eight o'clock; at eight o'clock I went, and was surprised to find it so large and comfortable. I was not long surprised, however, for I found that no sooner was the sacred prohibition removed, than the Turks and Arabs began to pour in in throngs; they came without any respect of persons, the haughty Turk with his pipe-bearing slave and the poor Arab boatmen; in short, every one who could raise a few paras.

"It was certainly not a very select company, nor over clean, and probably very few Europeans would have stood the thing as I did. My boatmen were all there. They were my servants, said the rais, and were bound to follow me everywhere. As I was a Frank, and as such expected to pay ten times as much as any one else, I had the best place in the bath, at the head of the great reservoir of hot water. My white skin made me a marked object among the swarthy figures lying around me; and half a dozen of the operatives, lank, bony fellows, and perfectly naked, came up and claimed me. They settled it among themselves, however, and gave the preference to a dried-up old man, more than sixty, a perfect living skeleton, who had been more than forty years a scrubber in the bath. He took me through the first process of rubbing with the glove and brush; and having thrown over me a copious ablution of warm water, left me to recover at leisure. I lay on the marble that formed the border of the reservoir, only two or three inches above the surface of the water, into which I put my hand and found it excessively hot; but the old man, satisfied with his exertion in rubbing me, sat on the edge of the reservoir, with his feet and legs hanging in the water, with every appearance of satisfaction. Presently he slid off into the water, and sinking up to his chin, remained so a moment, drew a long breath, and seemed to look around him with a feeling of comfort. I had hardly raised myself on my elbow to look at this phenomenon, before a fine brawny fellow, who had been lying for some time torpid by my side, rose slowly, slid off like a turtle, and continued sinking until he too had immersed himself up to his chin. I expressed to him my astonishment at his ability to endure such heat, but he told me that he was a boatman, had been ten days coming up from Cairo, and was almost frozen, and his only regret was that the water was not much hotter. He had hardly answered me before another and another followed, till all the dark naked figures around me had vanished. By the fitful glimmering of the little lamps, all that I could see was a parcel of shaved heads on the surface of the water, at rest or turning slowly and quietly as on pivots. Most of them seemed to be enjoying it with an air of quiet, dreamy satisfaction; but the man with whom I had spoken first, seemed to be carried beyond the bounds of Mussulman gravity. It operated upon him like a good dinner; it made him loquacious, and he urged me to come in, nay, he even became frolicksome; and, making a heavy surge, threw a large body of the water over the marble on which I was lying. I almost screamed, and started up as if melted lead had been poured upon me; even while standing up it seemed to blister the soles of my feet, and I was obliged to keep up a dancing movement, changing as fast as I could, to the astonishment of the dozing bathers, and the utter consternation of my would-be friend. Roused too much to relapse into the quiet luxury of perspiration, I went into another apartment, of a cooler temperature, where, after remaining in a bath of moderately warm water, I was wrapped up in hot cloths and towels, and conducted into the great chamber. Here I selected a couch, and throwing myself upon it, gave myself up to the operators, who now took charge of me, and well did they sustain the high reputation of a Turkish bath: my arms were gently laid upon my breast, where the knee of a powerful man pressed upon them; my joints were cracked and pulledback, arms, the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, all visited in succession. I had been shampooed at Smyrna, Constantinople, and Cairo; but who would have thought of being carried to the seventh heaven at the little town of Minyeh? The men who had me in hand were perfect amateurs, enthusiasts, worthy of rubbing the hide of the sultan himself; and the pipe and coffee that followed were worthy too of that same mighty seigneur. The large room was dimly lighted, and turn which way I would, there was a naked body,, apparently without a soul, lying torpid, and turned and tumbled at will by a couple of workmen. I had had some fears of the plague; and Paul, though he felt his fears gradually dispelled by the soothing process which he underwent also, to the last continued to keep particularly clear of touching any of them; but I left the bath a different man; all my moral as well as physical strength was roused. I no longer drooped or looked back; and though the wind was still blowing a hurricane in my teeth, I was bent upon Thebes and the Cataracts."

410

A WOLF FIGHT IN THE CATACOMBS OF SIOUT.

