The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-09-22
CAICAGO'S NEW TOY.
The Oldest Boat Known Arrives
From Egypt.

There Is in Chicago one Of the 1--WE Oldest
small boats known to exist In the world
1t has Just come, all packed and staid for
Its long voyage, from the Gizeh Museum
of Antiquities at Cairo. To the generosity
of Mrs. Cyrus Mccormick the Field Co
lumbian museum Is indebted for a rare
gift X. Il. Aver learned In the course OF
his search for interesting things in Cairo
last winter that there had been placed In
the Gizeh museum three boats Of marvellous
ago and curious design. Investigation
proved that the boats were indeed OF the
rarest value for never before In archeo-
logical history has there been discovered
anything of the kind which approached
these boats in age and interest. A viking
craft found In Norway some time ago was
of use In about the year 1000 A. d., and at
once became famous as by far the oldest
specimen Of water craft In existence. The
boats In the Gizeh museum, 1t was decided
by the learned ones, were used at least
4500 years ago and were contemporaneous
with the Dashur pyramids Of the eleventh
Egyptian dynasty.
With this boat, which will be installed
In the museum, and the two which remain
In the Cairo museum, were two more,
which still rest In the sands which stretch
desolately from the Dashur pyramids,
near which they were all found 1t Is ex-
pected that before long the remaining two
will be brought to Cairo and properly In
stalled.
The five boats were found buried at
considerable depth not far from the famous
largest pyramid, and In such orderly form
and with such mathematical relationship
TO the great pile of stone that it was evil
dent that they had been buried with de-
sign at that particular spot. All were
brought to the light and air at once, and
after examination by scholars, proving
their marvellous age, their preservation
from the elements was at once deemed nec-
essary.
The boats were found TO he alike in the
material of which they were constructed
and in their general dimensions The CO.
dar Of antiquity which entered into so
much of the construction of things of wood,
was used for building these boats. While
the equipments of tho boats had generally
disappeared with time, the edges and ends
were ragged and little warped and their
shapely outlines still remained so rigidly in
evidence that the modeler's skill In giving
grace and shapeliness was evident The
boat that Is In Chicago now Is as well IL
not better preserved than any. 1t Is 80
feet long, feet of beam and feet of hold.
IL had been propelled, Of course, by oars,
but the points of contact for the oars were
no. In evidence. A well preserved and pc
culiarly marked and designed piece of rud-
der of wood was found near tho boats, and
that has been brought to Chicago as the &C
compartment of the boat now here.
Two of the boats were propped up and
covered for preservation until they could bo
moved, and three of them were put in
shape to be carried To CSiro. The Dashur
pyramids are nearly 20 miles above Cairo,
on the opposite side of the river and some
seven miles from the bank. Eighty men
were required to carry the boats, one at n
time, TO the river steamer on which they
wero transferred to Cairo.
There, in the museum, they were
propped and staid with iron and cedar
sufficiently TO preserve them for exhibition.
About 3 per cent of the original amount
of wood was oil that was necessary 10 add.
From the design and decoration of these
boats It IL presumed they wore In distin
guished use, such as for the transportation
Of spices, perfumes and offerings Of tho
nature that were carried TO the resting
place Of the royal dead In the pyramids.
Having performed these sacred duties for
allotted times and persons, IL is supposed
they were then placed 20 remain forever
near the age enduring mausoleums Of the
dynasties they served in life and death. -
Chicago Journal.
~Wr