she-第53节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


across　the　great　cultivated　plain　or　lake　bed；　framed　
like　a　vast　emerald　in　its　setting　of　frowning　cliff；　
and　had　another　opportunity　of　wondering　at　the　
extraordinary　nature　of　the　site　chosen　by　these　old　
people　of　Ko^r　for　their　capital；　and　at　the　
marvellous　amount　of　labor；　ingenuity；　and　engineering　
skill　that　must　have　been　brought　into　requisition　by　
the　founders　of　the　city　to　drain　so　huge　a　sheet　of　
water；　and　to　keep　it　clear　of　subsequent　
accumulations。　It　is；　indeed；　so　far　as　my　experience　
goes；　an　unequalled　instance　of　what　man　can　do　in　the　
face　of　nature；　for　in　my　opinion　such　achievements　as　
the　Suez　Canal　or　even　the　Mont　Cenis　Tunnel　do　not　
approach　this　ancient　undertaking　in　magnitude　and　
grandeur　of　conception。

When　we　had　been　walking　for　about　half　an　hour；　
enjoying　ourselves　exceedingly　in　the　delightful　cool　
which　about　this　time　of　the　day　always　appeared　to　
descend　upon　the　great　plain　of　Ko^r；　and　which　in　
some　degree　atoned　for　the　want　of　any　kind　or　sea　
breezefor　all　wind　was　kept　off　by　the　rocky　
mountain　wallwe　began　to　get　a　clear　view　of　what　
Billali　had　informed　us　were　the　ruins　of　the　great　
city。　And　even　from　that　distance　we　could　see　how　
wonderful　those　ruins　were；　a　fact　which　with　every　
step　we　took　became　more　evident。　The　city　was　not　
very　large　if　compared　to　Babylon　or　Thebes；　or　other　
cities　of　remote　antiquity；　perhaps　its　outer　wall　
contained　some　twelve　square　miles　of　ground；　or　a　
little　more。　Nor　had　the　walls；　so　far　as　we　could　
judge　when　we　reached　them；　been　very　high；　probably　
not　more　than　forty　feet；　which　was　about　their　
present　height　where　they　had　not；　through　the　sinking　
of　the　ground　or　some　such　cause；　fallen　into　ruin。　
The　reason　of　this；　no　doubt；　was　that　the　people　of　
Ko^r；　being　protected　from　any　outside　attack　by　far　
more　tremendous　ramparts　than　any　that　the　hand　of　man　
could　rear；　only　required　them　for　show　and　to　guard　
against　civil　discord。　But；　on　the　other　hand；　they　
were　as　broad　as　they　were　high；　built　entirely　of　
dressed　stone；　hewn；　no　doubt；　from　the　vast　caves；　
and　surrounded　by　a　great　moat　about　sixty　feet　in　
width；　some　reaches　of　which　were　still　filled　with　
water。　About　ten　minutes　before　the　sun　finally　sank　
we　reached　this　moat；　and　passed　down　and　through　it；　
clambering　across　what　evidently　were　the　piled…up　
fragments　of　a　great　bridge　in　order　to　do　so；　and　
then　with　some　little　difficulty　up　the　slope　of　the　
wall　to　its　summit。　I　wish　that　it　lay　within　the　
power　of　my　pen　to　give　some　idea　of　the　grandeur　of　
the　sight　that　then　met　our　view。　There；　all　bathed　in　
the　red　glow　of　the　sinking　sun；　were　miles　upon　miles　
of　ruinscolumns；　temples；　shrines；　and　the　palaces　
of　kings；　varied　with　patches　of　green　bush。　Of　
course；　the　roofs　of　these　buildings　had　long　since　
fallen　into　decay　and　vanished；　but　owing　to　the　
extreme　massiveness　of　the　style　of　building；　and　to　
the　hardness　and　durability　of　the　rock　employed；　most　
of　the　party　walls　and　great　columns　still　remained　
standing。

