them. Each grotto is 

 ornamented with ceilings, upon which 

 ;J re painted subjects of fancy, the design 

 of which is exactly the same as that of 

 the papers which fashion has caused to 

 be adopted in France for the last thirty 



years. , 



The tombs of the kings are more than 

 a mile from the river. They have been 

 dug in the side, straight to the centre of 

 the Lybinian mountain, the path which , 

 conducts to them is frequently unknown, 

 and they can be entered by a forced pas- 

 sage. The plan of one of the tombs is 

 sufficient to indicate the general disposi- 

 tions of the others. Each grotto com- 

 municates with the side of the mountain 

 by a large gate, this conducts to a gallery 

 hollowed in the rock. The breadth and 

 height of this is generally twelve feet, its 

 length to the second gate twenty paces. 

 The second gate conducts to a second 

 oallerv of the same breadth, and twenty- 



four paces long. To the right and left 

 of this are chambers, five feet broad by 

 six deep. Here are found designs of 

 arms, such as hatchets, poignards, carved 

 sabres, short swords, lancets, javelins, 

 bows, arrrows, quivers, coats of mail, 

 bucklers, instruments of labor, vases, 

 trinkets of all kinds, and the details of 

 preparing food are also there represent- 

 ed. A third gallery follows this — its 

 height and breadth are the same. It con- 

 ducts to a hall on the level of the other 

 apartments, which are eighteen feet 

 square. This has a fifth gallery, the length 

 of which is twenty-eight paces. At the 

 extremity, there is a corridor of sixteen 

 feet, it conducts to a saloon eleven feet 

 square. From this there is a passage in- 

 to a second hall of the same size, from 

 which it is separated by a gallery of six 

 feet. This ends in a saloon sustained by 

 eight pillars, length twenty-five, breadth 

 twenty paces. This hall contains the 

 sarcophagus, which encloses the mummy 

 of the king. The Romans made attempts 

 to bear away the sarcophagus from the 

 grotlo where it was deposited. They 

 had begun to level the earth to facilitate 

 the attempt, but they soon gave up the 

 enterprize. Near the hall of the sarco- 

 phagus, there is a second, twenty-five 

 paces in breadth, by forty in length — 

 The height of the tomb is seven feet, its 

 length eight, and its breadth six. The 

 total of the gallery is two hundred and 

 twenty-five paces." The tombs of the 

 kings are covered, in their whole extent, 

 by pictures & hieroglyphics. The great- 

 est part are represented in the fresh 

 plastering. Th.-se pictures represent 

 subjects and objects of the greatest odd- 

 ness and fantasticalness, of which no 1- 

 dea could be obtained, except by observ- 

 ing the drawings of them. 



It appears here the Romans derived 

 the idea of the grotesque, which their art- 

 ists and painters endeavored to imitate 

 during the second and third centuries of; 

 the empire. The researches of Hercu- 

 lanaeum have discovered a great num- 

 ber of pictures executed in this style. — 

 The most interesting grotto is that which 

 contains the sarcophagus, still entire and 

 in its place ; its length is sixteen feet, its 

 height twelve, its breadth six; it pre- 

 serves the covering upon which is the ef- 

 figy of the king ; it is of a single block of 

 granite. 



The surprise occasioned by beholding 

 this enormous mass at the extremity of a 

 lane two hundred paces in length, can no 

 longer be limited, when it is considered 

 that this could not have beenwrought upon 

 the spot. What difficulties must have 

 opposed the transportation of a mass 

 weighing many hundreds of thousands, 

 through the almost inpecctrable passages 

 of the mountain. Many human sacrifi- 

 ces are here observed. Two pictures 

 were discovered representing a man sow- 

 ing seed, and children instantly springing 

 up from this seed. 



There is a tomb near Mcmnon, excav- 



ated at the base of a mountain, in the 

 enclosure of which a number are found 

 The entrance to many is concealed; al- 

 most all have been. The Egyptians,who 

 were faithful to worship, endeavored tc 

 conceal the knowledge of their tombs 

 from conquerors, and from those who 

 professed a different religion from their 

 own. Two grottos had never been fin- 

 ished. A third has been utterly depri- 

 ved of its sepulchres, and some others 

 still offer imperfect things, Here the 

 magnifience of the Egyptian is displayed 

 with the greatest grandeur. It must re- 

 quire not less than the duration of the re- 

 gion of one man, to undertake and ac- 

 complish a work of this kind, where on 

 ly a very limited number of workmen 

 could be employed at a time. 



All the Egyptians from the Monarch 

 to the subject, took the greatest care ol 

 the sepulchre, in the belief that their 

 souls would, after many thousand yc«rs : 

 come to re-inhabit the body, in case i: 

 should be preserved untroubled and en- 

 tire; hence embalmments, and the posi- 

 tion of sepulchres in places inaccessible 

 to the inundations of the river. When 

 the Arabs, who regard the grottos as the 

 property of each family, discover thai 

 they can be visited by strangers, they put 

 fire to the mummies which they contain, 

 to save them from the gaze of the curi- 

 ous. A few caverns remain untouched, 

 but they are generally unknown to trav- 

 ellers ; 



" Their doors sealed and silent as night 

 "The dwellings of the illustrious dead." 



How to be loved.— The eldest daughter of 

 Dr. Doddridge was a most lively and enga 

 ging girl. She was a great darling with 

 her family and friends. Her father once 

 asked her what made every body love her so 

 well. She answered, " Indeed, papa, I can ■ 

 not think, unless it be because I love every 

 body.''' . , 



Insects m Sugar. — Wrap a piece ot 

 gum camphor in a clean linen rag and 

 place it in the sugar tub. Not an insect 

 can be found in the sugar an hour after. 

 Try it ! _————■ 



ESSAYS ON AMERICAN SILK, 



WITH Directions to farmers for raising bill. 

 Worms— by J. D. Homergue and Peter P 

 Duponceau. Also, 



The American Gardener, 

 Deanc's Xew-England Farmer, and 

 Ttutler's Farmer's Manual, for sale by 

 uuuersra HoyT pQRTE R, & CO. 



Prince on the Vine, a few copies for site ae 



abo ve. I i-1 



POTATOE ONIONS. 



THIS Onion was first brought i. Europe, b) 

 some soldiers in the British army, after the) 

 had compelled Bonaparte to leave Egypt, lor 

 some years after theirintroduction so highly were 

 they esteemed for flavor and product, that they 

 sold for one shilling sterling per onion in London 

 For a full description of the onion and mode ot 

 cultivation, see fhorlmrn's Seed Catalogue page 

 35_thev should be planted in September and Oc 

 tober They frequently grow to 12 or U inches 

 in circumference. A quantity of these onion, 

 the growth of the present season (1831) maybe 

 SdS WM. THORBURN'S »«*»■*&»« 

 North Market street, one door north ot Kocfc 

 welPs Mansion House. Albany, July lb 