« The mountain is about as far from the city as the river, and the approach to it is by another strong causeway over the same beautiful plain. Leaving our donkeys at its foot, and following the nimble footsteps of my little Arab girl, we climbed by a steep ascent to the first range of tombs. They were the first I had seen, and are but little visited by travellers; and though I afterward saw all that were in Egypt, I still consider these well worth a visit. Of the first we entered, the entrance-chamber was perhaps forty feet square, and adjoining it on the same range were five or six others, of which the entrance-chambers had about the same dimensions. The ceilings were covered with paintings, finished with exquisite taste and delicacy, and in some places fresh as if just executed; and on Behind the principal the walls were hieroglyphics enough to fill volumes.

chamber were five or six others nearly as large, with smaller ones on each side, and running back perhaps 150 feet. The back chambers were so dark, and their atmosphere was so unwholesome, that it was unpleasant, and perhaps unsafe, to explore them; if we went in far, there was always a loud rushing noise, and, as Paul suggested, their innermost recesses might now be the abode of wild beasts. Wishing to see what caused the noise, and at the same time to keep out of harm's way, we stationed ourselves near the back door of the entrance-chamber, and I fired my gun within; a stream of fire lighted up the darkness of the sepulchral chamber, and the report went grumbling and roaring into the innermost recesses, rousing their occupants to phrensy. There was a noise like the rushing of a strong wind; the light was dashed from Paul's hand; a soft skinny substance struck against my face; and thousands of bats, wild with fright, came whizzing forth from every part of the tomb to the only avenue of escape. We threw ourselves down, and allowed the ugly frightened birds to pass over us, and then hurried out ourselves. For a moment I felt guilty; the beastly birds, driven to the light of day, were dazzled by the glorious sun, and, flying and whirling blindly about, were dashing themselves against the rocky side of the mountain and falling dead at its base. Cured of all wish to explore very deeply, but at the same time relieved from all fears, we continued going from tomb to tomb, looking at the pictures on the walls, endeavouring to make out the details, admiring the beauty and freshness of the colours, and speculating upon the mys terious hieroglyphics which mocked our feeble knowledge; we were in one of the last when we were startled by a noise different from any we had yet heard, and from the door leading to the dark recesses within, foaming, roaring, and gnashing his teeth, out ran an enormous wolf; close upon his heels, in hot pursuit, came another, and almost at the door of the tomb they grappled, fought, growled fearfully, rolled over, and again the first broke loose and fled; another chase along the side of the mountain, another grapple, a fierce and desperate struggle, and then they rolled over the side, and we lost sight of them. The whole affair had been so sudden, the scene so stirring, and the interest so keen, that Paul and I had stood like statues, our whole souls thrown into our eyes, and following the movements of the furious beasts."

VOYAGING ON THE NILE.

"Man is a gregarious animal. My boatmen always liked to stop where they saw other boats. I remember it was the same on the Ohio and Mississippi. Several years since, when the water was low, I started from Pittsburgh in a flatbottomed boat, to float down to New-Orleans. There, too, we were in the habit of stopping along the bank at night, or in windy or foggy weather, and the scenes and circumstances were so different that the contrast was most interesting and impressive. Here we moored under the ruins of an ancient temple, there we made fast to the wild trees of an untrodden forest; here we joined half a dozen boats with eight or ten men in each, and they all gathered round a fire, sipped coffee, smoked, and lay down quietly to sleep; there we met the dashing, roaring boys of the West, ripe for fun, frolic, or fight. The race of men 'half horse, half alligator, and t'other half steamboat,' had not yet passed away, and whenever two boats met, these restless rovers must do something play cards, pitch pennies, fight cocks, set fire to a house, or have a row of some description. Indeed, it always involved a long train of interesting reflections, to compare the stillness and quiet of a journey on this oldest of rivers, with the moving castles and the splashing of paddle-wheels on the great rivers of the New World."

THEBES-THE VIEW OF CARNAC.