Straight　before　us　stretched　away　what　had　evidently　
been　the　main　thoroughfare　of　the　city；　for　it　was　
very　wide；　wider　than　the　Thames　Embankment；　and　
regular。　Being；　as　we　afterwards　discovered；　paved；　or　
rather　built；　throughout　of　blocks　of　dressed　stone；　
such　as　were　employed　in　the　walls；　it　was　but　little　
overgrown　even　now　with　grass　and　shrubs；　that　could　
get　no　depth　of　soil　to　live　in。　What　had　been　the　
parks　and　gardens；　on　the　contrary；　were　now　dense　
jungle。　Indeed；　it　was　easy　even　from　a　distance　to　
trace　the　course　of　the　various　roads　by　the　burned…up　
appearance　of　the　scanty　grass　that　grew　upon　them。　On　
either　side　of　this　great　thoroughfare　were　vast　
blocks　of　ruins；　each　block；　generally　speaking；　being　
separated。　from　its　neighbor　by　a　space　of　what　had　
once；　I　suppose；　been　garden…ground；　but　was　now　dense　
and　tangled　bush。　They　were　all　built　of　the　same　
colored　stone；　and　most　of　them　had　pillars；　which　was　
as　much　as　we　could　make　out　in　the　fading　light　as　we　
passed　swiftly　up　the　main　road；　that　I　believe　I　am　
right　in　saying　no　living　foot　had　pressed　for　
thousands　of　years。

Presently　we　came　to　an　enormous　pile；　which　we　
rightly　took　to　be　a　temple　covering　at　least　four　
acres　of　ground；　and　apparently　arranged　in　a　series　
of　courts；　each　one　enclosing　another　of　smaller　size；　
on　a　principle　of　a　Chinese　nest　of　boxes；　which　were　
separated　one　from　the　other　by　rows　of　huge　columns。　
And；　while　I　think　of　it；　I　may　as　well　state　a　
remarkable　thing　about　the　shape　of　these　columns；　
which　resembled　none　that　I　have　ever　seen　or　heard　
of；　being　fashioned　with　a　kind　of　waist　in　the　
centre；　and　swelling　out　above　and　below。　At　first　we　
thought　that　this　shape　was　meant　to　roughly　symbolize　
or　suggest　the　female　form；　as　was　a　common　habit　
among　the　ancient　religious　architects　of　many　creeds。　
On　the　following　day；　however；　as　we　went　up　the　
slopes　of　the　mountain；　we　discovered　a　large　quantity　
of　the　most　stately　looking　palms；　of　which　the　trunks　
grew　exactly　in　this　shape；　and　I　have　now　no　doubt　
but　that　the　first　designer　of　those　columns　drew　his　
inspiration　from　the　graceful　bends　of　those　very　
palms；　or　rather　of　their　ancestors；　which　then；　some　
eight　or　ten　thousand　years　ago；　as　now；　beautified　
the　slopes　of　the　mountain　that　had　once　formed　the　
shores　of　the　volcanic　lake。

At　the　facade　of　this　huge　temple；　which；　I　should　
imagine；　is　almost　as　large　as　that　of　El…Karnac；　at　
Thebes；　some　of　the　largest　columns；　which　I　measured；　
being　between　eighteen　to　twenty　feet　in　diameter　at　
the　base；　by　about　seventy　feet　in　height；　our　little　
procession　was　halted；　and　Ayesha　descended　from　her　
litter。

〃There　used　to　be　a　spot　here；　Kallikrates；〃　she　said　
to　Leo；　who　had　run　up　to　help　her　down；　〃where　one　
might　sleep。　Two　thousand　years　ago　did　thou　and　I　and　
that　Egyptian　asp　rest　therein；　but　since　then　have　I　
not　set　foot　here；　nor　any　man；　and　perchance　it　has　
fallen；〃　and。　followed　by　the　rest　of　us；　she　passed　
up　a　vast　flight　of　broken　and　ruined　steps　into　the　
outer　court；　and　looked　round　into　the　gloom；　
Presently　she　seemed　to　recollect；　and；　walking　a　few　
paces　along　the　wall　to　the　left；　halted。

