M. Mariette, who informs us as follows :

" The excavations of Edfu are the most extensive archseological work ever executed under the auspices of His Highness the Khedive (Ismail Pasha)." A few years ago the modern village had invaded the temple, its ver}^ terraces being covered over with dwellings, stables, storehouses of every kind. In the interior the chambers were filled with rubbish almost to the ceiling. Tbe amount of time and trouble expended on the excava- tions will be realized on entering the temple, where every single line of inscription has now become perfectly accessible to the traveller, tourist and antiquarian.
There were sixty-four houses upon the roof of this temple that Mariette Bey removed, and witb them the filth and vermin that went with these people ; and to-da}^ we are enabled to wander through, all parts of this beautiful and perfect specimen of an ancient Egyptian Temple, with all its parts perfect, as in the earl}^ days of its completion. It resembles the temple of Dendcrah ver}^ closel}' in its general plan ; in fact, they belong to the same period, and the inscriptions upon the walls of this temple refer continirall}^ to the same sj'stem of worship as was practiced in the temple of Denderah.
The inscriptions cover all parts of this temple, for every wall, col- umn and ceiling is completel}' covered with hieroglyphic inscriptions that tell us of the use of the various halls, chambers, etc. Upon the walls of the Librar}' is catalogued the books that were kept in it ; in fact, every part of this beautiful temple tells its own stor}-. It was one of tlie best preserved temples, in fact, one of the finest, that is to be foutid in this wondrous Valley of the Nile, because it is perfect in all its parts. The extreme length of this building, incliiding the pylon and the circi:it wall,
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is fully four iiundred and fifty feet. The height of the pylon is very nearly one hundred and fifteen feet, and it has a frontage of one hundred and thirty-two feet ; but if we include the pylon, its facade is two hundred and fifty feet.
On the front of this pylon are four cavities that were used for the purpose of securing the masts that decorated this most beautiful temple, into which they were no doubt fitted. There is an inscription here that tells us that they served for lightning conductors. Mariette believed that they must have been at least one hundred and fifty feet high.
Furlong informs us in his " Rivers of Life " that Solomon's tem- ple was a ver}^ poor imitation of this temple at Edfu, and that it was upwards of fourteen times the size of the Hebrew Temple, and that one of the " halls " of the Edfu temple would swallow up the Jewish one entirely. We enjoyed ourselves very much, indeed, exploring the various halls and chambers of this very extraordinary temple, and after our care- ful examinations, we were soon on our way back to our very comfortable home the dahabiyeh, tired and weary, but extremely glad to know that we had been enabled to thoroughly examine and explore the most perfect temple in Egj'pt, that of Edfu.
The next morning bright and early found our crew towing and punt- ing, trying to make Gebel^ or Hagar Silsilis ("the mountain of the chain ") as early as possible, located a distance of twenty-five miles from Edfu, and five hundred and forty-seven miles from Cairo ; so that we might be able to visit the celebrated quarries, examine the monuments, and hurry on to Ombos. It was however not until late that night that we were able to moor close to the monuments, so Hassan informed us, for we had retired long before reaching there, and when Salame brought us our coffee in the morning we found ourselves moored near the West bank.
The river is very narrow here being not much over three hundred and fifty yards wide, with very lofty banks, abrupt and precipitous that come down to the river and inclose its very narrow quarters. We landed upon the east bank and visited the celebrated quarries from whence were taken those immense blocks of sandstone that have been used in the building of the great majority of temples throughout the whole of Upper Egypt.
There are quarries on both sides of the Nile, but we visited those on the east side first, on account of their extraordinary size. These quarries
566 EGYPT, THE CRADLE OF ANCIENT MASONRY.
are open to the light of day, and demonstrate to the present generation, the wondrous knowledge of the craft in quarrying and handling the stu- pendous stones and carrying them to the river. It is remarkable to see the immense amount of work that has been done here, for the whole mountain has been cut into with the greatest of care, and proving to us of to-day, that they did not use explosives, of any kind whatever, in their methods of quarrying. The entrance to these quarries are through a long cutting clear through the solid rock, and upon all sides we found specimens of ^^rfl;^// (or scribblings), in both Greek and Demotic char- acters (writing used by the ancient Egyptian people not hieroglyphical). There were quite a number of things quarried here that have never been removed from this place, where the}^ were originally carved or cut from the mountain side, such as Sphinxes, etc.
