The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-03
WORK OF EXPLORERS IN EGYPT.
Interesting Account of the Discoveries of
W. N. u. Petrie.
'0m the London Daily News.

/
W. N. Il. Petrie.
From the London Daily News
W. M. Flinders Petrie. in 1884 worked
at Tans for the Egypt exploration
fund. To describe the place as mac
cessible would. judging by his descrip-
ton, be only a slight eNaggerat ion. On
three sides marshy plains stretch away
as far as YOU can see. He buided him
self a house on a mound and get to
work. Besides steles. sphinXes and
monuments he found the fragment Of
an S0-foot figure Of Rameses H., the toe
alone being bulky as a mans body. In
the outskirts of the town he found
things that quickened the beating OF
his heart. During the Roman period
an enemy came with fire and sword and
a panie-stricken lady hid her trinkets
of sold and precious stones in a jar
which she secreted in the corner of a
cellar. Prof. Flinders Petrie found
them. The house of one I3akakhuiu.
man of culture, was burnt down, and
after all these thousands of years the
professor went grubbing among the
ruins. quantity of papyri came to
light, but alast it was burnt to white
ash. At this sight. he told me, his
heart ached. But suddenly he expert
enced the delicious torture Of a faint
hope One basketful of papyri was
only burnt TO carbon But Carbonized
papyrus is among the brittlest things
in the world and these particular doe
uments were crushed. twisted and
squeezed together. For 10 hours Pro-
fessor Petrie intently labored in a still
atmosphere. and with the delicate
touch Of matchmaker adjusting
springs. A hundred ana fifty docu-
ments. which are now stretched safely
under his glass, were his reward.
One" IN his words. shows us, for the
first time, the system on which the
hierCrlyphics were arranged and
taught Another supplies geographi-
cal information Of the greatest value.
Most of the documents still await read
ing.
What. Professor Pctrie, was your
most painful experience"
Getting out Horuta's body at Lia
wara," he replied. oh. thai black and
bitter watCr!" and he shrudded at the
recollection.
This IS the story: lie had previously
entered the pyramid Of Havana Won
derful adventure in itself. To tunnel
through the solid brick work was the
labor of many men during many weeks.
Then came the irksome business Of slid
ing ON ones stomach along passages
uholed with mud and the still more
irksomo business Of hewing a way into
blind corridors and deceptive chambers.
When Amenemhat III. built the pyra
mid. more than 1000 years ago. he took
elaborate measures which he fondlN be-
IieAtu WOULD 1901 ana bdiiie lnlGlAtFS
during eternity But his majesty count
ed without Professor Potrie. However.
the story of the bitter water has the
cemetery and not the pyramid for its
scene. For nearly three months the
professors picked party labored at
some solid masonry.
They Were at tho bottom of a 40-foot
we'll in Il chamber that was pitch dark
when their candles were not alight.
-Four hundred ushahits Of finest work
manship were found. but that is a de-
tail. When at length the sepulcher was
entered it was the work of two weeks
to cut through the lid Of the sarc1p-
haguS, which was under water. Il
spent some greWsome days. said Pro
fossor Pctrip. sitting aStridc the Cuf-
fins, and struggling 10 loosen them, the
bitter water up to my nose Al last
the first lid was removed, but the sec
ond was out Of arms reach in the
water. Mining with the feet proved
useless. So holes We're drilled and stout
iron bolts inserted All hands hauled
at the ropes and up came an immense
black mass. Poor old Horuta,s body
was lowed into the light of day. and
straightMay the professor pumped
down on his knees. and. trembling with
expectancy proceeded reverentlv To re-
move the wrappiugs. There was now
disclosed the richest and most COM
plete series of amulets ever seen" After
funeral furniture.
1t was in the cemetery at lIawara
the professor told me. that H. discoV-
cred the wonderful series of Roman
paintings of which some IF the finest
specimens are ar" in our national gal
lerN. lie also found ehildreus rag dolls
there, besides other toys Rut what
amazed me most MAS To learn that
wreaths OF real flowers, in perfect pres
efNation. came u light. lie sent boxes
- the plants to his country and the list
OF ancient Egyptian botany was
doubled IN consequence. N illahuu hc
discovered a town. IN addition II balls +
Of thread. fishing nets. rakes whip
tops, tin cats. bow drills fer producing
fire thefere hat NO one knew Tho Egypt
iau makrShitt fur matCheSl and other +
domestic articles of the ieth dynasty.
Besides babies bodies. In boxes. he
found mummias WhIsa Wrapptuss were i
reduced 60 SuatS powder To strih them
he stripped himself and aftrrUard-
the image OF a naked chimney sweep
hatncd In q pond Tie had sampled
many periods. ana now he Wout II Me
Tim. bent oH finding "thH beginning eF
things. After he AMI his workers had
bon nearly killed hY falling stones uf
last they Eot down to the temple IF
Senctrru trsl king of the fourth DIV
nasty lit +. &, the earliest date ever f
reached They found beautiful archj=
lecture bronze rhisrts stone axes ami
"a dFaushpaafd3 Even rheumatism
VAS known lu those DAYS. Tn. skeleton s
WAS found &c man who had bean
martyr n THAI mala1y as united V0rty===
hrac proved. Another man Was Iouuu
who had suffered from rickety eal,a-#
turp Of the spine, THESE evidences .t .
ancient diseases are now in The G-Nst s
college 81 Surgeons.