New-York tribune., 1881-09-01

ceivcd at once the great value of it's contents.
He telegraphed the Khedive, who dispatched to
the spot Herr Brugsch, Director of the Boulak
Museum of Egyptian Antiquities. Herr Brugsch,
or Brusch Bey as he is called in Egypt, will
be remembered by people who visited the
Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia, as the
commissioner in charge of the Egyptian De-
partmenJ. He is German, has devoted his
life to the study of Egyptology, and is unver-
sally recognized as one of the best authorities on
the subject.
Herr Brugsch has examined the mummes
found in the cave sufficiently to learn their
names and give to each its proper place in
Egyptian history. There are thirty nine of
them in ALL and many are in state of perfect
preservation, the delicately pencilled inscrip-
| tdons on the cases being as bright and distinct
as II the artists brush had just touched their
green, yellow, and orange hues. All the OBJ
Jects found will be removed to the Beulak
Museum, and the work of deciphering the
papyrus rolls will not be begun until October.
mat these inscriptions will throw much fresh
light on what is known as the Middle Period of
Egyptian history we cannot doubt Perhaps
they will also furnish some traditional records
OF the First Period, and settle the old and ire
some quarrel of the long and short chronolo-
gists as to whether the seventeen dynasties
which succeeded Menes were all consecutive.
and thus solve the chief remaining importa mt
problem of Nile history. There can be little
doubt that the royal mummies were not origin
ally placed in the secret cavern The ancient
Egyptians did not hide their dead in this way.
The explanation of Herr Brugsch is probably
correct, that on the occasion of some foreign
invasion of tho Nile country, the tombs of the
kings near the then capital at Thebes were
opened and their contents removed and con-
cealed In the cave to preserve them from the
enemy. Among the royal mummies the oldest
Is King RasRenen, one OF the latest monarchs of
the Seventeenth Dynasty. According to Marette
this dynasty ended b. G. 1703. AS Raskenen was
not the last of his line we shall not be far out
OF the way in saying that his mummy, with its
fine linen shroud and its three carved cases
fitting together like nest of boxes, is about
3,7OO years old. -Four hundred years before
the lsraelites crossed the Red Sea this monarch
ruled in Thebes. Nearly all that we know of
the doings OF humanity upon the earth has
taken place since he was oiled and perfumcd
and laid away in his painted boxes. Yet we
can touch his hands day and look into his
face and read his history written all over his
coffin
mummies of King Aahmes l., who drove ont
the Shepherd Kings and founded tho brilliant
Eighteenth Dynasty, and his wife Queen
Aahnes Nofent Ari their son Prince Sa-
Ammon, and their daughters Queen Ar
hotep and Princess Sat-Ammon. According to
the Mariette chronology the reign of Aahmes
began 1854 years ago. The other royal per-
sonages discovered belong to the Eighteenth
and Nineteenth Dynasties, but there is High
Priest who is as recent as the Twenty-frst.
The period covered 10y the mummies must be
not less than 700 years, and embraces the most
brilliant epoch OF Egyptian history. Among
the royal mummes is that of Thotmes the
Great in whose reign Egypt attained the
summit of her power and civilization, and that
of Ramses H., the Pharaoh OF the Jewish can
uvity. 1t is not improbable that among tho
inscriptions on the burial cases of the latter
monarch, or on some OF tho papyrus rolls, will
be found the official Egyptian account of the
so)ourn OF the lsraclites in the Nile country
believers in the infalliblity of the Mosaic re-
cords VIII eagerly scan the translations of these
inscriptions for confirmation of their faith,
while rationalists will expect assistance from
them IN their attempt TO Danish the miracles of
the plaques ana the passage of the Red Sea to
the domain of legt nd.
The well-stocked museums of Europe will
probably receive no additions from these new
Theban discoveries. Egypt now carefully guards
her antiquities, and her Government museum at
Boulak will gather into its halls all that is
really worth keeping in these now found
treasures. II any country were permitted TO
share in the riches of tho Theban cavern il
would probably be America, for which the
kkediye has recently shown his liking by
giving us the Obelisk 1t is possible that
a timely request might obtain from him for the
metropolitan Museum some of the objects
which Herr Brugsch is now studying and ar
ranging. AT all events there would be no
harm IN making an effort III this direction.