6. The temples of Egypt were very wonderful. In the lower parts of the Nile valley they were built of stone brought with enormous labour from the quarries at Syene, far up the river. Immense gateways surmounted with flags admitted to spacious courts and sumptuous halls and chambers, while avenues of huge sphinxes-which were animal forms crouching, with human heads-led to them, and lofty obelisks, like the one which is now

in England, stood before the entrance, as symbols of a ray of the mighty sun.

7. The grandest remains of these temples are now found at Thebes, the ancient capital of Upper Egypt. The city was

* An Egyptian obelisk known as Cleopatra's needle. It was originally brought from Upper Egypt, and is not less than 3,000 years old. It stood in front of the great Temple at Memphis, where Moses studied, and was doubtless seen by him every day as he passed out and in. It is now erected on the Thames Embankment, London.

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twenty-three miles in circumference, and was built on the east bank of the river, the left bank being left as a City of the Dead" for the Egyptians removed their dead to a distance from the living. The whole extent of the ancient limits on the east side is more or less strewn with broken columns, avenues of sphinxes, obelisks, pyramidal gateways, porticoes, blocks of polished granite, and stones of immense size, while, above them, in all the nakedness of desolation, the colossal skeletons of huge temples throw their shadows over the desert.

8. The grandest of these ruins is that which is now called the Temple of Luxor, of which one part now known as the Hall of Rameses, one of the great kings of Ancient Egypt, still shows the paintings and sculptures that adorned its pillars nearly three thousand years ago. The whole temple is on a grand scale. The great gateway is more than two hundred feet in length, and sixty feet above the present level of the desert sand. The whole front is covered with sculptures of battle scenes drawn with great force and spirit-the colours remaining as fresh as when first laid on by the long-dead artists.

9. But it is in the district above the Cataracts of the Nile that we find the most amazing remains of Egyptian temples. At Ipsamboul, nearly six hundred miles above Cairo, the front of a vast temple cut in the side of one of the hills facing the Nile is seen from the river. You may judge the size of these wonderful sculptures by seeing how small the travellers shown in the illustration appear in comparison, especially when you notice how the sand has covered up much of the lower part of the statues. The second figure, you will perceive, is entirely shattered, but no one can tell how this has happened. Perhaps a lightning flash has destroyed it. Had it been farther north, it might have been mutilated by the Persians when they conquered Egypt, more than five hundred years before Christ, for they hated idols; but they did not go so far south as Ipsamboul.

10. One of the strangest practices among the ancient Egyptians was that of embalming the dead. They believed that the body would rise again, and wished to keep it from perishing. A way was therefore found out of preserving it, so that, even at this day, it is uncorrupted and perfect. If you look at the mummies in any museum, you will very likely see that their hair and nails and fingers are just as they were when the poor mummy persons died, thousands of years ago. It was very kind to do so much for their friends in the thought that it would

secure their happiness in the next world, but a far better way for you and me securing our happiness there, is that we live godly, righteous, and sober lives, fearing evil and following that which is right.

NOTES.

HOPE AT THE CLOSE OF LIFE.-CAMPBELL.

THOMAS CAMPBELL, author of the "Pleasures of Hope," was born at Glasgow in 1777, and died in 1844. He is chiefly famous for his lyrics, which are unequalled. Tho following extract is from the "The Pleasures of Hope."

UNFADING Hope! when life's last embers burn,
When soul to soul, and dust to dust return!
Heav'n to thy charge resigns the awful hour!
Oh! then, thy kingdom comes! Immortal Power!
What though each spark of earth-born rapture fly
The quivering lip, pale cheek, and closing eye!
Bright to the soul thy seraph hands convey
The morning dream of life's eternal day-
Then, then, the triumph and the trance begin!
And all the phoenix spirit burns within!

O! deep-enchanting prelude to repose,
The dawn of bliss, the twilight of our woes!
Yet half I hear the parting spirit sigh,

It is a dread and awful thing to die!

