New-York tribune., 1896-12-06
A VERY OLD BOAT.
TT DATES FROM THE ELEVENTH EGYPTIAN
DYNASTY.

IT DATES FROM THE ELEVENTH EGYPTIAN
DYNASTY.
From The Chicago Journal
There is In Chicago one of the five Oldest small
boats sn'Wn TO and stayed for its long voyage
from the tizeh Museum OF Aniqulties AZ La,to; TO
Field d." Columbian Museum is indebted for rare
gift f. +. Aver learned In the course ,r,n Oh MS
ssa nhrg lpr had been placed in Gzeh Museum
three boats OF marvellous & age ana ndeed OF
the rarest value for never tefore In arehaeoiogee
% ,ha Kind which approached these boats I'm age and
interest A viking craft found In Norway some t,me
ago was of use in about the year 1909 A. d. and at
once became famous a. by far the eldest specimen
of water craft in existence Inc poas III ie U,1,'.
Museum. II was decided by the learned ones, were
poraneous with the Dashur pyramids OF the eieV-
e'Sii eWitb his boat which will be installed in the
museum and the two which remain IN the cai.o h
sands which stretch desola,ely from the Dashur
pyramids. near which they were FOUND. IL & IL ex *
pected that before long the remaining Two Will De
brought to Cairo and properly Installed
The five boats were found buried az cons,usa@pIs @
depth far from the famous ldreest si,ia anu
in such orderly form and with such mathematical re-
latonship to TIE great PIE 9f ,b I'T n s AZ that psr
ticuar spot. All were brought TO the neh. anu ar ar
elements was at once deemed 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 wn,cn entered ooS
was used for building these boats ME me equps, s
ments of he boats had generally disappeared with
time the edges and ends We're ragged ana h',,e se
warned their shapely outlines sun remained so
rioiiv in evidence that the modeers skill In giving
araca and shapen was evident. The boat that Is
in chicago now was probably better preserved than
any IL Is thirty feet long, eight feet OF beam ana
four feet of hold II had been propelled OF course.
bv oars but the points OF contact for the oars were
no, i'm evidence. well-preserved and peculiarly
marked and designed piece of rudder OF WOOD was
found near the boats and that has been brougnt %
Chicago as the accompaniment OF the boat now mere:
Two of the boats were propped up and covered for
nreservation until they could be moved and three or
ihem were put in shape 10 be carried 10 caro- me
Ia shur pyramids are nearly twenty miles ABOVE
CAIRO on the opposite side OF the river. ana SOME
seven miles from the bank. Eighty men were re-
al,ired 70 carry the boats. one at time 10 me river
amer on which they were transferred 20 caro-.
There in the museum, they were propped ana
STAYED with iron and cedar sufficiently 10 preserve
rhem for exhibition. About five per cent OF tne
oreina, amount of wood all that was necessary
add. ..,.. - .hoso ho.,s a,
s presumed they were distinguished use, sucn as
for the TRANSFORMATION Of spices peri umes ana oner-
nos NJ the nature that were carried 10 the resting
nlsca of tho royal dead in the pyramids. having
psrformed these sacred duties for allotted times ana
persons il il supposed they were then placed 70 re.
main forever near the age-endurng mausoleums %
The dynasries they served In life and death