〃It　is　here；〃　she　said；　and　at　the　same　time　beckoned　
to　the　two　mutes；　who　were　loaded　with　provisions　and　
our　little　belongings；　to　advance。　One　of　them　came　
forward；　and；　producing　a　lamp；　lit　it　from　his　
brazier　（for　the　Amahagger　when　on　a　journey　nearly　
always　carried　with　them　a　little　lighted　brazier　from　
which　to　provide　fire）。　The　tinder　of　this　brazier　was　
made　of　broken　fragments　of　mummy　carefully　damped；　
and；　if　the　admixture　of　moisture　was　properly　
managed；　this　unholy　compound　would　smoulder　away　for　
hours。　As　soon　as　the　lamp　was　lit　we　entered　the　
place　before　which　Ayesha　had　halted。　It　turned　out　to　
be　a　chamber　hollowed　in　the　thickness　of　the　wall；　
and；　from　the　fact　of　there　still　being　a　massive　
stone　table　in　it；　I　should　think　that　it　had　probably　
served　as　a　living…room；　perhaps　for　one　of　the　door…
keepers　of　the　great　temple。

Here　we　stopped；　and　after　cleaning　the　place　out　and　
making　it　as　comfortable　as　circumstances　and　the　
darkness　would　permit；　we　ate　some　cold　meat；　at　least　
Leo；　Job；　and　I　did；　for　Ayesha；　as　I　think　I　have　
said　elsewhere；　never　touched　anything　except　cakes　of　
flour；　fruit；　and　water。　While　we　were　still　eating；　
the　moon；　which　was　at　her　full；　rose　above　the　
mountain…wall；　and　began　to　flood　the　place　with　
silver。

〃Wot　ye　why　I　have　brought　you　here　to…night；　my　
Holly？〃　said　Ayesha；　leaning　her　head　upon　her　hand　
and　watching　the　great　orb　as　she　rose；　like　some　
heavenly　queen；　above　the　solemn　pillars　of　the　
temple。　〃I　brought　younay；　it　is　strange；　but　
knowest　thou；　Kallikrates；　that　thou　liest　at　this　
moment　upon　the　very　spot　where　thy　dead　body　lay　when　
I　bore　thee　back　to　those　caves　of　Ko^r　so　many　years　
ago？　It　all　returns　to　my　mind　now。　I　can　see　it；　and　
horrible　is　it　to　my　sight！〃　and　she　shuddered。

Here　Leo　jumped　up　and　hastily　changed　his　seat。　
However　the　reminiscence　might　affect　Ayesha；　it　
clearly　had　few　charms　for　him。

〃I　brought　you；〃　went　on　Ayesha；　presently；　〃that　ye　
might　look　upon　the　most　wonderful　sight　that　ever　the　
eye　of　man　beheldthe　full　moon　shining　over　ruined　
Ko^r。　When　ye　have　done　your　eatingI　would　that　I　
could　teach　thee　to　eat　naught　but　fruit；　Kallikrates；　
but　that　will　come　after　thou　hast　laved　in　the　fire。　
Once　I；　too；　ate　flesh　like　a　brute　beast。　When　ye　
have　done　we　will　go　out；　and　I　will　show　you　this　
great　temple　and　the　god　whom　men　once　worshipped　
therein。〃

Of　course　we　got　up　at　once；　and　started。　And　here　
again　my　pen　fails　me。　To　give　a　string　of　
measurements　and　details　of　the　various　courts　of　the　
temple　would　only　be　wearisome；　supposing　that　I　had　
them；　and　yet　I　know　not　how　I　am　to　describe　what　we　
saw；　magnificent　as　it　was　even　in　its　ruin；　almost