There were a great many things to be seen there that will prove of great interest to any one who will take the time and trouble to visit this place. The quarries on the West bank were not nearly so large as those on the other side of the river, for the stones had been quarried in a differ- ent manner entirel}-. These quarries are open to the sky and to the glorious ligbt of da}^, but those on the East bank are quarried right into the cavernous depths of the mountain forming immense grottoes that were originally quarries ; but which were afterwards used for tombs, tem- ples, etc , while upon the walls of all are to be found hierogl3^phic inscrip- tions. They have also been decorated with beautiful paintings and sculptures from the XVIII d3mast3^ down to the Roman domination. Some of them are truly most magnificent specimens of ancient Egyptian Art. I specially refer to the bas-relief known as the " Trinviph of Horusr
We had a glorious time rambling around these quarries and grottoes, and examining the various points of interest on both banks of this won- drous old river Nile, at Silsilis. We retired rather earl}- as we felt worn out with our investigations, and although our crew was having k grand old time, making the mountain ring and echo to their songs and laughter, we slept through it all, and awoke from our slumber the next morning refreshed. Salame broi:ght us our toast and coffee, when we found by the motion of the boat, that we were under sail, and that we were scudding along through the waters before a good fresh breeze, running along
EGYPT, THE CRADLE OF ANCIENT MASONRY. 567
toward Ombos, at the rate of about eigbt miles an hour, and while we were eating our breakfast we went careening along by Fares.
On coming on deck, after our morning meal, we sat under the awn- ing and smoked cigars, noticing that there was but very little arable land upon either bank of the river. After aAvhile we saw a decided change, for fertile fields began to appear upon the east bank, and we very soon passed a small island that was well cultivated, and as our wind held good, we drew up to quite a large island called Maiisuriyeh^ which divides the river into two branches or channels. We entered the first or largest, when our course became nearly due east, and just as we reached the bend of the river, it turned due south again and we found ourselves at Ombos, five hundred and sixty-four miles from Cairo.
Kom Ombos is rapidly disappearing beneath the waters of the Nile, surely it is steadily falling into the river. This place, that was built to endure for ever, is rapidly being destroyed by the old God Nilus. Sebek, the deity that was worshipped here Avas also worshipped and adored at Silsilis, and the crocodile-headed god is found, not only upon the Stele in the quarries at Silsilis, but also in many parts of Ombos. As the wind continued to blow good and strong, we took advantage of it, and continued our journey southward toward Aswan. We spent a few hours at Ombos, but as there was not much to interest us there, we cast off our moor- ings, loosed our sails, and amid the sounding songs of our sailors, soon left it far behind us.
There was but very little to interest one as we sailed along the river, and there was a sameness about it that grew monotonous to all, so I sat on deck under the awning, and arranged my notes, while the others amused themselves with various problems in chess. Our boat went spin- ning along over the flowing waters of the river, until we began to notice a most decided change in the surrounding scenery, which now had a peculiar charm and beauty, that must be seen to be fully appreciated, for we now were approaching the scene of the Poet Juvenal's banishment, by Domitian, on account of offending Paris, the actor.
We were now enabled to see the mountains to the south, at whose feet nestles the beautiful island of Elephantine, which is about a mile in length and divides the river into two channels. It is a lovel}^ island, with ever}^ foot of arable land thoroughly cultivated, with patches of cotton,
568 EGYPT, THE CRADLE OF ANCIENT MASONRY,
corn, beans, and castor-oil plants, etc. Thick palm groves gave a delight- ful charm and fascination to the scene, and from a distance, as the bright sunlight fell streaming down upon it, the island was like a beautiful jewel, for the play of colors upon its black syenite rocks, the golden sand and the vivid greens combined to enhance the beauty of this place beyond the power of words. It is a most interesting place to visit, and will repay all those who may ramble around it. Although the ruins were in a sadly dilapidated condition, we observed many things that deepl}^ interested us. We noticed that the symbols of the old pagan philosophies were lying side by side with the cross that dethroned them, and that both were superseded by Islamism.
