The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1877-02-09
Another Egyptian Treasure.

Some twenty years ago a Mr.. A. G
| Harris went with his daughter, Mis-
| Selma Harris, on a tour to Egypt. HI
| found under the floor of an old tomb il
Thebes large roll of papyrus covered
with inscriptions. 1t was one hundred
and thirty-nine feet by sixteen and hal
| inches broad, and looked something like
a stair carpet. Mr.. Harris bought it al
a comparatively small price Miss Selima
Harris felt convinced that it was a treas
ure, and to make sure against accidents
she set herself to the immense work Oi
tracing sign and letter on it upon paper
of equal extent. She succeeded in max
ing fac SinaiLe of it. Her father died and
the lady took a house at Koumel Dyk,
Alexandria. A few years ago an explo-
sion occurred in the house, which was re-
duced to fragments. Of its contents the
two chief treasures alone escaped un-
harmed, the papyrus and Miss Selma
herself. The great Egyptian arch@olO-
gist, NJ. Brugsch Bey, examined the papy-
rus and told the khedive of its great
value, and the Egyptian government
offered the sum of $4,000 for it. But
Miss Harris would not part with it. She
brought it to England, when the British
museum purchased it for n larger sum,
and from that time to this DR.. Birch and
his corps of Psychologists have been de-
ciphering it, while scribes have been en-
gagged in copying it. 1t has now been
printed-in sufficient number to supply
the museums of Europe, and of America,
if they want it-with accompanying
translations of the text and learned notes
thereon.
1t proves to be a complete record of
II r. i g D..
a statement of the condition of things at
Thebes 5000 years ago. We learn from
it what the Thebans saw and heard at
church and what they had for dinner,
such as fish, waterfowl, pigeons, oil,
bread and wine We are introduced to
the beauties of Rameses's harem. Much
of the record i remarkably realistic. but
it Is somewhat confusing TO find that
among these realistic portions is an ac-
count of how Rameses III. went to hell
and there played at draughts with Isis
for the golden kerchief, which he won
Moreover the last five sections of the
scroll consist of an address, sort of
aledictory-uttered from ithe same re-
gion (Hades) by the monarch, in which
he recites the great victories he has
achieved, the hundreds of thousands of
the slaves he has presented them, and
implores them to be loyal to his success
sOr, Rameses ". Such a mixture of
possible fact and certain fable may puzzle
any one who tries to bring actual history
out of the papyrus; but one thing stands
out clear-the character of Rameses
himself The half million head of cattle
he claims to have bestowed on the gods
may be as mythical as his game of
draughts with Isis, the Egyptian Proser-
pine, but whether in hell or earth the
sultanic self satisfaction of Rameses III.
is unquestionable.
There is a statue of George III. in the
Guildhall, with AN inscription placed
there during his lifetime by aldermanic
courtiers, in which the characteristics
Of the angel Gabriel are attributed to
him, with a few of the selectest attrib-
utes of the seven sages. The poor king
was mad at the time and England was
ground under the heel of the prince
regent; nevertheless the true portrait of
the king and his times may be derived
therefrom by one who can read between
the lines.-M ID. COn1cdy's Letter TO Gin
cinnati Commercial