多多读书

手机浏览器扫描二维码访问

第43部分（第1页）

ribed　to　me　how；　when　the　royal　bodies　were　borne　from　this　resting…place　and　shipped　for　conveyance　to　Cairo；　there　to　find　a　new　tomb　in　the　glass　cases　of　a　museum；　the　fellaheen　women　ran　along　the　banks　wailing　because　their　ancient　kings　were　being　taken　from　among　them。　They　cast　dust　upon　their　hair；　still　dressed　in　a　hundred　plaits；　as　was　that　of　those　far…off　mothers　of　theirs　who　had　wailed　when　these　Pharaohs　were　borne　with　solemn　pomp　to　the　homes　they　called　eternal。　Poor　kings！　who　dreamed　not　of　the　glass　cases　of　the　Cairo　Museum；　and　the　gibes　of　tourists　who　find　the　awful　majesty　of　their　whithered　brows　a　matter　for　jest　and　smiles。　Often　I　wonder　how　we　dare　to　meddle　with　these　hallowed　relics；　especially　now　in　my　age。　Then　I　did　not　think　so　much　of　it；　indeed　I　have　taken　a　hand　at　the　business　myself。

On　that　same　visit　I　saw　the　excavation　of　some　very　early　burials　in　the　shadow　of　the　pyramids　of　Ghizeh；　so　early　that　the　process　of　mummification　was　not　then　practised。　The　skeletons　lay　upon　their　sides　in　the　prenatal　position。　The　learned　gentleman　in　charge　of　the　excavation　read　to　me　the　inscription　in　the　little　ante…chamber　of　one　of　these　tombs。

If　I　remember　right；　it　ran　as　follows：　“Here　A。　B。　＇I　forget　the　name　of　the　deceased＇；　priest　of　the　Pyramid　of　Khufu；　sleeps　in　Osiris　awaiting　the　resurrection。　He　passed　all　his　long　life　in　righteousness　and　peace。”

That；　at　any　rate；　was　the　sense　of　it；　and　I　bethought　me　that　such　an　epitaph　would　have　been　equally　fitting　to；　let　us　say；　the　dean　of　a　cathedral　in　the　present　century。　Well；　perhaps　a　day　will　e　when　Westminster　Abbey　and　our　other　sacred　burying…places　will　be　ransacked　in　like　manner；　and　the　relics　of　our　kings　and　great　ones　exposed　in　the　museum　of　some　race　unknown　of　a　different　faith　to　ours。　I　may　add　that　in　Egypt　even　an　identity　of　faith　does　not　protect　the　dead；　since　the　Christian　bishops；　down　to　those　of　the　eighth　or　ninth　century；　have　been　disinterred；　for　I　have　seen　many　of　their　broidered　vestments　in　public　and　private　collections。　The　idea　seems　to　be　that　if　only　you　have　been　dead　long　enough　your　bones　are　fair　prey。　All　of　which　is　to　me　a　great　argument　in　favour　of　cremation。

Still　it　must　be　remembered　that　it　is　from　Egyptian　tombs　that　we　have　dug　the　history　of　Egypt；　which　now　is　better　and　more　certainly　known　than　that　of　the　Middle　Ages。　Were　it　not　for　the　burial　customs　of　the　old　inhabitants　of　Khem；　and　their　system　of　the　preservation　of　mortal　remains　that　these　might　await　the　resurrection　of　the　body　in　which　they　were　such　firm　believers；　we　should　be　almost　ignorant　of　the　lives　of　that　great　people。　Only　ought　not　the　thing　to　stop　somewhere？　For　my　part　I　should　like　to　see　the　bodies　of　the　Pharaohs；　after　they　had　been　reproduced　in　wax；　reverently　laid　in　the　chambers　and　passages　of　the　Great　Pyramids　and　there　sealed　up　for　ever；　in　such　a　fashion　that　no　future　thief　could　break　in　and　steal。

Dr。　Budge　told　me　of　a　certain　tomb　which　he　and　his　guide　were　the　first　to　enter　since　it　had　been　closed；　I　think　about　4000　years　before。　He　said　that　it　was　absolutely　perfect。　There　lay　the　coffin　of　the　lady；　there　stood　the　funeral　jars　of　offering；　there　on　the　breast　was　a　fan　of　which　the　ostrich　plumes　were　turned　to　feathers　of　dust。　There；　too；　in　the　sand　of　the　floor　were　the　footprints　of　those　who　had　borne　the　corpse　to　burial。　Those　footprints　always　impressed　me　very　much。