The Church of Christ is extinct in Nubia, and it simply drags out an existence in Upper Egypt in a very degraded form of worship, and all that remains of Christianity on the borders of Nubia are a few crosses indifferently cut upon the remains of some of the tombs and temples, demonstrating that it did at one time reach to the first cataract and Philae. Those teachings have long since passed away. A few columns still stand to mark the site of the temple of the ram-headed god Khnmn or Kneph^ which was destro^'cd by direction of Mohammed AH in the year 1822, for the purpose of erecting a palace for himself at Aswan. In order to do this he destroyed a very beautiful temple erected by Amen-hotep of the eighteenth dynasty. This king was a mighty warrior, and he was exceedingly fond of building stupendous monuments and magnificent tem- ples ; the celebrated Colossi " the Vocal Memnon " bears his name. He was a wonderful king, who carried his conquering armies into the Soudan, returning with spoils to adorn his country with splendid monu- ments, etc. The Nileometer is well worth a visit, for now it has been put in proper working order, and to-day it is recording the rise and fall of the river as it did in the early days of its completion.
There have been found upon this island of Elephantine a great many things that have interested the scientific world, and among them portions of a calendar of the time of Thothmes III, that records the rising of A}iubis^ or the " dog star," nearly thirty-four centuries ago. There are two villages on the island, the inhabitants of which seem to be Nubians, and on the arrival of travellers upon this island they will crowd around you, and offer all kinds of antiquities for sale, sometimes small
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coins, and fragments of pottery, shells, etc. There is no doubt but that a great many of these so-called antiquities are manufactured like those at Thebes. At the southern end of the island one may frequently find fragments of inscribed terra-cotta vases, many of which are valuable. On the east bank, and opposite this island, is located the frontier town of Bgypt Aswan, or as it is called by man}^ writers ^''Assouan,'''' or " Syene^'' distant five hundred and ninety miles from Cairo, in Latitude 24°, 5', 23" North, and 32°, 55' East Longitude, which figures prove, that to-day, this town is not under the tropic of Cancer.
It was on account of a report spread throughout the " Land of Bgypt " of a well in Aswan, wherein there was no shadow even at mid- day, which led the celebrated philosopher and mathematician Eratos- thenes, who had charge of the Alexandrian Library, to measure the obliquity of the ecliptic, and also to measure a degree of the meridian. He discovered the exact circumference of the Earth, using the same methods in that day, that have been adopted by our own geometricians to- day. At the present time there is no well at Aswan in which the sun is reflected at noon, when it reaches its meridian height and glory, but, in the fourth century b. c. Aswan was most certainly under the tropic of cancer, and there is no doubt, but that there was a shadowless well at this place at that time.
We now found ourselves among a different class of people entirely, from those we had been accustomed to in our long journey up the Nile. The various articles they had for sale were also different. The town of Aswan is a very busy one, on account of its being the principal market town for the whole of the Soudan and Abyssinia. The streets of this place are very much like those of every other mud village throughout the whole of the " Land of Egypt," and the bazaars are just about the same, containing nearly all things usually found in the various towns in the valley of the Nile. A great deal more can be purchased here in Aswan, because a great many things are brought here, from the upper country, that are not always to be found in the bazaars of the towns below. There are quite a large number of cafes here, and each and every one have their regular dancing girls, who make night hideous with their mad revels.
It is extremely interesting to pass in among the tents of the mer-
570 EGYPT, THE CRADLE OF ANCIENT MASONRY.
chants (who camp here) and to examine the various goods they have for sale. We were shown elephants tusks, henna leaves, lion, leopard, and in fact all kinds of skins ; gum arable, tamarinds and war implements of all kinds, etc. There is one thing most certain and that is you will find ostrich feathers much cheaper here than in any other place in Egypt. I paid fifty cents each for some beautiful black and grey ones, that you could not buy here in America for less than five or six dollars. The largest and most perfect white feathers can be bought for four or five dollars that would very much astonish some of your wives and daughters.
