LESSON LV. Spell and Define. 1. Ce-ment', a strong kind of mortar. 1. Sen-sa'tions, feelings. 2. Prac'ti-ca-ble, that may be done. 3. At'mos-phere, the air surrounding the earth. 3. Per-spi-ra'tion, the state of sweating. 7. Vul'tures, large birds of prey. 8. Tri-umph'ant, rejoicing for success. 9. Donk'eys, asses or mules for the saddle. 11. Site, situation. 13. Mosques, Mohammedan temples. 17. Gid'di-ness, dizziness. ERRORS.-1. Re'cess for re-cess'; 2. debth for depth; 5. hans for hands; 6. fol'. ler-ed for follow-ed; 9. dunkeys for donkeys; 11. broth'er-in for breth'ren, 14. stand in for standing; 16. dis-ap-pint'ed for dis-ap-point'ed. 1. THE King's Chamber is the termination of the research, as all beyond that, appears to be solid rock and cement. Numerous bats were flitting about in this deep and lonely recess, and the heated state of the air was truly oppressive. No person can endure it long, without painful sensations. We now hastened to retrace our steps to the place of entrance. 2. After descending to the first landing place, I stopped a moment, to look intohat is called the Well. It presents nothing but a dark chasm, said to be of vast depth; and had 1 felt assured that the enterprise was practicable, I had not sufficient curiosity to attempt a descent into it. 3. Oppressed with the heat and confined air, I was in haste to breathe again in the atmosphere of day. On arriving at the place of entrance, I was in a state of profuse perspiration. We seated ourselves a few minutes, and then prepared to ascend the pyramid. 4. We commissioned our guide to permit but four Arabs to ascend with us; but in spite of his efforts, there were six. We, however, found this number very useful. One to hold each arm, and one to brace the explorer behind, render the ascent perfectly safe. The place of commencing the ascent, is near the north-east corner. 5. The Arabs clambered up with more rapidity, than was desirable to me, often dragging me after them with such force, as to put me nearly out of breath. Sometimes I had to roar lustily to make them slack their hands. It was not till I had ascended one third of the distance, that I began to realize the vast height I had to climb. 6. Pausing to take breath, I first looked down, and then up, and felt almost discouraged with my task. My English friend proceeded, and I followed. Arriving at what is called the half-way, we paused again to take breath. Here the Arabs began to cry "bucksheesh;" but we gave them to understand that they would receive none, until we had done with them. 7. While we were at this place, three vultures flew from the top of the pyramid, startled, no doubt, by the sound of our voices. After a pause of some three minutes, we commenced our ascent again. Accomplishing one half of the remaining distance, we paused again to take breath. The next time starting, we soon completed our task, by stepping on the flat area at the top. с 8. We were both much out of breath, and in a state of perspiration. By my watch, I found we had been just fortythree minutes in ascending, including the stops we made by the way. On arriving at the summit, the Arabs raised a loud and triumphant shout, patting us on the shoulder, and crying "bucksheesh!" "bucksheesh!" 9. We now spent about half an hour in surveying the vast scenery, spread around us in every direction. We looked down to the base from whence we had started. There were our donkeys, our guide, and a few Arabs huddled together. 10. To us they looked like a small flock of hens, seated on the ground. Our eyes then traveled over a vast space of the NOTES. See Arabs, p. 260, note a. b Buck'sheesh; an Arabic word probably meaning money. c See pyramids, p. 258, note a. a Delta, surveying different branches of the Nile' in that direction, with countless villages spotting its shores, and the valley further back. C 11. Following the Nile in its turnings, our eyes traced the valley southward, as far as vision could stretch. There, lay before us, the former site of Memphis, the residence of Joseph, from whence he supplied his father and brethren with corn, and finally made himself known to them, in the extraordinary manner recorded in Holy Writ. d 12. This spot was about eight miles from the place where we were standing, and yet from our vast height, it seemed nearly at our feet. It is marked by other pyramids, in its immediate vicinity. Beyond, the valley stretched to our view as far as sight could trace it. To the west, lay the unexplorable Lybian desert, with its yellow sands glistening in the sunbeams. 