In　considering　such　matters　the　reader　should　remember　that　nothing　in　the　world　was　so　sacred　to　the　old　Egyptian　as　were　his　corpse　and　his　tomb。　In　the　tomb　slept　the　body；　but　according　to　his　immemorial　faith　it　did　not　sleep　alone；　for　with　it；　watching　it　eternally；　was　the　Ka　or　Double；　and　to　it　from　time　to　time　came　the　Spirit。　This　Ka　or　Double　had；　so　he　believed；　great　powers；　and　could　even　wreak　vengeance　on　the　disturber　of　the　grave　or　the　thief　of　the　corpse。

From　Cairo　I　proceeded　up　the　Nile；　inspecting　all　the　temples　and　the　tombs　of　the　kings　at　Thebes；　to　my　mind；　and　so　far　as　my　experience　goes；　the　most　wondrous　tombs　of　all　the　world。　So；　too；　thought　the　tourists　of　twenty　centuries　or　more　ago；　for　there　are　the　writings　on　the　walls　recording　their　admiration　and　salutations　to　the　ghosts　of　the　dead；　and　so；　too；　in　all　probability　will　think　the　tourists　of　two　thousand　years　hence；　for　the　world　can　never　reproduce　such　vast　and　mysterious　burying…places；　any　more　than　it　can　reproduce　the　pyramids。

About　eighteen　years　later　I　revisited　these　tombs　and　found　them　much　easier　of　access　and　illuminated　with　electric　light。　Somehow　in　these　new　conditions　they　did　not　produce　quite　the　same　effect　upon　me。　When　first　I　was　there　I　remember　struggling　down　one　of　them　—　I　think　it　was　that　of　the　great　Seti　—　lit　by　dim　torches；　and　I　remember　also　the　millions　of　bats　that　must　be　beaten　away。　I　can　see　them　now；　those　bats；　weaving　endless　figures　in　the　torchlight；　dancers　in　a　ghostly　dance。　Indeed；　afterwards　I　incarnated　them　all　in　the　great　bat　that　was　a　spirit　which　haunted　the　pyramid　where　Cleopatra　and　her　lover；　Harmachis；　sought　the　treasure　of　the　Pharaoh；　Men…kau…ra。　When　next　I　stood　in　that　place　I　do　not　recall　any　bats；　I　suppose　that　the　electric　light　had　scared　them　away。

However　on　that　second　visit；　with　Mr。　Carter；　at　that　time　a　superintendent　of　antiquities　for　this　part　of　Egypt；　my　panions　and　I　were　the　first　white　men；　except　the　discoverer；　a　Greek　gentleman；　to　enter　the　burying…place　of　Nofertari；　the　favourite　or；　at　least；　the　head　wife　of　Rameses　II。　There　on　the　walls　were　her　pictures　fresh　as　the　day　they　were　painted。　There　she　sat　playing　chess　with　her　royal　husband　or　muning　with　the　gods。　But　it　is　too　long　to　describe。　The　tomb　had　been　plundered　in　ancient　days；　probably　a　couple　of　thousand　years　ago。　Just　before　the　plunderers　entered　a　flood　of　water　had　rushed　down　it；　for　when　they　came　the　washed　paint　was　still　wet；　and　I　could　see　the　prints　of　their　fingers　as　they　supported　themselves　on　the　slope　of　the　incline。

One　of　my　tomb　explorations　in　1887　nearly　proved　my　last　adventure。　Opposite　Assouan　some　great　caverns　had　just　been　discovered。　Into　one　of　these　I　crept　through　a　little　hole；　for　the　sand　was　almost　up　to　the　top　of　the　doorway。　I　found　it　full　of　hundreds　of　dead；　or　at　least　there　seemed　to　be　hundreds；　most　of　which　had　evidently　been　buried　without　coffins；　for　they　were　but　skeletons；　although　mixed　up　with　them　was　the　mummy　of　a　lady　and　the　fragments　of　her　painted　mummy　case。　As　I　contemplated　these　gruesome　remains　in　the　dim　light　I　began　to　wonder　how　it　came　about　that　there　were　so　many　of　them。　Then　I　recollected　that　about　the　time　of　Christ　the　town；　which　is　now　Assouan；　had　been　almost　depopulated　by　a　fearful　plague；　and　it　occurred　to　me　that　doubtless　at　this　time　these　old　burying…places　had　been　reopened　and　filled　up　with　the　victims　of　the　scourge　—　also　that　the　germ　of　plague　is　said　to　be　very　long…lived！　Incautiously　I　shouted　to　my　panions　who　were　outside　that　I　was　ing　out；　and　set　to　work　to　crawl　along　the　hole　which　led　to　the　doorway。　But　the　echoes　of　my　voice　reverberating　in　that　place　had　caused　the　sand　to　begin　to　pour　down　between　the　cracks　of　the　masonry　from　above；　so　that　the　weight　of　it；　falling　upon　my　back；　pinned　me　fast。　In　a　flash　I　realised　that　in　another　few　seconds　I　too　should　be　buried。　Gathering　all　my　strength　I　made　a　desperate　effort　and　succeeded　in　reaching　the　mouth　of　the　hole　just　before　it　was　too　late；　for　my　friends　had　wandered　off　to　some　distance　and　y　plight。