"But great and magnificent as was the temple of Luxor, it served but as a portal to the greater Carnac. Standing nearly two miles from Luxor, the whole road to it was lined with rows of sphinxes, each of a solid block of granite. At this end they are broken, and, for the most part, buried under the sand and heaps of rubbish. But, approaching Carnac, they stand entire, still and solemn as when the ancient Egyptian passed between them to worship in the great temple of Ammon. Four grand propylons terminate this avenue of sphinxes, and passing through the last, the scene which presents itself defies description. Belzoni remarks of the ruins of Thebes generally, that he felt as if he was in a city of giants; and no man can look upon the splendid ruins of Carnac, without feeling humbled by the greatness of a people who have passed away for ever. The western entrance, facing the temple of Northern Dair on the opposite side of the river, also approached between two rows of sphinxes, is a magnificent propylon 400 feet long, and 40 feet in thickness. In the language of Dr. Richardson, 'looking forward from the centre of this gateway, the vast scene of havoc and destruction presents itself in all the extent of this immense temple, with its columns, and walls, and immense propylons, all prostrate in one heap of ruins, looking as if the thunder of heaven had smitten it at the command of an insulted God.'

"The field of ruins is about a mile in diameter; the temple itself 1200 feet long and 420 broad. It has twelve principal entrances, each of which is approached through rows of sphinxes, as across the plain from Luxor, and each is composed of propylons, gateways, and other buildings, in themselves larger than most other temples; the sides of some of them are equal to the bases of most of the pyramids, and on each side of many are colossal statues, some sitting, others erect, from 20 to 30 feet in height. In front of the body of the temple is a large court, with an immense colonnade on each side, of 30 columns in length, and through the middle two rows of columns 50 feet in height; then an immense portico, the roof supported by 134 columns, from 26 to 34 feet in circumference. Next were four beautiful obelisks more than 70 feet high, three of which are still standing; and then the sanctuary, consisting of an apartment about 20 feet square, the walls and ceiling of large blocks of highly-polished granite, the ceiling studded with stars on a blue ground, and the walls covered with sculpture and hieroglyphics representing offerings to Osiris, illustrating the mysterious uses of this sacred chamber, and showing the degrading character of the Egyptian worship. Beyond this is another colonnade, and again porticoes and walls to another propylon, at a distance of 2000 feet from the western extremity of the temple."

THE STATUES OF MEMNONS.

"In the afternoon before the day fixed for my departure, I rode by the celebrated Memnons, the Damy and Shamy of the Arabs. Perhaps it was because it was the last time, but I had never before looked upon them with so much interest. Among the mightier monuments of Thebes, her temples and her tombs, I had passed these ancient statues with a comparatively careless eye, scarcely bestowing a thought even upon the vocal Memnon. Now I was in a different mood, and looked upon its still towering form with a feeling of melancholy interest. I stood before it and gazed up at its worn face, its scars and bruises, and my heart warmed to it. It told of exposure, for unknown ages, to the rude assaults of the elements, and the ruder assaults of man. I climbed upon the pedestal-upon the still hardy legs of the Memnon. I pored over a thousand inscriptions in Greek and Latin. A thousand names of strangers from distant lands, who had come like me to do homage to the mighty monuments of Thebes; Greeks and Romans who had been in their graves more than 2000 years, and who had written with their own hands that they had heard the voice of the vocal Memnon. But, alas! the voice has departed from Memnon; the soul has fled, and it stands a gigantic skeleton in a grave of ruins. I returned to my boat, and in ten minutes thereafter, if the vocal Memnon had bellowed in my ears, he could not have waked me."

MONTHLY COMMENTARY.

THE AMERICAN LYCEUM.-The Seventh Annual Meeting of this Society will be held this season at Philadelphia, commencing on the 5th of May, and continuing, as usual, through several days. It is probable that in succeeding years other of our principal cities may be chosen for the places of holding the annual meetings, where the Executive Committee will count on the active co-operation of the friends of knowledge and popular improvement, in those places, in their enterprize, which is one of general interest.

From the arrangements made, it is confidently expected that the approaching seventh annual meeting will attract much attention among the friends of knowledge, particularly in Philadelphia and its vicinity. A number of gentlemen in different parts of the Union have been appointed to furnish essays on various subjects, to be read before the Lyceum, which will be published among the proceedings, and distributed as widely in this and other countries as the treasury of the Society will permit. The subjects proposed for discussion by the members present at the annual meeting, are very interesting, particularly that relating to the best manner of appropriating the surplus revenue for the support of common education.