There are a great many things one ought to buy here besides ostrich feathers, well worth taking back with you, as " souvenirs." These com- prise ivory rings, silver rings, armlets, beautiful basket work, and the aprons of leather fringe which form the costume of the Nubian women, and which are called " Madame Nubia." The people we met here were entirely different from those of Egypt. The turban was seldom seen ex- cepting upon the heads of Egyptians or old men of Nubia. The great majority went around bare-headed and wore nothing to cover their heads, other than their thick matted hair, which was plentifully bedaubed with castor oil; as well as the whole of their bodies. The young men generally wore a small cloth around their loins of very scant dimen- sions, and the young women {virgins) simply wore " Madame Nubia." The older women wore a long blue robe, and the old men a long loose white one (?) and very often a turban. The women of Nubia do not cover their faces at all times with a veil, they seem to be more free to do as they please than the women of Egypt, and they are most assuredly far more virtuous. It was very peculiar to see both the young men and women shining like billiard balls, with their bodies glistening in the sun, smeared all over with castor oil, which was the prevailing fashion among the " elite " of Nubia.
There is just as much difference between Egypt and Nubia, as there is between the people of the two countries. The palm grows just as abundantly above Aswan as it does below, and the dates of Nubia are noted for their delicious flavor. In fact, they have been sought for, above all others, throughout all the eastern countries. The face of the whole country changed entirely beyond the island of Philas, and the scenery became more wild and fantastic ; the river was far narrowtr, and
EGYPT, THE CRADLE OF ANCIENT MASONRY. 571
consequently more rapid. The arable land was mucli less, but the vege- tation seemed to put on a brighter garb than that which we had been accustomed to in our long journe}^ from Cairo to Philse.
A great many men we met carried a spear and shield, the latter made from the tough hide of the hippopotamus. It has a large boss in the centre, with an iron bar across it, so that the hand can grasp it firmly when it is needed for defensive purposes. The language that we heard spoken was also very different from what we had been accustomed to, and is what the Hgj'ptians call Barabra^ and the people who speak it Berberi^ which was no doubt the word or name from which we derive the word Barbarian. The ancient Egyptians considered all people who did not live in Egypt and speak their language to be Barbarians.
One of the most interesting places to visit in this vicinity is the celebrated granite quarries, located just beyond the Arab cemetery. Here we may see and examine the work of men who lived and wrought in these celebrated quarries long centuries before the foundation of Rome was laid. These specimens of their skill and workmanship are lying there to-day just as the workmen left them ages ago. It does not seem possible that those chips of granite which fell from the stroke of a gavel, were broken off long centuries before Rome w-as founded, or Romulus and Remus suckled. They look to-day as clean and bright as the}' did when they first fell before the hand of the craftsmen long centuries ago. As we stood looking down upon the handiwork of the men of the dim and misty past, we could hardly realize the bewildering stretch of time that had passed away since those ancient craftsmen laughed, chatted and worked in these quarries, and cut from the hard granite such tremendo:is blocks of stone apparently as easily as we of to-day would cut so much clay or chalk. This demonstrates to us of this present century, their thorough knowledge of quarrying immense blocks of stone without waste or injury to the quarry itself; and right here we have ocular demonstra- tions of their wondrous knowledge of mechanical arts, and their ability to transport such stupendous blocks of stone, to build or adorn their temples in the hoary ages of the past.
As I have previously stated, in Chapter III of this work, it is the height of absurdity to credit Archimedes with the invention of the lever or wedge, for here we see the practical application of the one, and the
572 EGYPT, THE CRADLE OF ANCIENT MASONRY.
work in this place alone indicates tlie knowledge of tlie other. Here in these quarries we were enabled to see for ourselves, not only their methods of quarrying, but their manner of using the wedge for that purpose. The immense obelisk we saw here in the rough, which is nearly a hundred feet long, and fully eleven feet square at the larger end, testifies to this fact. We could see the holes that had been drilled along its entire length, for the express purpose of inserting wooden wedges, in order to detach it from the quarr}^
There are many things to be found here that they have quarried, such as rough columns and various other peculiar shaped stones, intended, no doubt, for some especial purpose, that puzzled us immensely. No one who conies to this place should fail to visit these quarries, for they will most assuredly prove of great interest. I must certainly say that we enjoyed ourselves ver}^ much indeed, rambling around not only the quarries, but the town itself, watching the dahabiyehs making the ascent of the rapids, and purchasing the various articles to take back home to our friends as " souvenirs " from the borders of Nubia. As we did not take our dahabiyeh any farther than Aswan, we retained our Pilot, and as the crew remained with us, we made no change at all. If we had taken our boat up the cataract for a journey farther South, we should have been compelled to hire another Pilot, at least to direct our course, in the place of the one who had performed his duty so well in piloting our boat in safety from Cairo to the borders of Nubia, and the first cataract of the Nile.
