Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-12-31
A VERY OLD BOAT.
It Dates From Away Back In the Elevsslh
Egyptian Dynasty.

u Dates From Away Back In the Elevsa1h
Egyptian Dynasty.
There Is In Chicago one Of the five old
est small boats known to exist in the
world Il has just come, all packed and
staid for its long yoynge, from the Gizeh
Museum Of Antiquities at Cairo To the
generosity Of Mira Cyrus Mccormick the
Field Columbian museum is indebted for
q rare gift K z. 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. In
yestigation proved that the boats were In.
deed of the rarest value, for never before
in archaeological history have there been
discovered anything Of the kind which up.
preached 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 exist
ence. The boats in the Gizeh museum, 1t
was decided by the learned ones, were used
at least $500 years ago, and were contem-
the eleventh Egyptian dynasty.
Win JIlS DOhG, WDlCH Will 10 llSbulleu
In the museum, and the two which re-
main in the Cairo museum were two more
which still rest in the sands which stretch
desolately from the Dashur pyramids, near
which they were 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 o
considerable depth not far from the ia
nous largest pyramid, and in such orderly
form and with such mathematical relation
ship 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 examination by scholars, proving
their marvellous age, their preservation
from the elements was at once doomed
necessary.
The boats were found to be alike in the
material of which they were constructed
and 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 rigidly in evil
dence that the modeler's skill in giving
grace and shapeliness was evident. The
boat that is'in Chicago now was probably
better preserved than any. 1t is 30 feet
long, 8 feet Of beam and feet of hold. 1t
had been propelled, of course, by oars, but
the points Of contact for the oars were
not in evidence. A well preserved and Pc
ouliarly marked and designed piece of rud-
der, of wood, was found near the boats, and
that has been brought to Chicago as the
accompaniment of the boat now here.
Two Of the boats were propped up and
covered for preservation until they could
be moved, and three of them were put In
shape to be carried to Cairo. The Dashur
pyramids are nearly 30 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 a
time, to the river steamer on which they
were transferred to Cairo.
There in the museum they were propped
and staid 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-
guished use such as for the transportation
of spices, perfumes and offerings of the
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, 1t is supposed
they were then placed to remain forever
near the age enduring mausoleums of the
dynasties they served in life and DEATH
Chicago Journal.