Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-17
Antiquities I'm Egypt.
Gohn Ward. in London Times.)


The French Government left us alone
I'm 1882 to carry out the saving of Egypt
from rebellion and restore the finances
of the country, if we cosld. We have
| done both made good soldiers Of her
! sons. who reconquered the Soudan under
! our generalship. We are now engaged
i'm doubling the supplies of Irrigation,
| and 50 increasing tie wealth OF the lahd
! i'm a similar degree. We have Deen SIN
| teen years employed thus. during an
| this time We have allowed the French TO
| control the important Department OF An
| tiqulties-that is, the Cairo Museum-and
| any antiquity in the land. whether dis
| covered long ago or still unearthed. All
! the chief officials of the department are
Frenchmen selected in Paris and all thelr
inspectors and underlings are selected
by the head Of the department. me
museum is in great need OF attehtloh'
few OF the exhibits are labelled, and those
lab.lled are i'm French. Nne-tenths Of
the visitors are English-speaking tour
lists and residents speaking Arabic. Il
new museum is much needed, as the
T Gizeh Palace was condemned six years
ago as being a very hazardous structure
in case of fire The Administration OF
Antiquities undertook TO provide new
museum in Cairo. Plans were Selecteu
and a contract accepted for this much
needed work some three years ago. Inc
foundations were found insufficient 10
hear the structure, and all the Worh mas
been stopped for upwards OF a year. liau
this new museum been IN SIT NlIlaIii
carstin's hands, IL would have been no"
g. advanced towards completion. In
oil onnearance there will not be new
,,,useum. unless we undertake, as we
(,,,b+ IA do the sole direction or TINS I'M
,,,r..pt dqpartment.
Another great abuse exists. Inc rrehch
have sole control of the antiquities III tne
neighborhood Of cairo and or the ehuie
p,.raroid fields. extending for seventy
miles along the Nile. There are 10 Gus
todians Of these monuments save lew
tombs at Sakkarah, ana the uIea'
pyramids and Sphinx are LETT 10 'ne me-
cies of the Bedouin Arabs. VINO Ilie w ~
tor,bs and sell the spoil There are lV"1
This os vet unscientifcally explored
g. &c believed. by competent authorities,
nv, ,oighborhood of the Great Pyramid
Is uneafe and there is no proper police
60 within seven miles. n frlend Oh
mine told me recently that ms wv
daughters went up the Great FSIalli anu
he. being an aged man, coulu no. so,,
rrhev had travelled about the Wo'lu' an"
thought the country, being uhder lib
ush protection, would be quite sdle' NJ
Followed up THO
v,ud fierce Arabs. who terrified theih'
,breotening to throw them down the
etoen sides if they did not deliver up
,beir money. which they did Iheir Ia
tbor could not wait TO prosecute as uheIl
stearoer was to sail the next DAY lheie
- neither grievance of the French man
'',,e,,ent mat when Mr.. Petrie was ailN-
tons to explore the pyramid cehlelei ~
oe he did the Pyramids inehse'N'S ~
iSSO ne was refused. The dl'ec.ol
he wanted 10 keep those places Ioi MN. IN
self BY the way, the excuse ~, 80 a.
,ointing custodians over this nlslilV'
a. idle tale that Napoleon derived 50
an from the men Of this trioe' anu
,lodoed his ROYAL word that the" shoulu
never be interfered with. The society
Cor Preservation Of Ancient Mohuinc"."
~ Egypt BOUNDED by Sir Edward -
pewter p. r. A. brought pressure u
hear when the tOmbs of Benz hasai W
Numbered I'm 1889. and guardians anu IL"
gates were put on all important ~r
ments of Upper Egypt. But IN Lowe
r"N,,.,t Win one hundred visitors TO
every monument for one In other pa,
no care whatever Is taken or the h"eS'
monuments in the world
~ nerson IS allowed TO make excaVa-
.,cns without official authority-that Is q
GOOD rule But how is II carrieu ou'
~ Arabs dig where they please ana sen
.'ntr etolen goods 10 the museum
a',+horities. one wel-known dealer gov
90 ooo recently for things ne had Iineu
,ro,n a tomb They sell the smaller mus
',,aniv and the dealers snip theih ~
.P,,arica But if Mr. Petrie. for example
',a,te IN excavate anywhere, he Is kept
flag months before he gets reply
an1 ,hen IS not given the place he wants;
os curse everything he fnds Is oiiereu
- tne museum. But II a Frehchhiun
W 20 die. the case Is different. Be
49, Mr. de Morgan resigned his charge
80 ~ museum. he licensed NJ. Ameliheau'
% t,aris 20 dig where he pleased Tor hVe
, -. II Is feared that many OF the
;,,,rortant discoveries made by TINS gen,
,Io,,e, may have had no scientihc record
- 30 them. IL IL very important 'hat
80, "ands" of forgotten dynasties should
- ,,,storad for use of patient investiga-
tors Mir. Petrie and Mr.. Navll,e Wc,,
INC for the English-Egypt ENpioaa'io"
Isnnd, always publish clear, sciehtilc re-
cords of ali their reasearches' ar. us
Morgan when director, also puplsnea
scientific accounts OF his i'hus os
were made with the pubic iuhus u
EgypD. but all his reports were p'in'ou ~
the French language. ana "e'e nv
available 10 the visitors OF the museum
without purchasing them a. 'ei' me-"
price.