The next morning we hired camels for the purpose of riding over to Mahatta, the first port in Nubia, after leaving Aswan. At this point goods or merchandise is unloaded for re-embarkation at Aswan, being destined for the different points below the cataract. Hassan had picked out all the camels necessary for our party, so bright and early we rode off with the worst lot of snarling, growling brutes that I had ever seen.
The great majority of my readers no doubt, understand how to mount a camel, but if they have never ridden one, it would be impossible for me to make them comprehend the sensation of the motion of one of these horrible brutes, the sumpter-camels. If the camel should walk with an even gait, you will be jostled backwards and forward, and you will wish that these animals had never existed, and will sigh for the donkey
EGYPT, THE CRADLE OF ANCIENT MASONRY. 573
of Egypt. If he walks ahead briskly, with long swinging strides, you will be afraid that every joint in your body will be dislocated, if he does not stop. When he trots no words can express the horrible torture you are enduring, and if he should run, — well, only those who have trod the hot sands of the desert can fully explain the feeling of having "/o Iio/d c«."
When you are seated in the saddle, if you should happen to move, the miserable brute will tr}- to bite your feet or legs, and should 3'ou try to compel him to go a different way from his own chosen route, he will turn his head and looking you snarlingly in the face swear at you in both Arabic and Berberi. If that does not compel you to leave him alone, wh}- — he will lie right down and try to get you off.
A sumpter-camel is the most horrible thing in the world to try to ride. They are only fit for carrying heavy burdens across a trackless desert, under a burning tropical sun, and can be made to carry six or seven hundred pounds of pack goods all day long without stopping to drink. Mahatta is quite a small village that is used expressly for the purpose of shipping cargoes from the boats overland to Aswan, or receiv- ing them for loading into the boats going into the Soudan or Abyssinia as the case may be, but since the British domination of this country the town of Shellal has taken its place. One can hire boats at either place for a voyage up to the second cataract and back, but they are very dirty with scarcely anything at all in the shape of furniture on board. They do not begin to compare with the clean, brightly painted, well fitted daha- biyehs of Egypt, but as we were not going up this time, we did not bother ourselves about transportation beyond the first cataract or Aswan.
We hired a Filucca to take us over to the " Holy Island " of Philas, one of the most lovely spots in the whole of Egypt. There is no one who comes to this place who can help recognizing the grandeur and beauty of this most extraordinary Island and its picturesque surroundings, which are extremely grand, and which will charm and fascinate all who see it. On our trip from Mahatta to this lovely island, I was charmed and delighted in viewing this most exquisite piece of scenery. The tufted palms and pylons rise in their wondrous beauty seemingly from out the waters of the Nile, and the various columns and walls of the temple look as if the}^ were new and in the height of their glory, just completed and ready for occupation. As we drew nearer to the Island everything looked
574 EGYPT, THE CRADLE OF ANCIENT MASONRY.
beautiful, stately, magnificent, and as we gazed upon it from our boat upon tlie river, we saw tbat charming roofless temple called " Pharaoh's Bed." We were lost in thoughts of the glorious dajs of long ago, until the grating of the boat against the stones of an ancient landing place, aroused us from our reverie, when we sprang upon the gunwale of our boat, and climbed the steep bank, and stood enraptured before the glorious ruins of a magnificent temple, realizing that we were now viewing the crowning glory of our voyage.
The remains of the tombs and temples here are not vast, but they are extremely beautiful, and the impressions of the various ruins will forever remain with me so long as life shall last. Chief among these remains stands " Pharaoh's Bed," the beauties of which can never be fully described, any more than can the island itself. It has been sketched, painted and photo- graphed from all points, but that alone cannot demonstrate its wondrous charm and beauty. What is a magnificent jewel without a setting? Of course we recognize its splendor, but the setting most assuredly enhances the beauty of the gem itself, and shows it off to the best advantage. In the same way, to get the full effect of this most lovely scene, we should approach the Island at certain times in a filucca upon the river, with the distant mountain as a back-ground, and the immense rocks framing it in, forming a most beautiful setting. It is iinder these conditions, with the mountain and rocks lit up with a play of colors indescribabl}^ grand, the tufted palms, glistening colonnades and pylons glowing in the changing light, like the scintillations of a most magnificent jewel, that we fail to find words wherein to express the beauty of the scene. You w^ould fail, as I have to convey to you, my dear brothers and readers, the indescribable charm and beauty of the " Holy Island " of Philae and its surroundings,
"The footprints of an elder race are here, And memories of an heroic time, And shadows of the old mysterious faith ; So that the isle seems haunted and strange sounds Float on the wind through all its ruined depths.
