LECTURE ON ANCIENT EGYPT

Auckland Star, Volume XIX, Issue 242, 13 October 1888, Page 2

LECTURE ON ANCIENT EGYPT

"THE GREAT RAMESES."

Last evening, in the Young Men's Christian Association lecture hall, a lecture (wibh limelight views) entitled "The Greft fc Barneses,' a romance of ancient and modern Egypt, was delivered by Mr Josiah Martin. The hall was Well filled, and Mr Thomas Buddie presided and introduced the lecturer. Mr Martin, in beginning, briefly described the important position which the country of Egypt had held and still occupied in. the world. All who wished to study thelife arid growth of nations should make themselves acquainted with the ancient history, religion etc., of the ancient Egyptians, for Egypt could jusbly be said.tb have been the cradle of human learning and civilisation. The country was a centre of interest from- first to last, and ancient Egypt seemed to have gathered up the light of the world in a fociis. It was the nursery of men of science, art and literature, and even in architecture the ancient buildings and temples were models for buildings of to-day, But with all its anient glory there hung over it "a cloud of mystery, which had not yet been more than partly dispelled. Of m former splendour there remained nothing iiuVarioieafc monuments, pillars,, arid rocktoffib inscriptions, and particulars regard. itfa tKte-former history of the.country could only be obtained by Kfisackmg and ex-

cavating the old tombs', &c., and deciphering with painstaking care the ancient inscriptions on obelisks and monuments. Egypt had been described as the " land of tha river and the rock," and this description was pre eminently accurate. The lecturer described the aspect of the country, and the features of the great River Nile. In ancient times the country, comprising an area of some 236,000 square miles, supported a population of 7,000,000. Tho picture placed before the audience was that" of Egypt in her greatest age, her .period of glory. Here Mr Martin exhibited limelight views of various famous objects of interest in Egypt, including the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx,' Cleopatra's Needle, Obelisk of On, or Temple of the Sun, which was sacred to bhe worship of Ra, the sun, rock temples on the banks of the Nile, with inscriptions and pictures carved on the walls of the rock tombs, and statues oi* recumbent lions, which -were intended as representations of the ancient " shepherd kings," who overthrew at one period the existing Egyptian kingdom and priesthood, and set up a new kingdom. A sketch map of the river Nile was also shown, and a l_3t of the monarchs of Egypt, after'which the lecburer gave a short sketch of each monarch until the time of Rameses the Great. The famous Memnon, the greatest figure in all Egyptian history, was touched on, and Mr Martin then gave a sketch of the life and works of Rameses, exhibiting limelight views of the great king and other monarchs, and relating several anecdotes relative to the great monuments and rock temples Which had been built by him and his predecessors. The lecturer concluded amidst loud applause, and on tho motion of Mr W. C. W. McDowell a hearty vote of thanks was accorded him for his interesting lecture.; The pronouncing of the Benediction concluded the gathering.