Копи царя Соломона
The Place of Death
Theywerehumanbodiesindeed,orrathertheyhadbeenhuman;nowtheywerestalactites. ThiswasthewayinwhichtheKukuanapeoplehadfromtimeimmemorialpreservedtheirroyaldead.Theypetrifiedthem. Whattheexactsystemmightbe,iftherewasany,beyondtheplacingofthemforalongperiodofyearsunderthedrip, Ineverdiscovered,buttheretheysat,icedoverandpreservedforeverbythesiliceousfluid.
Anythingmoreawe-inspiringthanthespectacleofthislonglineofdepartedroyalties(thereweretwenty-sevenofthem,thelastbeingIgnosi’sfather),wrapped,eachofthem,inashroudofice-likespar,throughwhichthefeaturescouldbedimlydiscovered, andseatedroundthatinhospitableboard,withDeathhimselfforahost,itisimpossibletoimagine. Thatthepracticeofthuspreservingtheirkingsmusthavebeenanancientoneisevidentfromthenumber,which,allowingforanaveragereignoffifteenyears,supposingthateverykingwhoreignedwasplacedhere—animprobablething,assomearesuretohaveperishedinbattlefarfromhome—wouldfixthedateofitscommencementatfourandaquartercenturiesback.
ButthecolossalDeath,whositsattheheadoftheboard,isfarolderthanthat,and,unlessIammuchmistaken,oweshisorigintothesameartistwhodesignedthethreeColossi. Heishewnoutofasinglestalactite,and,lookedatasaworkofart,ismostadmirablyconceivedandexecuted.