" ' By him who sleeps in Philse ' — such the oath Which bound th' Egyptian's soul as with a chain Imperishable, Ay, by Aniun Ra, The great Osiris^ — who lies slumbering here, Lulled by the music of the flowing Nile.
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Ages have gone, and creeds, and dynasties, And a new order reigns o'er all the Earth ; Yet still the mighty Presence keeps the isle — Awful, serene, and grandly tranquil he, With Isis watching — restless in her love ! "
This island was considered to be the most sacred spot in all the world to the ancient Egyptian. It is not very large, only about four hundred yards long, by about one hundred and fifty yards wide at its broadest part. To-day it is not inhabited, but there is a man who guards it, and who makes his home on an adjacent island. The most ancient building on this island of Philse, was erected by Nectanebu II between the years b. c 381 and 365, and all that remains of it to-day are a few columns, etc.
There are a great many things that will deeply interest the tourist on this lovely island, and all those who are desirous of examining the ruined temples of the various Ptolemies and Caesars should camp upon it, and go over it very carefully so as to see all the varied beauties upon it, for it is " strewn with ruins." One of the most beautiful and pictur- esque of all of them is the ICiosque, commonly called " Pharaoh's Bed ;" which is located on the east side of the island, and is said to have been dedicated to Isis, or the Triad that was sacred to Philse, which was — Osiris, Isis, and Horns. This temple is roofless, and was never com- pleted, but for all that it is a most charming spot and a most delightful place to enjoy an hour, and refresh yourself with luncheon, etc.
The cataract islands in the vicinity are well worth a visit, but more especially to the geologist and others who are desirous of seeing the many inscriptions, carved upon the rocks, many of which date back to the XI and XII dynasties. We had now completed a tour throughout the ■whole length and breadth of this most extraordinary country visiting and describing nearly all the ancient cities, and exploring the principal tombs and temples throughout both Upper and Lower Egypt, and we must cer- tainly sa}' that we had derived an immense amount of pleasure in doing so.
After our trip to Philae we return to Aswan, and to our dahabiyeh, tired and weary. During our absence our crew had baked their bread for the return voyage, and they now engaged in cleaning our boat from
576 EGYPT, THE CRADLE OF ANCIENT MASONRY.
truck to kelson. We were going to remain here a few days as a caravan was expected to come in from the interior, and awaiting its arrival we remained within the roar of the foamy waters at Aswan.
The caravan arrived from the South with its strange looking Nubian attendants. It was a sight that will remain with us through all time, and whenever the name of Aswan or Camel is mentioned that strange, peculiar, barbaric procession conies back to me in all it^ peculiar features. There were somewhere about one hundred and twenty-five camels in line, and by the side of many of them walked barefooted a tall sturdy looking Nubian, whose shining bronze skin gave him the appearance of a living moving statue.
What strange looking bundles and packages the camels carry upon their backs, many of which are covered with raw hides containing elephants' tusks about ten or twelve feet long, some were carrying immense bundles of gum-arabic, wrapped up in skins and tied with long strips of hippopotamus hide. Others carried packages of the skins of all kinds of wild animals, and upon the backs of some of the camels were crates of wild beasts, one of which contained a litter of 3'oung lions that were 'quite playful. When the strange cortege halted to camp beside the river they formed quite a village of their own.
The leader of the caravan was a most magnificent specimen of a man, standing fully six feet and five inches tall ; he was armed with regular old fashioned pistols and sword. We saw many who were armed with spear and shield, and occasionally they had an old fashioned brass mounted pistol stuck in their girdle, and many of them were armed with a club and sheath knife strapped around their arms. We mingled freely with the jostling crowd and found among them natives from nearly all parts of Africa and Abj-ssinia.
