la Concorde, at Paris, where it already shows the effects of exposure to weather, such as is never experienced at Thebes. From this pylon extended, for a mile and a half, an avenue or sacred way, planted on each side, at distances of from twelve to twenty feet, with huge sphinxes, having heads of lions, birds, rams, oxen, and men. This was as if Broadway, from the Battery to Canal street, were lined on both sides with such creations. The remains of these figures may be traced along nearly the whole line of the ancient dromos. "At the northern extremity of this avenue, after passing a series of lofty and massive gates, you arrive at the temple of Karnac. To form some conception of this structure, we will take as a basis the Croton Reservoir in New York. Drain this, and suppose its walls to stand four hundred and twenty feet by three hundred and sixty, and nearly one hundred feet high by forty in thickness, all in eolid stone, in blocks of huge dimensions. In one side of this structure make a central doorway, seventy feet in height by thirty-five feet in width; plant in front of this a long double row of sphinxes and statues, each a single block of stone, weighing several hundred to; within the vacant reservoir all around the walls, build a corridor, supported by thirty massive columns on each side, and down the centre a double row of columns of red granite, each a single shaft fifty feet high, and terminating in an expanded leaf, and you have the outer court of Karnac. "In the wall opposite the entrance make another gateway, higher, broader, deeper, its lintels forty-one feet long, and before this plant statues thirty feet high. Upon the opposite side of the wall build another court or portico of the same exterior breadth as the first, and three hundred and twenty-nine by one hundred and seventy feet in the clear; and to sustain its roof of stone, erect one hundred and thirty-four columns, varying from forty-two to sixty feet in height, and from twenty-seven to thirty-six in 220 EDITORIAL MISCELLANY. circumference; this forms the grand hall of Karnac; beyond this build an avenue of obelisks, each seventy feet high, and other massive gates and colossal figures, together with a sanctuary of red granite, forty feet square-the whole of this part occupying an area of six hundred feet by four hundred; at the farther end of this erect another building four hundred feet wide, supported by fifty-two huge columns, and back of this another massive wall and corresponding gateway, and on this area of eleven hundred and eighty feet by four hundred and twenty, you have the main temple of Karnac. Then open either side of this, and in the rear build long avenues of sphinxes and colossi, to the southwest especially, an avenue a quarter of a mile long connecting with the main building, through a series of four massive gateways, another temple fully one-half its size; and all around dispose smaller temples and gateways, till a circuit of a mile and a half is filled with the surroundings of the stupendous pile; then mount the front gateway of the original reservoir, and look at Karnac. Two thousand feet back of you is its outermost gate; twelve hundred feet back of you, the rear wall of the main edifice, upon whose superficial area you could arrange just fifty Broadway Tabernacles side by side; while to the right and left are other temples that would look grandly if they stood alone, but which are mere appendages of this. As I gazed upon these ruins of forty centuries, and imagined the Thebes that then was, New York dwindled into an infant in the lap of a giant." We quote another paragraph from the book, descriptive of Cairo: "Mounting donkeys at Boulak, the port of the city, we rode through a broad avenue of syca mores and acacias for a mile and a half, and passing a guarded gateway, halted before an English hotel, facing the grand public square and gardens of the capital. A grand square, indeed, it is, that same Uzbekéëh, an area of forty or fifty acres, adorned with palms, acacias, and gorgeous flowers, and intersected by fine broad pathe, all open to the public without restriction. There is no fence about it, but a neat stone trench, about four feet wide and six in depth, surrounds it upon all sides, and conveys the water of the Nile, not only to refresh the gardens, but to cool the air of the city." EDITORIAL MISCELLANY. expansion of the River Jordan, occupying a basin amid surrounding hills. It is about sixteen miles in length from north to south, and between five and six miles in breadth. On the east it is bordered by precipitous mountains, for the most part rising abruptly from the water's edge; but on the west the banks slope gradually upward to the plains of Zebulun. As the shore outline is almost unbroken and the margin nearly destitute of trees, while a boat or sailingcraft of any kind is scarcely ever seen, the aspect of the lake is cheerless and monotonous, except when disturbed by the occasional squalls issuing from the ravines, similar to that which was hushed in an instant by the simple command of the Saviour, "Peace, be still!" yet its broad and unruffled surface, added to the impression under which every Christian approaches it, gives to it a character of unparalleled dignity. 