Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume X.djvu/369

 LEPSIUS LfiRINS 363 later Ethiopian dynasty, the remains of the labyrinth, and Lake Moeris. To these may be added the plan of the Memnoniuin and the tomb of Barneses II. or Sesostris. But the most important discoveries claimed were that the Ethiopian civilization was in fact Egyptian, introduced 2,000 years before Christ, that the Ethiopians of Meroe" were not a black but a brown Caucasian race, and that a great num- ber of genuine Ethiopic inscriptions are still extant from the Meroitic pyramids down to Philas. Among the members of this expedi- tion were the two Weidenbachs, the architects Erbkam and Wild, Bonomi, Abeken, and the painter Georgi. Its results gave the most com- plete satisfaction when in 1845 it returned to Europe. It had previously transmitted a por- tion, and on returning brought with it the re- mainder, of a very fine collection of Egyptian antiquities, now in the museum of Berlin. While in Egypt, Lepsius wrote his Brief e aus Aegypten, Aethiopien und der Halbinsel des Sinai (Berlin, 1852 ; translated by Homer, London, 1853), in which his travels and dis- coveries were described in a spirited manner. Previous to his departure for the East, Lepsius had been elected one of the directors of the archaeological institute, and he was also appoint- ed by the king professor at Berlin. In 1866 he made a second visit to Egypt for the purpose of examining geographically the delta of the Nile, during which he discovered in the ruins of Tanis an important bilingual inscription, in hieroglyphics and Greek, of the time of Ptol- emy III. Euergetes. In 1874 he was placed at the head of the Prussian state library in Ber- lin. Among his principal works are: Chro- nologie der Aegypter (Berlin, 1849) ; Ueler den ersten dgyptischen Gotterlcreis (1851) ; Ueber die te dgyptisclie Konigsdynastie (1853) ; and Das allgemeine linguistiscJie Al- phabet (1855). The first number of his great work, Die Denlcmdler ays Aegypten und Aethiopien, was published in 1849, and was continued in parts during ten years, being com- pleted in 1859 His later works are : Ueber einige Beruhrungspunlcte der dgyptischen, grie- chischen und rdmischen Chronologic (Berlin, 1859) ; Die altdgyptische Elle und ilire Ein- theilung (Berlin, 1865); Aelteste Texte des Todtenbuchs nach Sarlcophagen des altdgyp- tischen Eeichs (Berlin, 1867) ; and various treatises referring to the original systems of writing of the Chinese, Thibetan, Arabic, Per- sian, and Zend languages. Under the title Denlcmdler aus Aegypten und Aethiopien has also been issued a selection of photographs from his great work on Egypt (4 series, 12 sheets each, Berlin, 1873), Since 1864 he has also been associate editor of the archaeological periodical founded by Brugsch, entitled Zeit- schri/tfur dgyptische Sprache und Alterthums- Tcunde. Alexander von Humboldt based all his statements in his Kosmos relating to Egyptian chronology and history on manuscript infor- mation which he received from Prof. Lepsius. LEQtJESME, Eugene Louis, a French sculptor, born in Paris in 1815. He studied in Paris and Rome. His earliest notable work was a " Dan- cing Faun " (1850), which is in the garden of the Luxembourg. He subsequently completed the statue of Victory on Napoleon's tomb, which had been commenced by Pradier, and executed many other works, including statu- ettes of a "Bathing Girl" and " Lesbia," a " Roman Slave," and a bust of Adelina Patti (1863). He also decorated the church of St. Augustine, and in 1870 executed "Pegasus" for the new opera house. LERDO DE TEJ1DA. See TEJADA. LERIDA. I. A N. E. province of Spain, in Catalonia, bounded N. by the Pyrenees, and bordering on France, the republic of Andorra, and the provinces of Gerona, Barcelona, Tar- ragona, Saragossa, and Huesca; area, 4,774 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 330,348. The surface is moun- tainous in the N part, being covered with spurs of the great range which separates it from France, but in the S. there are extensive plains. The principal river is the Segre, an affluent of the Ebro ; it traverses the prov- ince in a S. S. E. direction, and receives a num- ber of tributaries. A large part of the soil is fertile, producing grain, fruit, and many kinds of garden vegetables. Much- attention is paid to the raising of bees and silkworms. Iron, copper, lead, zinc, coal, granite, marble, jasper, lime, and gypsum are the chief miner- als. II. A city (anc. Ilerda capital of the province, on the right bank of the Segre, which is here crossed by a stone bridge of seven arches, 235 m. E. K E. of Madrid, and 80 m. W. by N. of Barcelona; pop. about 20,000. It is built partly on a hill and partly on the plain at its foot, and is strongly defended by walls, batteries, and a castle. It is an impor- tant military post, being regarded as the key of Aragon and Catalonia. The streets are narrow, crooked, and ill paved. The principal buildings are the old and new cathedrals, one or two ancient churches, the bishop's palace, diocesan seminary, town house, theatre, hospi- tals, &c. The university of Lerida, once an in- stitution of some repute, was suppressed by Philip V. The town has an export trade in silk, hemp, wine, oil, and other produce of the surrounding territory. The chief manu- factures are linen, woollen, silk, and cotton fabrics, leather, paper, soap, and brandy. In ancient times it was the capital of the Ilergetes. It witnessed a victory by Cn. Scipio over the Carthaginian general Hanno in 216 B. C. r and the defeat of Pompey's lieutenants Afranius and Petreius by Csesar in 49 B. C. It was long in possession of the Moors, and was con- quered from them by Raymond Berenger of Aragon, who made it the capital. It was taken by the French in 1707 and 1810. LERINS, Islands of, a group in the Mediter- ranean belonging to France, in the department of Alpes-Maritimes, consisting of the fortified St. Honorat (anc. Lerina or Planasia), and