MEDEENET ABOU.

We waited till the yellow rays of sunset fell on the capitals of the Memnonium, and they seemed, like the lotus flowers, to exhale a vapoury light, before we rode home. All night we wandered in dreams through kingly vaults, with starry ceilings and illuminated walls, but on looking out of our windows at dawn we saw the red saddle-cloths of our horses against the dark back-ground of the palm grove, as they came down to the boat. No second nap was possible, after such a sight, and many minutes had not elapsed before we were tasting the cool morning air in the delight of a race up and down the shore. Our old guide, however, was on his donkey betimes, and called us off to our duty. We passed Koorneh and ascended the eastern face of the mountain to the tombs of the priests and private citizens of Thebes. For miles along the mountain side, one sees nothing but heaps of sand and rubbish, with here and there an Arab hut, built against the face of a tomb, whose chambers serve as pigeon-houses and stalls for asses. The earth is filled with fragments of mummies and the bandages in which they were wrapped, for even the sanctity of death itself is here neither respected by the Arabs nor the Europeans, whom they imitate. I cannot conceive the passion which some travellers have, of carrying away withered hands and fleshless legs, and disfiguring the abodes of the dead with their insignificant names. I should as soon think of carving my initials on the back of a live Arab, as on these venerable monuments.

The first tomb we entered almost cured us of the desire to visit another. It was that called the Assasseef, built by a wealthy priest, and it is the largest in Thebes. Its outer court measures one hundred and three by seventy-six feet, and its passages extend between eight and nine hundred feet into the mountain. We groped our way between walls as black as ink, through long labyrinthine suits of chambers, breathing a death-like and oppressive odour. The stairways seemed to lead into the bowels of the earth, and on either hand yawned pits of uncertain depth. As we advanced, the ghostly vaults rumbled with a sound like thunder, and hundreds of noisome bats, scared by the light, dashed against the walls and dropped at our feet. We endured this for a little while, but on reaching the entrance to some darker and deeper mystery, were so surrounded by the animals, who struck their filthy wings against our faces, that not for ten kings' tombs would we have gone a step further. My friend was on the point of vowing never to set his foot in another tomb, but I persuaded him to wait till we nac seen that of Amunoph. I followed the guide, who enticed me by fiat tering promises into a great many snake-like holes, and when w tired with crawling in the dust, sent one of our water-carrier. I advance, who dragged me in and out by the heels. The privat 10LP are all interesting, and exhibit a great variety in the character ar paintings. The one marked No. 35, which we entere

Arab hovel, contains a corridor about sixty feet m JEDT 21 TRET in height, the walls of which are covered will be TH

designed and executed. Here the differen naIN

represented, with as faithful a hand as

peculiarities of feature, complexion. ar

marked as at the present day is the one

persons leading a variety sam.

VOL. XXXI.

giraffe, and the ostrich. We built a fire of corn-stalks in the centre of the corridor, and brought out the dim figures on the wall in the full glow of their vivid colouring. The Arab occupant of the tomb was very much incensed at this, but we quieted him with a backshish and enjoyed for some time the marvellous effect we had produced.

The temple of Medeenet Abou is almost concealed by the ruins of a Coptic village, among which it stands, and by which it is partially buried. The outer court, pylon, and main hall of the smaller temple rise above the mounds and overlook the plain of Thebes, but scarcely satisfy the expectation of the traveller, as he approaches. You first enter an enclosure surrounded by a low stone wall, and standing in advance of the pylon. The back wall, facing the entrance, contains two single pillars, with bell-shaped capitals, which rise above it and stand like guards before the doorway of the pylon. Here was another enigma for us. Who, among modern architects, would dare to plant two single pillars before a pyramidal gateway of solid masonry and then inclose them in a plain wall, rising to half their height? Yet here the symmetry of the shafts is not injured by the wall in which they stand, nor oppressed by the ponderous bulk of the pylon. On the contrary, the light columns and spreading capitals, like a tuft of wild roses hanging from the crevice of a rock, brighten the rude strength of the masses of stone with a gleam of singular loveliness. What would otherwise only impress you by its size, now endears itself to you by its beauty. Is this the effect of chance, or the result of a finer art than that which flourishes in our day? I will not pretend to determine, but I must confess that Egypt, from whose ruins I had awaited only a sort of barbaric grandeur, has given me a new insight into that vital Beauty which is the soul of

true Art.