From the active zeal displayed by the Pennsylvania Lyceum, (one of the most efficient branches of the parent society,) it is presumed that the report of their proceedings will present much useful and gratifying information. At the same time, the usual call for communications from literary associations and friends of knowledge, which is made at fixed hours during the sessions, will probably call out a large and valuable amount of statistics.

It is desirable that it should be understood by all persons who may wish to attend the meeting, that friends of education are always cordially welcomed, and invited to take seats as members. The Society has thus far conducted its operations almost without expense to any, except the Executive Committee; and it is not intended to subject to any onerous tax friends who favour them with their presence from a distance. Although a liberal supply of funds is highly desirable, and will enable the Lyceum to put into efficient operation several favourite plans for the general advantage of education in the country, the Executive Committee think it expedient to wait until intelligent and virtuous men shall understand their objects and designs, by seeing them developed, fully believing that sufficient means will hereafter be furnished them.

A Committee of Arrangements in Philadelphia has been appointed to prepare for the approaching annual meeting.

SPECIMENS OF FOREIGN STANDARD LITERATURE.-Hilliard, Gray and Company, of Boston, have issued proposals to publish "Specimens of Foreign Standard Literature," to be edited by Rev. George Ripley.

"The design of this publication is to present a series of translations from the works of several of the most celebrated writers in the higher departments of Ger

man and French literature. It will have special reference to the three leading divisions of Philosophy, History, and Theology; but will also include writings of a popular character, adapted to interest the great mass of intelligent readers.

"It is intended to give faithful translations of those works which have gained a distinguished reputation, which are entitled, by universal consent, to the name of classic productions, and which may be ranked among the most powerful causes, or the most valuable effects of the great intellectual movement that has characterized a portion of the continent of Europe for the last three quarters of a century. The translations will be accompanied with such original notices, introductory, critical, and biographical, as may be found necessary to adapt them to the wants of our literary public.

"

Among the writers, from whom it is proposed to give translations, are Cousin, Benjamin Constant, Jouffroy, and Guizot, in French; and Herder, Schiller, Goethe, Jacobi, Lessing, Fichte, Schelling, Richter, Novalis, Uhland, Körner, Hölty, Menzel, Neander, Schleiermacher, De Wette, Olshausen, Hase, and Twesten, in German.

"The first two volumes, containing 'Philosophical Miscellanies, from the French of Cousin, Constant, and Jouffroy, with Introductory and Critical Notices,' by the Editor, will be put to press in October next.'

A volume, entitled "Select Minor Poems of Goethe and Schiller," is to be prepared by Rev. J. S. Dwight, (who is very favourably known to the readers of this Magazine by his beautiful and correct translation of "The Song of the Bell" in February number,) assisted by Professors Longfellow and Felton, of Harvard University, and Rev. N. L. Frothingham. Mr. Ripley's plan, which promises to incorporate so much that is truly valuable with our literature, has our warmest wishes for its perfect success.

PUBLISHING IN BOHEMIA.-In the several provincial towns of Bohemia there are fourteen, and in Prague nine printing offices; the most considerable of which is that of Messrs. Haase and Son. It employs 4 machines, one of which produces 2400 impressions in an hour; 12 Stanhope, and 14 ordinary presses, and 124 hands; to which must be added about 80 belonging to the type and stereotype foundry connected with the establishment.

SCHILLER.-An interesting contribution to the biography of Schiller has been published, with the title of "Schiller's Flucht von Stuttgart und Aufenthalt in Manheim von 1782 bis 1785," from the pen of the late M. Streicher, teacher of music at Vienna, a native of Stuttgart, and a partner in the adventures which he describes. The work is published by his children just as it was found among his papers, and the produce is destined for the subscription to the monument preparing to be erected in memory of Schiller.

RUINS OF THE ANCIENT CITY AZTALAN.-The Chicago American has received from N. F. HYER, Esq., of Milwaukee, a diagram of these ruins, prepared from actual survey, and publishes it as a statement to be relied on. We quote the account, and copy the diagram from that paper. These ruins form a new and prominent attraction among the many the West affords, and illustrate and confirm some of the theories and opinions of scholars in relation to the early character of the western territory. Much credit is due to the enterprise and taste of those to whom the public is indebted for the knowledge and particulars of this discovery; and affording, as it does, a fine field for the research of the antiquarian, illustrates the importance of those scientific institutions that are form