Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1882-03-16

dor Is similarly disposed. and is con-
str,icted in the same manner as that
of the Pyramid of Cheops. The en-
I trance to the central chamber is eff
fectually blocked mp by the falling Of
the roof Of the corridor. The workmcn
are. however. busily engaged in clear
I ing away the debris-a task both diff
cult and perilous, which may require
one or perhaps two months. The only
texts thus far found in the corridor are
| the inscriptions Of the two scribes who
visited the interior of the pyramid in
the time of the Nv. Dynasty. Recently
discovered collateral evidence tends to
I strengthen the hypothesis that the
pyramid is that of King Snefroo. OF the
! iii. Dynasty. who reigned, according to
Brugsch. b. c. $500. or. according to
Marietta. b. {. 420O. The picks OF the
Arab workmen will. however. soon de
termine the question.
Discoveries of the startling and
dramatic nature of those of the care
fully preserved royal mummies, and the
opening of long-closed pyramids and
tombs. are. perhaps. overshadowed, rs
far as pure scientific value is concerned.
by a new region in Egyptology recently
opened by the successful exertions of
DIR. Brugsch Pasha and NJ. Revillout.
These two savants have made "a special
" of the demotic writing of Egypt-a
writing So intricate and confused as to
be unintelligible To some of the keenest
Psychologists. The hieratic writing.
used almost exclusively by the priests.
is to the hieroglyphic what the hand
writing of the present day is to print.
The demotic is very much abbreviated
form of the hieratic. and stands in
about the same relation to the hero
glyphic that our shorthand dAeS to the
page of printed book. Moreover. the
denote. being written in the hurry of
everyday business. actually presents
penmanship so cramped and careless as
to add almost insurmountable obstacles
to the already difficult task of decipher-
ing it.
The demotic came into use during the
XXV1. Dynasty. and being used for
ordinary business and legal transactions,
its literature gives an insight into the
laws. social state customs and manners
OF the Egyptians that is not to be hoped
loi iINli tHt >tipiitAN anu inpliulltHtil
STYLES of the hieratic and the bieroglyph-
ic. An excellent account of the ma
ture Of the treasures which demOtic
scholarship has in store for us, appeared
in a recent number of the London Times.
1t seems that no less than several thou
sand demotic papyri are preserved in
the collections of London, Paris. Berlin.
Leyden and Turin. These documents,
mostly of legal character, are no long
er a terra incognita, but furnish solid
basis for the study of the law in its
earliest development The demotic
papyri provide Us with the deeds of
SAFE. of transfer, OF gift, of partnership.
of endowment; leases of houses and
lands; mortgages. bonds, receipts for
taxes and other payments. marriage
settlements. marriage contracts. DEGREES
of divorce, title-dceds, Inventories. etc.
The progress in the Interpretation of
demotic literature strikingly recalls the
truth of Bunsens prediction that
''Henceforth the positive philosophy of
universal history. constructing and de-
lineating the curve described bv the dir
vine mind in man through space and
time upon this star which we call the
earth cannot be carried ON
scientifically and successfully without
the assistance of Egyptology." The eff
feet which these demotic papyri are des-
tined to have upon our present ideas
of ancient law and LEGAL institutions
remains yet to be seen. 1t i too much
to expect that Psychologists shall also
be le@isis; but the moment has now
come for the jnri>t To work baad in
hand with the Psychologists to utilize
the material that science has placed ut
his disposal. and at length TO trace the
history of the law throughout that log