We devoted little time to the ruined court and sanctuaries which follow the pylon, and to the lodges of the main temple, standing beside them like watch-towers, three stories in height. The majestic pylon of the great temple of Remeses III. rose behind them, out of heaps of pottery and unburnt bricks, and the colossal figure of the monarch in his car, borne by two horses into the midst of the routed enemy, attracted us from a distance. We followed the exterior wall of the temple, for its whole length of more than six hundred feet, reading the sculptured history of his conquests. The entire outer wall of the temple presents a series of gigantic cartoons, cut in the blocks of sandstone, of which it is built. Remeses is always the central figure, distinguished from subjects and foes no less by his superior stature than by the royal emblems which accompany him. Here we see heralds sounding the trumpet in advance of his car, while his troops pass in review before him; there, with a lion walking by his side, he sets out on his work of conquest. His soldiers storm a town, and we see them climbing the wall with ladders, while a desperate hand-to-hand conflict is going on below. In another place, he has alighted from his chariot and stands with his foot on the neck of a slaughtered king. Again, his vessels attack a hostile navy on the sea. One of the foreign craft becomes entangled and is capsized, yet while his spearmen hurl their weapons among the dismayed enemy, the sailors rescue those who are struggling in the flood.

We slid down the piles of sand, and entered by a side-door into the grand hall of the temple. Here, as at Dendereh, a surprise awaited us.

We stood on the pavement of a magnificent court, about one hundred and thirty feet square, around which ran a colonnade of pillars, eight feet square and forty feet high. On the western side is an inner row of circular columns, twenty-four feet in circumference, with capitals representing the papyrus blossom. The entire court, with its walls, pillars and doorways, is covered with splendid sculptures and traces of paint, and the ceiling is blue as the noonday sky and studded with stars. Against each of the square columns facing the court once stood a colossal caryatid, upholding the architrave of another colonnade of granite shafts, nearly all of which have been thrown from their bases, and lie shivered in the pavement. This court opens towards the pylon into another of similar dimensions, but buried almost to the capitals of its columns in heaps of rubbish. The character of the temple is totally different from that of every other one in Egypt. Its height is small in proportion to its great extent, and it therefore loses the airy lightness of the Memno nium and the impressive grandeur of Dendereh. Its expression is that of a massive magnificence, if I may use such a doubtful compound: no single epithet suffices to describe it. A minute account of its sculptures would occupy more time than I or my readers can afford; and if asked to give a complete and faithful picture of its marvels, I can only say in answer, come and see.

With Medeenet Abou finished our survey of the western division of Thebes two long days of such experience as the contemplation of a lifetime cannot exhaust. At sunset we took advantage of the wind, parted from our grooms and water-carriers, who wished to accompany me to Kartoum, and crossed the Nile to Luxor. To-morrow we shall devote to Karnak.*

By the "Niagara's " mail we have had the pleasure of receiving letters from our friend and associate Bayard Taylor, or as he is known among the Arabs, Taylor Bey,-dated at Khartoum, the chief city of Sennaar, situated at the confluence of the White and the Blue Nile, about half way between Cairo and the Equator. He arrived there on the 12th of January in excellent health and spirits, after a journey on camels across the Nubian Desert, during which he had sundry fortunate adventures, and received every friendly attention from the native chieftains. He was the first American ever seen so far toward Central Africa, and like a good patriot never slept without the stars and stripes floating above his tent. Everywhere good luck had attended him,—in truth he seems to have been born to it, but at Khartoum especially he was received with unexpected honours. The governor of the city had presented him with a horse, and had entertained him in a banquet of genuine Ethiopian magnificence, while the commander of the troops had stationed a nightly guard of honour around his tent. In company with Dr. Knoblecher, the venerable Catholic missionary bound for the equatorial regions, whom he had overtaken at Khartoum, and of Dr. Deitz, the Austrian consul, Mr. Taylor had also attended a banquet at the palace of the daughter of the late King of Sennaar, a very stately and ebon princess, who entertained her guests chiefly upon sheep roasted whole. Others of the first families among the Ethiopian aristocracy had also welcomed the strangers with distinguished civilities. Mr. Taylor expected to reach Cairo on his return about the 1st of April, though we should not be surprised to learn that he had changed his mind, and, in company with the Jesuit mission, plunged still further into the mysterious country about the Equator and the sources of the Nile.-The Weekly Tribune. New York.

GRAND REVIEW AT ST. PETERSBURGH.

