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undisturbed
repose, but his sealed and gloomy sepulcher was long since entered and sifted
of its treasures.
Another Pyramid, Cephrenes, almost as large as the Cheops, stands near
it, and smaller ones are in the vicinity, with numerous tombs and relics
of palaces, among which we wandered and mused, lingering last as that
marvel of ancient sculpture, the Sphinx. This impressive figure was evidently
Heron from the native rock where it stands. It
is in the form of a couchant lion, with a human head looking out upon
the fruitful valley of the Nile. The features through mutilated have a
Lenignant oppression. It looks like the representation of some old Egyptian
divinity, and its colossal form, a hundred and forty feet long, sixty
feet high, and the head a hundred feet in circumference, must have deeply
impressed the worshiper, as it does the beholder now. The day of this
excursion to monuments, some of which perhaps Abraham saw, ended our six
weeks of life on the Nile. They were weeks of strange, novel and wonderful
interest. It is impossible to describe many events and adventures. That
gave zest and variety to our daily experience and in which the humorous
and ridiculous were often blended. O rare and unique are the sights and
scenes on the Nile. The recollection of those winter weeks will be a perpetual
pleasure. The delightful climate, the clear sky and soft moonlight –
our hunting excursions on shore; our wanderings in the villages; our donkey
riding to the old temples and monuments; our visions of ancient civilization
and of modern life in Egypt; our exuberant spirits unburdened by care;
our amounted relish of table comforts, with augmented health, weight and
vigor – all conspired to make the trip one of overflowing
delight and unmistakable benefit.
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