DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.12664#0136
DESERTED QUARRIES.
127
these immense quarries are now and forever silent
and deserted.
Aside from the great interest of these ancient
quarries, it is curious to notice how, long before
the force of gunpowder and the art of blasting
rocks were known, immense stones were separa-
ted from the sides of the mountains, and divided
as the artist wished, by the slow process of boring
small holes, and splitting them apart with wedges.
I returned by the old city, crossing its burying-
ground, which, like that of the new town, told, in
language that could not be misunderstood, that be-
fore the city was destroyed, it too had paid a large
tribute to the grave. This burying-ground has an
interest not possessed by any other in Egypt, as it
contains, scattered over its extended surface, many
tombstones with Coptic inscriptions, the only ex-
isting remains of the language of a people who
style themselves, and are styled, the descendants of
the ancient Egyptians.
It was late in the afternoon as I stood on the
height crowned by the ruins of the ancient city,
with a momentary feeling of returning loneliness,
and gazed upon the sun retiring with glorious
splendour towards my far-distant home. I turned
my eyes to my boat, and beyond it, at a distance
down the river, I saw a boat coming up under full
sail, bearing what my now practised eye told me
was the English flag. I hurried down, and ar-
rived on the bank in time to welcome to the Cata-
127
these immense quarries are now and forever silent
and deserted.
Aside from the great interest of these ancient
quarries, it is curious to notice how, long before
the force of gunpowder and the art of blasting
rocks were known, immense stones were separa-
ted from the sides of the mountains, and divided
as the artist wished, by the slow process of boring
small holes, and splitting them apart with wedges.
I returned by the old city, crossing its burying-
ground, which, like that of the new town, told, in
language that could not be misunderstood, that be-
fore the city was destroyed, it too had paid a large
tribute to the grave. This burying-ground has an
interest not possessed by any other in Egypt, as it
contains, scattered over its extended surface, many
tombstones with Coptic inscriptions, the only ex-
isting remains of the language of a people who
style themselves, and are styled, the descendants of
the ancient Egyptians.
It was late in the afternoon as I stood on the
height crowned by the ruins of the ancient city,
with a momentary feeling of returning loneliness,
and gazed upon the sun retiring with glorious
splendour towards my far-distant home. I turned
my eyes to my boat, and beyond it, at a distance
down the river, I saw a boat coming up under full
sail, bearing what my now practised eye told me
was the English flag. I hurried down, and ar-
rived on the bank in time to welcome to the Cata-