221 that tufted hillock where the HEDDA makes its nest, stood their Master, after his glorious triumph over death and the grave, when he bade them cast their net on the right side of the ship, and they should find. "With the exception of Tiberias, there is no town of particular importance on the banks of the lake, except as connected with the localities of Scripture. A short distance north of the former is the miserable village of Mejdel, the ancient Magdala, and the birth-place of Mary Magdalene; but all the other places of interest are in ruins, and in some cases it is difficult even to ascertain their sites with any degree of precision." THE GREAT MUSICAL CONGRESS.-Such a title may appropriately be given to the great musical festival that came off in the Crystal Palace on the evening of the 15th of June. Rarely, if ever before in this country, has such an assemblage of musical talent, both vocal and instrumental, been gathered together. Mr. Barnum is certainly deserving of the most hearty thanks of the community for his large-hearted zeal in getting up an entertainment at once so rational, agreeable, elevating, and satisfying to the public. Fifteen hundred musicians, under the direction of M. Jullien, the Napoleon of the occasion, constituted a musical force that showed itself in its majesty and power for nearly five hours, to the great gratification of the assembled thousands. The stage, if we may be allowed the term, occupied by the performers, was in the eastern nave of the "During the rainy season the depth of the water in the lake is considerably greater than at other times; but after a rise, the rapid evaporation which takes place in this warm climate soon causes it to fall. The greatest depth, so far ascertained, is one hundred and sixty-five feet. To the taste the water is cool and sweet, and it is said to possess medicinal properties. About a mile to the south of Tiberias are the hot baths or springs of Emmaus, the waters of which are salt and bitter, and strongly impregnated with sulphuretted hydrogen. Near them are several other springs, whose waters contain more or less mineral substances. Several varieties of the most delicious fish are found in the lake, which furnish the weary traveller with many an excel-building, extending from the fountain under the lent repast. "In itself the Sea of Galilee is by no means a striking feature in the scenery of Palestine; but there is scarce a mountain or a rock, a town or a ruin, a tree or a shrub along its shores, but is vocal with its scriptural legend. Upon its western borders, in the city of Capernaum, dwelt Jesus himself. On its verdant banks, fringed with the scarlet anemone, the yellow marigold, and the pink oleander, He called his disciples and made them "fishers of men." Here is the Mount of Beatitudes, upon whose summit he delivered that noble sermon which contains the whole duty of man. Here he performed the miracle of the loaves and fishes; here he healed the sick and cleansed those who were diseased; and here he preached the gospel of mercy and love. In yonder field, now covered with the growing corn, the famishing disciples fed themselves upon the Sabbath-day; and on dome, back to the end of the nave, where the seats arose considerably above the galleries. It was so well arranged that all the performers could be seen by most, if not all of the spectators. And the perfect Niagara of sound that sometimes poured forth from this vast choir only seemed in harmony with the grandeur of the scene. The whole affair was perfectly successful. It was a great triumph of musical art. Every lover of sacred music should rejoice that the public taste in this country is so cultivated as to prize and receive so enthusiastically a performance like this. The refining influence of music is never more obvious than when its effect is seen upon the vast multitude assembled on this memorable occasion. May the Crystal Palace be hallowed with such pleasant associations, so long as its spacious dome shall mark the spot on which it stands ! 222 BOOK NOTICES. Book Notices. A very A MANUAL OF MISSIONS. BY JOHN C. LOWRIE. neat volume of about 75 pages, somewhat in the shape of a music book. It consists of brief sketches of foreign missions of the Presbyterian Church, with the stations and statistics of all Protestant missions. A vast amount of valuable information is here condensed into a small space. It will be found a book of great importance to every pastor in preparing for the monthly concerts, and every lover of the cause in his private reading. It is a gem well worth the price of it, 75 cts. It is embellished with five beautifully colored maps of different missionary fields. The frontispiece is a map of the world, colored so as to represent the various religions of the earth. As a book of A. D F. reference, it will prove useful and convenient Randolph. THE KNOUT AND THE RUSSIANS.