After they had camped and unloaded their camels, we went in among them and bought some beautiful leopard skins, ostrich feathers, spears shields, ornaments and some very fine specimens of basket work, that had been manufactured by people who lived beyond Khartoum. These things Hassan and Salame took down to the dahabiyeh while we '■' dickered " for a lot of very fine curiosities from the Soudan.
The next morning we started on our return trip to Cairo, rowing through the day and drifting through the night. Sometimes we had a
EGYPT THE CRADLE OF ANCIENT MASONRY, 517
good breeze in our favor of whicli our captain and pilot took advantage, diiring sucli times our sailors would sing, dance and play their drums and pipes to their heart's content, for they were now " homeward bound.''
Egypt is without doubt the most extraordinary, interesting and attractive country that the Masonic student should visit, in order to improve himself in the signs, symbols and allegories pertaining to Masonry. There he will have ocular demonstrations of the knowledge that was thoroughly comprehended by those ancient craftsmen, who lived upon the banks of the Nile, long centuries before the dawn of authenti- cated history. The ordinary traveler who desires to examine the ancient cities, tombs, temples, monuments and mummies of a pre-historic age, will find that there is no country on earth that will prove of greater interest to him than Egypt, and the Valley of the Nile.
Time has not robbed it of its peculiar charms and fascinations, but has rather given to it an atmosphere of tnystery, that must be solved by actual searching among the ruins of this most wonderful countr}^ If the student investigates and studies along the Valley of the Nile, he will discover many things that will prove the great antiquity of Egypt, and the wonderful knowledge that pertained to those people who built such stupendous fabrics in order to adorn and beautify the banks of this grand old river Nile. The Masonic student, if he be careful in his investiga- tions, will have proof positive of the actual existence of the teachings of our own glorious Rite, in the fact that the people who migrated here laid the first stone of foundation, to establish themselves and their philoso- phies permanently upon the banks of one of the grandest, and most peculiar rivers in the world.
Greece and Rome were but the offshoots of this most wonderful civ- ilization which originated in the Valley of Hindostan qr the " Land of the Vedas," and which was Cradled on the banks of the Nile in the dim dawn of prehistoric ages. Egypt was a wonderful country with a know- ledge of Social forms. Law and Order, long centuries before Abraham crossed the plains of Mamre in the company of angels, and the Hebrew people are modern when compared with the Ancient Egyptians. There is no question to the thinking man and Masonic student, but that Egypt, was not only the Cradle of Ancient Masonry, but the Cradle of the World's ancient civilization.
578 EGYPT, THE CRADLE OF ANCIENT MASONRY,
Cecrops carried with him to Greece, when he founded Cecropia, the wondrous knowledge that afterwards ramified through it, and which came down to the other peoples beautified, and enwrapped in the exquisite thought that gave to the world the Greek School of Philosophy and her marble miracles, and which also gave to Rome her boasted civilization. The effect of this has passed down through the drifting ages, throughout the whole of Europe, until we find it in this Twentieth Century domi- nating our own beloved America, with its wondrous teachings, proving the truth of the scriptures that " TJiere is no new thing under the su7i^'' Eccl. 1-9. For instance. —
In our extradition treaties with other peoples we are now doing what was known and done in the " Golden Age of Egypt," for upon one of the walls, in the great temple of Karnak, we can find to-day written in hiero- glyphic inscription an extradition treaty that was made between Rameses and Khetasira, Prince of Kheta (Hittites). This most valuable record can be seen upon a wall that juts out at right angles from the South wall of the temple, about sixty feet from the entrance to the temple, on that side of it. There is no doubt in my mind that this wall was built for the express purpose of recording this very valuable record or treaty. It was placed under the especial protection of the gods that were w^orshipped by the peoples of both countries : " Sutekh of Kheta, Amen of Egypt and all the thousand gods, male and female ; the gods of the hills, of the rivers, of the great sea, of the winds and the clouds, of the Land of Kheta and of the Land of Egypt."
A great many people consider it to be a modern invention to hatch out chickens by the use of the incubator ; why, the ancient Egyptians hatched them out with natural heat, by simply burying the eggs in the sand and covering them up with manure. The modern Egyptians hatch them in ovens with a heat that is regulated for that purpose, and during the process of hatching they were carefully watched so as to keep the temperature even.