One　of　these；　a　young　fellow　named　Brownrigg；　had　a　worse　because　a　more　prolonged　experience。　He；　I　and　a　lady　were　contemplating　the　second　Pyramid；　when　suddenly　he　announced　that　he　was　going　to　climb　up　it　as　far　as　the　granite　cap　which　still　remains　for　something　over　a　hundred　feet　at　the　top。

As　he　was　a　splendid　athlete；　with　a　very　good　head；　this　did　not　surprise　us。　Up　he　went　while　we　sat　and　watched　him；　till　he　came　to　the　cap；　which　at　that　time　only　eight　or　nine　white　people　had　ever　ascended；　of　course　with　the　help　of　guides。　To　our　astonishment　here　we　suddenly　saw　him　take　off　his　boots。　The　next　thing　we　saw　was　Brownrigg　climbing　up　the　polished　granite　of　the　cap。　Up　he　went　from　crack　to　crack　till　at　last　he　reached　the　top　in　safety；　and　there　proceeded　to　execute　a　war　dance　of　triumph。　Then　after　a　rest　he　began　to　descend。

I　noticed　from　the　desert；　some　hundreds　of　feet　below；　that　although　he　menced　his　descent　with　face　outwards；　which　is　the　right　method；　presently　he　turned　so　that　it　was　against　the　sloping　pyramid。　Then　I　began　to　grow　frightened。　When　he　had　done　about　thirty　or　forty　feet　of　the　descent　I　saw　him　stretch　down　his　stockinged　foot　seeking　some　cranny；　and　draw　it　up　again　—　because　he　could　not　reach　the　cranny　without　falling　backwards。　Twice　or　thrice　he　did　this；　and　then　remained　quite　still　upon　the　cap　with　outstretched　arms　like　one　crucified。　Evidently　he　could　move　neither　up　nor　down。

While　I　stared；　horrified　—　we　three　were　quite　alone　in　the　place　—　a　white…robed　Arab　rushed　past　me。　He　was　the　Sheik　of　the　Pyramids；　which　without　a　word　he　began　to　climb　with　the　furious　activity　of　a　frightened　cat。　Up　he　went　over　the　lower　and　easy　part　onto　the　cap；　which　seemed　to　present　no　difficulties　to　him；　for　he　knew　exactly　where　to　set　his　toes　and　had　the　head　of　an　eagle　or　a　mountain　goat。　Now　he　was　just　underneath　Brownrigg　and　saying　something　to　him。　And　now　from　that　great　height　came　a　still　small　voice。

“If　you　touch　me　I’ll　knock　you　down！”　said　the　voice。

Yes；　crucified　there　upon　this　awful　cap　he　declared　in　true　British　fashion　that　he　would　knock　his　saviour　down。

I　shut　my　eyes；　and　when　I　looked　again　the　sheik　had　got　Brownrigg’s　foot　down　into　the　crack　below；　how　I　never　discovered。　Well；　the　rest　of　the　sickening　descent　was　acplished　in　safety；　thanks　to　that　splendid　sheik。　In　a　few　more　minutes　a　very　pale　and　shaking　Brownrigg　was　gasping　on　the　sand　beside　us；　while　the　Arab；　streaming　with　perspiration；　danced　round　and　objurgated　him　and　us　in　his　native　tongue　until　he　was　appeased　with　large　baksheesh。　Brownrigg；　who　will　never　be　nearer　to　a　dreadful　death　than　he　was　that　day；　told　me　afterwards　that；　strong　as　his　head　was；　he　found　it　impossible　to　attempt　the　descent　face　outwards；　since　the　thickness　of　the　cap　hid　the　sides　of　the　pyramid　from　his　sight；　so　that　all　he　saw　beneath　him　was　some　three　hundred　feet　of　empty　space。　Therefore　he　turned　and　soon　found　himself　quite　helpless；　since　he　could　neither　find　any　foothold　beneath　him；　nor　could　he　reascend。　Had　not　the　watchful　Arab　seen　him　and　his　case；　in　another　few　minutes　he　must　have　fallen　and　been　dashed　to　pieces　at　our　feet。　The　memory　of　that　scene　still　makes　my　back　feel　cold　and　my　flesh　creep。　I　have　tried　to　reproduce　it　in　“Ayesha；”　where　Holly　falls　from　the　rock　to　the　ice…covered　river　far　beneath。

From　Egypt　I　sailed　to　Cyprus　in　a　tub　of　a　ship；　where　a　rat　had　its　nest　behind　my　bunk。　It　was　my　first　visit　to　that　delightful　and　romantic　isle；　over　which　all　t