-Just at this time Russia is acting a part which moves the civilized world, and any thing developing the interior policy of that vast empire awakens intense curiosity. To gratify that curiosity, and unfold some of the dark deeds done in the execution of Russian laws, this book is most opportune. It lifts the curtain of the Czar's oppressive code, and makes our blood chill with the sight of unrefined barbarities which we had supposed only belonged to the history of ancient martyr. dom. It appals us to think that in this age such eruelties are practised, even under the eye of the Autocrat. Let any one read the ninth chapter of this book, and believe, if he can, that Nicholas can be any other than the prince of barbarians to suffer the existence and the practice of such laws. It makes us wish to believe the work a fiction, and not a veritable history. If there is in it no distortion or misrepresentation; nay, if only one-half that it contains is true, Russia has a more ignoble, despotic, horrible preeminence among the nations than we had ever imagined. It contains a great variety of cuts illustrative of the general subject. Harper & Brothers. A HISTORY OF GREECE. By WM. SMITH, LL.D. This valuable work extends the history of Greece from the earliest times to the Roman conquest, and contaius supplementary chapters on the history of literature and art. From the learning and reputation of the distinguished author, we should naturally expect a superior production. From a careful and critical It has not disappointed us. examination, we find it one of the ablest works on Greece we have ever seen. It is constructed chiefly on the basis of Grote's celebrated history of Greece, which has been considered the best of all its predecessors. Though this work of Dr. Smith does not profess to claim any merit on the score of originality, it is, by its simplicity, perspicuity and excellent arrangement, admirably adapted to be used, especially in our higher schools and academies. It would be difficult to find a work, comprised within so narrow limits, from which the same amount of knowledge of Grecian history may be obtained. It forms an impartial estimate of the republican institutions of Greece, instead of perverting them, as has been common, to the general disparagement of the republican principle. A prominent feature of the book is, that it is so full and satisfactory in its amount of Grecian art and Grecian literature. It never runs wild into the regions of conjecture, though it sometimes steps on shadowy ground. It is illustrated by one hundred engravings on wood. It ought to have an extended circulation. Harper & Brothers. A NEW MAP OF EUROPE has just been published by Ensign, Bridgman & Fanning, 156 William street. It is encompassed with a border of well-engraved portraits of all the reigning sovereigns of Europe. The map itself is very accurate, well executed, and finely colored: in sheets, 50 cents; mounted, $1 25. Also, a beautiful Pocket Map of the United States, having all the new boundaries, and all the different routes to California across the Isthmus distinctly marked in line. Both the above sent to order in pocket form, post-paid, on the publishers receiving 50 cts. This establishment furnishes a splendid variety of maps, small and great, of all parts of the world. A NEW COOK BOOK. By Miss LESLIE. The name of the authoress is a guaranty that it is not only orthodox, but good. It is a neat volume of 520 pages, and contains one thousand and eleven new receipts for cooking, so that the young housekeeper may here make up for any defects of this kind in her education. To the young wife about to enter upon the untried scenes of housekeeping, it is invaluable. Our appetite is excited by the very descriptions of some of the good dishes proposed in this worthy book. T. B Peterson, 102 Chestnut street, Philadelphia. FLORA LYNDSAY; or, Passages in an Eventful Life. By Mrs. MOODIE. This is a pleasant story, and well told. It is written in the chaste and engaging style of the amiable authoress. The dialogue style is one of her peculiarities. There is a peculiar zest in many of the passages which gives a sparkling kind of life to the story. It contains some practical lessons that are worth the reading. De Witt & Davenport. MYRTLE WREATH; or, Stray Leaves Recalled. By MINNIE MYRTLE. The author of this popular book has expressed some fears lest the "stray leaves" may fall into the shade, but it is too late to fear that, for they have already interested thousands too deeply to throw them away. Some of the beautiful stories we recognize as old acquaintances, as they first appeared in various papers; but we value them none the less for that. It is a charming book, and whoever buys it will find a treat rich in thought, pleasing in variety, and abundantly fascinating in all its details. Charles Scribner. This GEMS BY THE WAY-SIDE. By Mrs. L. G. ABELL. charming book is rightly named. It is full of the choicest gems on a great variety of topics, as any one will see by turning to the Table of Contents. It is truly an offering of purity and truth. These are the brightest gems to be found on earth. No fireside can be made happy unless these brilliants sparkle around it. A sincere heart demands something higher, better, and more enduring than the mere shadowy works of fiction. Here is something truly satisfying to a cultivated mind. It will cheer the life, elevate the character, and gladden the home of many. R. T. Young. |