Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-03-03
Written Remains of the Egyptians.

Most Of the written remains Of an
cient Egypt are religious. Many con-
sist Of hymns to the gods, and have u
pathos of their own. Others are lists ot
oblations or Of spells taken in war.
These have no more literary pretensions
than an auctioneers catalogue or an in
ventory Of furniture. They give rs,
however, a vivid idea Of Egyptian be-
iongings. The manifold productions
and richness Of ancient Egypt are no
where set forth in more detail than in
what is known as the "Great Harris
Papyrus," which contains divers of these
summaries. 1t was found in tomb, and
measures 1873 feet long by 1G4 inches
broad. Here we read Of the barge Of
cedar with rivet5 Of gold-plated brass,
and cabins adorned with precious stones;
of houses with doors and lintels OF gold,
surrounded by gardens planted with all
kinds OF fruit, and tanks for waterfowl
and fish Besides these are granaries of
corn and treasures filed, or temples
presented, with surprising amount of
miscellaneous property, paint, spirits Of
vino, honey. oil, linen overcoats, en-
bro1Gered caps, incense, silver dishes,
and ladies', rings, onions, cedar harps,
bundles Of writing reeds, wax, leather
sandals, turquoises, perfumes, images,
necklaces, wine, cOlOred bodclothes, etc.
The most careful inventory was made of
tie several items, and III every case the
exact amount Of the articles in store
seem to be. set down. For instance, in
one place we find a record of S25, $40
crystal beads; in another Of 23,00S
pots of franklncense, while one cedar
rule" figures by itself. Beside these
dead or dry goods we have astonishing
lists Of cattle and birds, especially pig
cons, ducks, and geese. Here we are
struck by evidence of much that was
eminently business-like and prosaic
among the old Egyptians. It is true
that their religion especially, at least SO
far as the offerings made by the King
represented the generosity of the peo-
pie, was marked by marvellous and
| abundant devotion; tho adornments of
the temples not being brought to
focus in some inner shrine, but shone in
| the Gaping Of sacred obelisks with
solid gold, and the covering of huge
! holy walls inside and out with costly
sculpture. But though this indicates q
certain profuseness of expenditure,
nothing is more striking than the min
ute economy and attention to details
exhibited in what may be called the sa-
cred rent rolls. summaries Of citations,
and the like. The chronicler carefully
| Distinguished between the ducks" and
tie "ducklings," offered to RIA, the
sliced, salted, and prepared fish, the
crowns, nosegays, chains, and handfals
Of flowers, and the exact amount OF these
several items are set down. In the
"Great Harris PapyrUs," now in the
British Museum. and translated in the
Records of the Past" there are many
Of these entries, and in every case the
totals OF the goods in question are pre-
cisely recorded. There are, e. g., 1872
GOO nosegays of yegetables-it does not
say what proportion of these were
onions-as against 11,OG0 nosegays of
corn, and $40 Of lotus Thus, in
these chronicles we have evidence of
both extreme profusion and precise
economy, Of the incest reckoning, and
the most liberal abundance.-G0
Words.
Two business houses burned at Oak
Ridge, La, yesterday. Insured.