150 



NOTICES OF BOOKS. 



[1854 



The following description, of a Spectacle not uncommon in tropical 

 seas, but one of -which the eye never becomes wearied, will be read 

 ■with interest. It occurred on the outward voyage of the expedition 

 from Southampton, off the Spanish coast. 



Page 37 — " But now the most splendid spectacle presented itself 

 that I have ever seen at sea. The ocean began to lighten up, all the 

 crests of the breaking waves glowed with an emerald-green tire, and 

 a brilliant greenish-white waterfall fell from the paddle-wheels of the 

 vessel, which left in its long wake a broad light streak in the dark sea. 

 The sides of the vessel, and our downward gazing faces, were lighted up 

 as bright as moonlight, and I was able to read print without any 

 difficulty by this water-fire. When the illuminating matter, which, 

 according to Ehrcnberg's researches, proceeds from infusorial animal- 

 cute, was most intense, we saw flames dancing over the sea, as far as 

 the coast, so that it seemed as if we were sailing through a more 

 richly starred sky than that whicli was above us. I have frequently 

 observed this illurniDatton of the sea on the Mediterianean also, but 

 never with such extraordinory brilliancy as on this occasion. The 

 spectacle was quite like enchantment. Suddenly I observed between 

 the waves new living streaks of fire, which radiated from the vessel 

 like two gigantic serpents, and, judging by the proportions of the 

 ship, were at least from sixty to eighty feet long ; they moved in a 

 deceptive manner, in large windings beside the vessel, crossed the 

 waves, dipped into the foam of the paddle-wheels, re-appeared, 

 retreated, hurried forward, and finally vanished in the distance. For 

 a long time I could not explain this phenomenon. I thought of the 

 old tales, so frequently repeated, of the huge sea serpents which have 

 been seen from time to time. Kothiug could more closely resemble 

 what was here before us. At length it occurred to me that it might 

 however, only be fishes ruuning a race with the vessel, and, by their 

 rapid movements, brushing the surface of the luminous sea, they 

 might produce the long streaks of light behind them. Nevertheless, 

 the ocular demonstration remained as deceptive as before ; I could 

 discover nothing of the dark fishes, nor determine their size ; but I at 

 length consoled myself by my own conjecture." 



Thebes, the city of a hundred gates, the half explored and half 

 understood wonder of the past, is described with much minuteness. 

 A short extract we subjoin. 



"We have now been inhabiting our Thebian Acropolis, on the hill 

 of Qurna, above a quarter of a year, every one busily employed in his 

 own way from morning to evening, in investigating, describing, and 

 drawing the most valuable monumenis, taking paper impressions of 

 the inscriptions, and in making plans of the buildings ; we have not 

 yet been able to complete the Libyan side alone, where there are at 

 least twelve temples, five-and-twenty tombs of Kings, fifteen belong- 

 ing to the royal wives or daughters, and a countless number belonging 

 to private persons still to be examined. The eastern side, with its 

 six-and-twenty sanctuaries, in a certain degree of preservation, will 

 however demand no less time, and yet, more has been done by pre- 

 vious travellers and expeditions m Thebes itself, especially by the 

 French-Tuscan expedition, than in any other spot, and we have every 

 where only compared and oompleted their labours, and not repeated 

 them. We are also far from imagining that we have now by any 

 means exhausted the infinite number of monuments ; whoever follows 

 us with new information, and with the results of more aavanecd 

 science, will also find fresh treasures, and gain fresh instruction 

 from the same monuments. I have always had a historical aim in 

 view, and this has especially determined my selection of the monu- 

 ments. Whenever 1 believed that I had attaiued what was most 

 essential for this end I was satisfied." 



" The royal temple of K ARNAK, which was dedicated to the King of 

 the Gods, embraces in itself the whole history of the Egyptian 

 Monarchy. " All Dynasties emulated in the glory of having con- 

 tributed their share to the enlargement, embellishment or restoration of 

 this national sanctuary." It was founded by their first king, Sesurtesen 

 I, under the 1st Theban Royal Dynasty, the 12th of Manetho, between 

 2600 and 2700 before Christ, and even now exhibits some ruins in the 

 centre of the budding, from that period, bearing the name of this 

 King." 



" But a far more splendid enlargement of the temple was executed in 

 the fifteenth and fourteenth centuries, B.C . by the great Pharohs of 

 the 19th Dynasty ; for Sethos 1st, the father of Rames Miamun, added 

 in the original axis of the temple, the most magnificent hall of pillars 

 that was ever seen in Egypt or elsewhere. The stone roof, supported 

 by 134 columns, covers a space of 164 feet in depth, and 320 feet in 

 breadth. Each of the twelve central columns is 36 feet in circumfer- 

 ence, and 66 feet high beneath the architrave ; the other columns, 40 

 fret high, are 27 feet in circumference. It is impossible to dertcrbe 



the overwhelming impressicn whicli is experienced upon entering for 

 the first time into this forest of columns, and wandering from ono 

 range into the other, between the lofty figures of gods and kings on 

 every side represented on theln, projecting sometimes entirely, some- 

 times only in part. 