Mysterious worlds untravell'd by the sun!
Where Time's far wandering tide has never run,
From your unfathom'd shades, and viewless spheres,
A warning comes, unheard by other ears.

'Tis Heaven's commanding trumpet, long and loud,
Like Sinai's thunder, pealing from the cloud!
While Nature hears with terror-mingled trust,
The shock that hurls her fabric to the dust;
And, like the trembling Hebrew,' when he trod
The roaring waves and call'd upon his God,
With mortal terrors clouds immortal bliss,
And shrieks, and hovers o'er the dark abyss!
Daughter of Faith awake, arise, illume
The dread unknown, the chaos of the tomb;
Melt, and dispel, ye spectre doubts that roll
Cimmerian2 darkness on the parting soul!
Fly, like the moon-eyed herald of dismay,
Chased on his night-steed by the star of day!
The strife is o'er-the pangs of Nature close,
And life's last rapture triumphs o'er her woes.
Hark! as the spirit eyes, with eagle gaze,
The noon of heav'n undazzled by the blaze,
On heav'nly winds that waft her to the sky,
Float the sweet tones of star-born melody;
Wild as the hallow'd anthem sent to hail
Bethlehem's shepherds in the lonely vale,
When Jordan hush'd his waves, and midnight still
Watch'd on the holy tow'rs of Zion hill!

THE CHINESE QUARTER, HONG-KONG.-W. J. J. SPRY. 1. On reaching the shore, a walk through the Chinese quarter is most interesting. The houses and shops are most curiously constructed, and just as strangely fitted up; not one, however small or poor, but has its domestic altar, its Joss, and other quaint and curious arrangements known only to these peculiarly strange people. Look where we will, there are evidences of the untiring industry and enterprise of these surprising sons of Shem. Up every valley, and in every street, we see crowds of little yellow faces, and stumble against the brokers or merchants hurrying on to their business, clad in the universal blue jean jumper and

trousers, cotton socks, and shoes of worked silk, with thick wooden soles; some with, and others without, hats; the shaven face and pigtail so typifying the class that to note a difference between Sun Shing or Wang Heng is sometimes most embarrassing.

2. The dress of the women differs but little from that of the men. The curious, built-up style, of wearing their hair, which the married ladies have, gives them a strange appearance; while the younger lasses allow theirs to hang down their back in tresses, or wear it bound tightly over their foreheads, and secured in a chignon. Their cheeks are tinted bright pink, and with their neat little feet, and clean and loose clothing, they make a very pretty picture.

3. By far the most conspicuous of the various kinds of people, and those which most attract the stranger's attention, are the Chinese, although great numbers of other nationalities are to be seen. When once the business of the day has begun, the din and traffic are enormous; for crowds of men, of all creeds and colours, Jew, pagan, and Christian, Buddhist and Parsee, Chinese, Japanese, and European, fill the streets, while gangs of coolies chant to keep step, as they press on beneath their heavy burdens. 4. The merchants, whose places of business lie along the Queen'sroad, are so similar in appearance that a description of one will apply to all. He is generally a fat, round-faced man, with an important and business-like look, wearing the same style of clothing as the meanest coolie, but of finer material, and is always clean and neat, and his long tail, tipped with red or blue silk, hangs down to his heels.

5. The Chinese never depart in the least from their national dress, which is, indeed, impossible to improve on for a tropical climate, whether as regards comfort or appearance. The looselyhanging trousers and neat white half-shirt, half-jacket, are exactly what a dress should be in these latitudes.

6. Continuing the walk along the Queen's-road, hundreds of small shops are passed, where are seen the most marvellous and miscellaneous collection of "curios" possible. The shopkeepers are, as a rule, very good-natured, and will show one everything they have, not appearing to trouble whether a purchase is made or not. They always ask for their goods about twice as much as they are willing to take. If you buy a few things from them, they will invariably speak to you afterwards every time you pass the shop, asking you to walk in and sit down to rest, or