13. To the east, stood Grand Cairo, with its mosques and lofty minarets, its environs and neighboring villages. To the south and east of it, the eternal sands lay spread out in all the majesty of desolation. The day, though hot, was one of the finest for our purpose. Never could the sky be clearer, and at no time, could our eyes have traveled over a greater space. 14. In the midst of what a scene we were standing! No man can gaze from the top of the pyramid Cheops," without emotions never to be forgotten. His thoughts roam backward through thousands of years. He gazes, with astonishment, on the mysterious works of art spread at his feet. He с NOTES. -a Delta; the island contained between the two extreme mouths of the Nile. It takes its name from its resemblance to the Greek letter delta, which has the form of a triangle. b Nile; a large river in the north-eastern part of Africa, 2.800 miles in length. Mem'phis; a splendid city of ancient Egypt, situated near where Cairo now stands. Its ruins cover a space eighteen miles in circumference. Joseph, the son of Jacob, was sold into slavery in Egypt through the wickedness of his brothers; but by his wisdom, and the over-ruling power of God, he was raised to the highest office in the kingdom, excepting king. See Genesis, xxxvii. 25-29, xxxix. 1, and xli. 39-44. e Holy Writ; the Bible. See Genesis, xlv. 1-4. fLybian desert; the great desert in the north of Africa. g Grand Cairo (kî'rō); a large city, the capital of Egypt, containing 300,000 inhabitants. h See Cheops, p. 258, note c. thinks of the countless thousands," employed in constructing these vast monuments of human toil. 15. He contemplates the whole, as done by men who lived, and moved, and had a being, more than three thousand years ago. Where are they now? Gone! all gone! their names lost, and even the design of their vast labor, enveloped in mystery and uncertainty ! 16. We now began to think seriously of descending. As I turned my eyes down the vast sloping side, our descent looked like a fearful task. At first thought, I would have given a pretty little sum to have been set in safety on the ground below. But on commencing a descent, how was I disappointed! 17. With an Arab at each arm, and one before you, the descent is one of the simplest things in the world. No fatigue attends it, and all is perfectly safe to one who is not troubled with giddiness of head. We completed our journey to the base, in about one third of the time employed in ascending. NOTE. - a - a Herod'otus, the Greek historian, says that 100,000 men worked 20 years, without interruption, in building the pyramid of Cheops. QUESTIONS. 1. What is the state of the air within the pyramid? 8. How long was the author in ascending to the top of the pyramid? 10. How did the Arabs on the ground appear to him? 10. What is the Delta? 10. What is the Nile? 11. What was Memphis? 11. What circumference do its ruins cover? 11. Where did Joseph live? 11. To what station in the kingdom did he rise? 12. How far is the site of Memphis from the pyramids ? 12. What is the Lybian desert? 13. What is Grand Cairo? 14. How many men were employed, and how long, in building the pyramid of Cheops? 15. How long ago did the builders of the pyramids live? 23 1. Three'score, sixty. 2. Foes, enemies. LESSON LVI. Spell and Define. 3. Mar'row, the pith of the bones. 4. Mem'o-ries, recollections. 5. Buoy'ant, elastic, sprightly. 5. Yore, of old time, long ago. 6. Shriv'el-ed, contracted into wrinkles. 6. Hag'gard, pale, ghostly. 7. Ljke'ness, resemblance in form. [son. 8. Grand'son, the son of a daughter of 8. Wight, a child so called in burlesque. 10. Sooth, truth. 12. Nerve, an organ of feeling. 12. Her'it-age, an-inheritance. ERRORS.1. Ole for old; 2. lef for left; 3. marꞌrer for mar-row; 4. air'ly for early; 6. sriv'el-ed for shriv'el-ed; 9. sence for since; 12. her'it-ige for her'it-age. THE SONG OF SEVENTY. M. F. TUPPER. [The learner may point out the words that are particularly emphatic in the first four verses of this piece, and tell whether they are made so by absolute or antithetic emphasis. See Emphasis, p. 37.] 1. I AM not old, I cannot be old, Though threescore years and ten Have wasted away, like a tale that is told, The lives of other men. 2. I am not old; though friends and foes And left me alone to my joys or my woes, 3. I am not old, I cannot be old, 4. Though tottering, wrinkled, and gray; For early memories round me throng, Old times, and manners, and men, 5. I look behind, and am once more young, |