" Every surface is covered with various sculptures, now in relief, 

 now sunk, which were, however, only completed under the successors 

 of the builder; most of them, indeed, by his son Ramses Jliamun. 

 In front of this hypostyle hall was placed at a later period, a great 

 hyprethral court, 270 by 320 feet in extent, decorated on the sides 

 only with colonades, and entered by a magnificent pylon. The 

 principle part of the temple terminated here, comprising a length of 

 1170 feet, not including the row of sphinxes in front of its external 

 pylon, nor the peculiar sanctuary which was placed by Ramses 

 Miamun directly beside the wall farthest back in the temple, and 

 with the same axis, but tinned in such a manner that its entrance 

 was on the opposite side. Including these enlargements, the entire 

 length must have amounted to nearly 2000 feet, reckoning to the most 

 southern gate of the external wall which surrounded the whole space, 

 which was of nearly equal breadth. The later Dynasties who now 

 found the principle temples completed on all sides, but who also were 

 desirous of contributing their share to the embellishment of this centre 

 of the Theban worship, began partly to erect separate small temples 

 on the large level space which was surrounded by the above men- 

 tioned enclosure wall, partly to extend these temples also externally." 



We shall conclude this notice with 1he description of the climate of 

 Upper Egypt, and some of its curious results. 



"In Upper Egypt, where it scarcely ever rains, it is totally different, 

 especially with respect to all the monuments which are situated on 

 the borders of the desert, out of reach of the annual inundation, and 

 this is uniformly the case with the tombs, the richest storehouses for 

 our knowdedge of ancient Egyptian life, which in this country alone 

 really fulfil their true destination by serving as an asylum against 

 distraction and decay. The narrow district of the Nile annually 

 recreated borders in its whole length on the wide, rocky, and petrify- 

 ing desert. The towns and temples were therefore chiefly built on the 

 boundary between the two, partly not to intrench upon the fertile 

 ground, partly in order that the buildings should be upon a drier and 

 more secure foundation. And thus in fact, we find the numerous 

 temples and palaces in wonderful preservation, so far as they are not 

 mutilated by the hand of man. Even the bricks made of Nile mud, 

 and dried in the sun, apparently the most perishable material, have 

 not unfrequently been preserved in the open air for thousands of years, 

 in the form in which they were built up, and with their coating of 

 plaster. A row of great vaulted halls, built entirely of Nile orieks, 

 and partly covered in the inside with stucco, stands about the cele- 

 brated temple of the great Ramses, in Thebes. They date from the 

 same period as the temple itself, the beginning of the thirteenth cen- 

 tury before Christ. This is not alone testified by the architectonic 

 plan of the building, but most irrefutably by the bricks themselves, 

 which bear the name of Ramses Miamun stamped upon them as a 

 mark of the royal manufacture. At that time, and earlier, during 

 the whole of the 18th and 19th Dynasties, it was a very common 

 practice to line the excavated rock-tombs with Nile bricks, and after- 

 wards to paint upon the stucco, especially wherever the rock was 

 friable, and was therefore hewn into a vaulted roof, But the same 

 custom is sometimes found even in the earliest period of the Pyra- 

 mids of Memphis. In enclosed places, not only the building material, 

 but the colours, both upon the stone and the plaster covering, have 

 almost without exception retained their original freshness and per- 

 fection ; and also, very frequently, where they have been exposed to 

 the open air. The peculiar incorruptibility of vegetable and even of 

 animal matter is, however, still more astonishing. Our museums are 

 filled w-ith such remains. In the most ancient tombs of Memphis, a 

 multitude of objects are found made of wood, such as sarcophagi 

 chests, and boxes of all kinds, chairs, instruments, small ships, like- 

 wise grains of corn, and dried fruits, such as pomegranates, dates, the 

 fruit of the Doum Palm, nuts, almonds, beaus, grapes ; also bread, and 

 other food : besides cloth made of bast, a texture of reeds, papyrus, 

 and an incredible quantity of linen. The countless number of mum- 

 mies, ah.o, are well known, which, though taken out of their tombs, 

 still last tor centuries with their skin and hair ; also all mummified 

 bodies of animals, with their furs and feathers ; even the internal parts 

 of the human body could there be embalmed for ever, aud are still 

 fouud in vases expressly desigued for that purpose. This wonderful 

 conservative property belonging to all ancient Fgyptian objects, 

 depends therefore chiefly upon the sky being without rain and the dry 

 soil of the non-irrigated desert. But the country offered another 

 marked advantage above other lands — namely, the greatest abundance 

 of materials, especially adapted for all kinds of monuments. 



