Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-12
OLDEST BOAT KNOWN,
small Craft fn Use 1880 Years Ago
Added 10 q Museum.

small Craft in Use 1880 Years Ago
Added 10 = Museum.
From the Chicago journal.
There Is in Chicago one Of the five oldest
small boats known to exist in the world.
1t has just come, all packed and STAYED
Tor its long voyage. from the Gizeh Museum
of Antiquities at Cairo. To the generosity
OF Mrs. Cyrus Mccormick the Field Column
bian Museum is indebted for a rare gift
E. E. 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
age and curious design. Investigation
proved that the boats ' ere indeed of the
rarest value for never before in arch
geological history have there been discoy-
cred anything OF the kind which approach
ed 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 il the Gizeh Museum il was decided
by the learned ones, were used at least
loo 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
tie Cairo museum. were two more, which
still rest in the sands which stretch DESC
lately from the Darshur pyramids. near
which they were all found. 1t is expected
that before long the remaining two will be
brought to Cairo and properly installed.
The five boats were found buried at a
considerable depth not far from the famous
largest pyramid, and in such orderly form
and with such mathematical relationsh hip TO
the great pile Of stone that 1t was evident
that they had been buried with design at
that particular spot. All were brought to
the light and air at once, and, after ex-
animation by scholars, proving their mar
Vicious age, their preservation from the eIe-
Hents was at once deemed necessary
The boats were found to be alike in the
material OF which they were constructed
ard In their general dimensions. The cedar
OF antiquity, which entered into so much OF
the construction of things of wood, was
Used for building these boats While the
equipments OF the boats had generally dis
!! appeared with time, the edges and ends
were ragged and little warped. their shape
ly outlines still remained so rgidly in evil
dence that the modeler's skill in giving
grace and shapelness was evident The
poat tnat is In Chicago ncy was well IL
not better preserved than any. 1t is 30 feet
long, feet of beam and feet of hold If
mad been propelled, of course by oars but
the points of contact for the oars were not
In evidence. A well preserved and peculisr
| ly marked and designed piece OF rudder OF
WOOD was found rear the boats and that
mas been brought to Chicago as the accom-
paniment of the boat now here
Two of the boats We're propped I'M ANA
covered for preservation until they could
he moved. and three of them were put in
shape to be carried to Cairo. The Dashur
| pyramids are nearly twenty 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 time, to the river steamer on which
| they were transferred to Cairo
| There, in the museum. they were propped
and stayed with iron and cedar sufficiently
| to preserve them for exhibition. About s
| per cent of the original amount of wood
| was all that was necessary to add
| From the design and decoration of these
| boats it Is presumed they were In distin-
| grished use, such as for the transport a ton
| Of spices, perfumes and offerings of the ma
| ture that were carried to the resting place
| of the royal dead in the pyramids. Having
| performed these sacred duties for allotted
| times and persons. it is supposed they were
then placed to remain forever near the age
| enduring mausoleums OF the dynasties they
served an life and death.