The modern nickle-in-the-slot machine is not new, for the ancient Egyptians used a simple machine for the purpose of supplying water for their lustrations, by baptism or washing, before entering their temples. The machine was worked by placing a small coin in a slit or slot, when it would drop down upon a perfectly balanced lever that would set in motion
EGYPT, THE CRADLE OF ANCIENT MASONRY, 579
another sweep or lever, which would open a valve through which enough water would flow for their own especial use.
There is no question but that the knowledge that pertained to those ancient peoples was most profound and complete. All the scientific knowledge of the present day was thoroughly comprehended by the ancients, but there have been many things lost to the world, lost through fire, flood and the bigotry and fanatacism of many peoples, who destroyed what they could not, or would not, understand, and retarded the progress of the world in so doing.
Every religion that has ever been known is a fragment, from the Ancient Wisdom Religion^ and like the most prominent to-day, they never can, nor never will, satisfy the demands of the devotees, because there is not one of them that is complete in itself, and consequently cannot, and does not, as a fragmentary portion, stand alone like the Ancient Wisdom Religion. This wondrous Secret Doctrine^ this Ancient IVisdom, originally came from India and it followed in the footsteps of those peoples, who wandered from that country into Egypt and Chaldea, and was afterwards taught throughout Greece and Rome. It appears to-day, across the threshold of the twentieth century, as the one great force that will lead us on to Love and Righteousness.
Egypt is a wonderful country to-day ; it has ever been a problem to the learned men of nearly every age, and we ourselves have stood with bowed head, in awe and admiration, before the stupendous ruins of these most extraordinary people. I have realized that those gigantic stones, quarried by the craftsmen of prehistoric ages, were like the great Sphinx — voiceless ! but each and every one contains a history of its own, and represents a portion of the tattered pages of the historical records of this wonderful country and people.
There is a change coming over the various teachings of to-day, for the hand of inquiry and investigation is upon the throat of the various ISMS, and will not be downed, or satisfied with mysteries or parables, but will require the Truth — the whole Tnith^ for "There is no Religion HIGHER THAN Truth.'' The latter part of the nineteenth century witnessed a great revival of knowledge and scientific investigation that has excited widespread and profound attention, evidenced by the literature that has come to us across the threshold of the twentieth centur}-,
580 EGYPT, THE CRADLE OF ANCIENT MASONRY.
bringing witli it tbie Light, Kiioivledge and Tr2ith of bygone ages. Once more the Secret Doctrine comes forth, from the obscurity, into which it was thrown by the superstitious ignorance, fanatacism and bigotry of Mohammedism and the Romish Church, and the influence of ecclesiastical religion. As I have before stated, the element of supernaturalism is fast disappearing under the influence of modern scientific generalizations, and an}^ doctrine, or teaching, which presents itself for acceptance among the readers and thinkers of to-day, must undergo the first test, as to whether it can stand in line with the law of the conservation of energy, and the ordered sequence of cause and effect, which we discover in every domain of natural phenomena.
Now, not only is this fundamental claim of the various tenets of the Secret Doctrine itself, so far as it has been presented to the world up to the present time, but it can be proved fully and undisputably that a trans- cendental knowledge of man's nature has always existed in the world — so far, at all events, as we have any historical records. All the great Religions and Philosophies are but echoes or reflections of these occult doctrines, overlaid and perverted in most instances, by ages of superstition and ignorance. The revival of this knowledge will clear away entirely that element of super-naturalism in religion, which is the great cause of the total rejection of all religious doctrines by the intelligent thinkers of the present da3^ But it will do more than this. In freeing Religion from its supernatural element, its work will be constructive of a new and surer basis, for the practice of religion as a matter of conduct instead of belief.
jjctoisf) Cratritions antr Customs-€al)It €otD Ceremonies oi indent initiation— moh oi tfje ILato,
581
Before tbv mind thou to this study bend. Invoke the gods to grant it a good end. these if thy labor vanquish, thou shalt then Know the connection both of gods and men; Row everything proceeds, or by what stayed ; Hnd know us far as fit to be surveyed^ ISature alike throughout; that thou mayest learn Not to hope hopeless things, but all discern.
— Pythagoras.
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EGYPT, TEE CRADLE OF ANCIENT MASONRY. 583