We had stationed ourselves in front of the palace, waiting to see an inspection of troops, which, we were told, would take place. I shall not easily forget the spectacle that soon presented itself. On a large balcony, in front of the palace, and on which French doors opened from the interior, were several ladies belonging to the Imperial family, among whom I particularly remarked the amiable and much-lamented Grand-duchess Alexandrine. Around these ladies were groups of offi cers, whom I did not know, but who were, most probably, some of the Imperial sons, and the great officers of the household. These gentlemen, by their continual flitting to and fro in their gay uniforms, at one moment lost to view, and the next exposing themselves at an opening of the rich awning, with which the balcony was ornamented, rendered the scene one that even a stranger could not look at without feeling an unusual degree of interest; while underneath this balcony, and on terra firma, were perhaps from a hundred to a hundred and fifty distinguished officers, who were collected together for the occasion, and whose variety of uniforms and gallant appearance, combined with the royal and interesting spectacle above them, completed an ensemble such as the eye has but rare opportunities of resting upon. In front of this gorgeous picture, and between us and it, stood at ease and motionless, eight or ten thousand men, who, like the officers, displayed the various costumes appertaining to the regiments to which they belonged

The atmospheric influence in this country is such that it produces on the feelings a disposition to look at everything in an animated, gay, and brilliant point of view. Still, whatever may be the effect of atmosphere, I am of opinion that under any sky, the whole of those troops would have appeared peculiarly neat, and clean to brilliance. As to their accoutrements, they had nothing slovenly about them; their trousers, jackets, shoes, and so forth, bearing the stamp of having been made expressly for them, and not, as I regret to say, we too often see many of our own brave fellows, who appear as if the quarter master had flung them their necessaries, without reference to whether they were adapted to their dimensions or not.

In the midst of my examination and, I must confess, surprise at the polish of the various articles of ornament and use they had about their persons, my eye was attracted by a movement among the officers under the balcony, and a falling back to the right and left. Being aware this movement announced the speedy coming of the Emperor, I watched for his appearance, and in a few moments he stepped forth, engaged in conversation with two or three officers, by whom he was accompanied. He was immediately saluted by those who had been waiting his coming, and the whole of the troops gave three hurrahs, that seemed to shake the foundations of the buildings near us, the band at the same moment striking up, "God save the Emperor." This general and animated salutation was acknowledged by his Majesty's gracefully removing his hat; and on his doing so, I could not help admiring the peculiar magnificence of his figure, and his royal and martial bearing, which gave him the appearance, and conveyed to my mind the remembrance,

of all the casts I had ever seen that represented the great warrior god in his most majestic yet simple attitude.

Having a trifling knowledge of military evolutions, that is to say, as an amateur, I scrutinized and attended with the utmost care to all the movements this great body of men were then put through by his Majesty the marching and counter-marching, forming close columns, then deploying into line, and again folding themselves up in solid squares, and frequently folding up their commanding officer and Sovereign with them, went merrily on, and occupied my mind entirely. I say merrily, because the word of command was given apparently so carelessly, and the movements of this great body of troops, were conducted with such cool precision and exactitude as to time, that they seemed like a great show worked by springs, each body taking its position at the exact moment it was necessary it should do so. Indeed, the whole seemed but an amusing exercise, in which the Emperor bandied the soldiers about with as much ease and facility as a great instrumental performer seems to handle the instrument on which he is playing. Every now and again, the bands struck up some martial airs; and between the pauses, the soldiers gave, spontaneously, I think, three loud cheers, as if they, the actors in this scene, had imbibed such an exhiliration of spirits, and felt so strong a touch of warlike ardour, that they must needs pour it forth in this manner. Indeed, I had no sooner entered into the spirit of what was going on before me, than I was greatly excited also; and by Jupiter Ammon! I, at one moment, when a column in close order was marching past me, had the strongest disposition in the world to rush out and give the word of command, 'Right! turn!" but I did not, because the fear that some confusion would be the result, put a check on my feelings, and I remained quietly in the position I occupied.

Then followed a new exhibition of what was to me of an exceedingly novel character. This consisted of a number of mounted Circassians going through a variety of their Eastern evolutions; some of which very much surprised me, and all of which very much pleased the lady who was my companion. But her delight arrived at its acmé when she saw those men suspended on the sides of their horses, which were going at full gallop, and fire underneath their bellies at a sheet of paper placed on the plain as a target, and which they almost invariably struck, immediately after recovering their positions on the saddle. But this amusement, that so much delighted her, at one moment gave her a terrible fright; for one of the men who was mounted on a fiery Arab, came galloping towards us in as direct a line as he could take. My companion, seeing him coming, turned quite pale, and I was alarmed, and made preparation for bobbing to the right or left, to give him room to pass. But at the moment the lady's apprehension was at its height, the Circassian suddenly stopped his horse, and made him stand an instant or two, as still and stiff as a post, and then walk quietly away. For my part, I was astonished that so sudden a halt had not shot the man across the plain; but it did not, and he sat as composed in his saddle as if he had done nothing extraordinary.