LECTURE ON ANCIENT EGYPT. "THE GREAT RAMESES." Auckland, October 13.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 309, 20 October 1888, Page 5

LECTURE ON ANCIENT EGYPT. "THE GREAT RAMESES." Auckland, October 13.

Last evening, in the Young Men's Christian Association lecture hall, a lecture (with limelight views) entitled "The Grea^. Rameses, 5 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 tostudy thelife and growth of nations should make themselves acquainted with the ancient history, religion etc., of the ancient Egyptians, tor Egypt could justly be said to have been the cradle of human learning and civilisation. The country was a centre of interest fiom first to last, and ancient Egypt seemed to have gathered up the light of the world in a focus. It was the nursery of men of science, art and literature, and even in archilectme the ancient buildings and temples were models for buildings of to-day. But with all its ancient glory there hung over it a cloud of mystery, which had not yet been more than partly dispelled. Of its former splendour there remained nothing but ancient monuments, pillars, and rocktomb inscriptions, and particulars regardin<r the former history of the country could only be obtained by ransacking and excavating the old tombs, &c, and deciphering with painstaking care the ancient inscriptions on obelisks and monuments. Egypt had been described as the " land oi the liver and the rock," and this description was pro eminently accurate. The lecturer described the aspect of the country, and the features ot the great River Nile. In ancient times the country, com prising an area of some 236,000 square miles, supported a population of 7,000,000. The 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 the worship of Ra, the sun, rock temples on the banks ot the Nile, with insciiptions and pictures carved on the walls of the rock tombs, and statues of 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 rher Nde was also shown, and a list of the monarchs of Egypt, after which the lecturer gave a short sketch of each monarch until the time of Rameses the Great. The famous Memnon, the greatest figiue 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 monaichs, 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 the motion of Mr W. C. W. McDowell a hearty vote of thanks w&s accorded him for his interesting lecture. The pronouncing ot the Benediction concluded the gathering.