Evening star., 1923-02-20

one ought Immediately to restore the
protective walls behind which he has
escaped the seekers for treasure.
Il readily admit that II this tomb
to the world 1t would be useless to
explore 1t and devote a minute study
to Its contents. but 1t has been said
that the advantage which man. has
over the brute Is his faculty Of re-
tanning memory OF his past. Today.
however. the splendor OF a past at
first completely lost and then resus-
cttated in uncertain manner appears
again before our daxzled eyes.
Something more than the groans of
neurasthenics and lunatics is neces-
sary to convince me that the Egyp.
tologists are violating the secret or
death in a sacrilegious manner. Nu-
M erous Itinerary texts OF ancient
Egypt give evidence OF. the anxiety
which the dead displayed that poster
ity should cause their name to live.
1t was said that he lives whose name
is proclaimed. A few weeks ago
Tutankhamen's name was completely
forgotten outside Of small circle OF
throughout the world.
No Name for Barbar:ans.
I'm their stelae Egyptians used to
make an appeal to those who were
able to read them. inviting them to
recite the formulae, assuring to the
dead all welfare in the other world.
For long no one had read the form
ulae drawn up for the kings Of the
eighteenth dynasty. After centuries
barbarians have come from far dis
tant parts for which the pharaonic
geography had no names, and they
have just read the prayers. which. ac-
cordiaS to the belief Of the ancients.
carnated spirits Of the dead real
and truly happy life
Here then. perhaps. is som ething to
DrlIS reinsurance to sensible minds
N regard to the feelings with which
Iutankhamen sees us enter his tomb
Il shall not describe the first cham
per where two great statues seem to
be protecting the closed wall. which
SUN bore the royal seals. Today the
wall has fallen. and there only re-
whole of the open space is to a great
extent blocked by an immense OBJ
stacle which sparkles At first sight
one sees nothing but gold and the
wonderful Egyptian blue. which har-
monizes so we'll with gold. It Is the
royal cstafalque which fills the whole
chamber
Cnderstands Texts More Clearly.
Il now understand more clearly
Than ever why in the Egyptian texts
the chamber which inclosed the sar-
cophagGs was called the chamber of
gold. There are. 1t is said. four can
opies. one within the other, in center
of which lies without any doubt the
royal mummy inclosed in Its sarco-
phagus.
zone asks ones self by what su-
preme effort was 1t possible to erect
Inscriptions in ink for facilitating the
assembly of Il. ese parts. Between the
walls. on which one can discern
paintings of somewhat rough ma
ture. and the catafalque there is
space through which even persons OF
moderate girths find it dif1icult to
pass
AT last find myself before the
closed doors bearing still their old
bolts. They were ajar when Mr Car
ter entered and behind them, he saw
other doors still sealed. few steps
led me to the end of the chamber
where between the wall and the
catalfalque were placed oars. per-
on which the royal remains had
crossed the river
Told to Turn Around.
"At this moment my guide. Mr.. Mace
Of the Metropolitan Museum of New
York. tells me to turn around. 1 could
not refrain from cry of surprise,
and even now l fell choked with the
what at that moment lay before my
eyes. A door cut somewhat low in
the rock gives access to moderately
sized chamber which was filled with
objects which were placed there nigh
on thirty-flve centuries ago. No one
has entered there. No plunderer has
snatched any booty or has displaced a
single article.
1T. is one of those moments In
which one tries to take in everything
at a glance. as II one were about to
die and the present were the last
minute one might have to live. saw
so much; yet. now that I have come
out of the tomb, 1t seems to me that ]
have seen nothing and that whole
hours Will be necessary to under
stand all that held my gaze during
those few seconds.
practically all that we had up to
now in the way of Egyptian indus
trial art was only trumpery and rub.
people who wanted their tomb to
have the appearance Of royal splen-
dor.
Chest of Elegant Design.
I'm the center is a square chest Of
most elegant design which Is guard
ed. or better still, protected. by four
arms outstretched in a charming at
titude. 1t is probable that this is the
chest containing the viscera Of the
king. We shall know better later.
when 1t has been possible to break
the SedlS, WHICH are Stlil lntaCt, Wnat
the chests and little tabernacles there
are which are probably full OF sur
prises for US. This Is a mystery which
can be solved only slowly. The duties
Of the excavators in the matter Of
the preservation Of the objects must
be subjected to a great strain for
months. perhaps for years. We shall
in time know all that the tomb con-
tains. but the knowledge thus OBJ
tained must necessarily be vouch-
safed to US as If measured drop by
drop.
II have seen caskets Of a beauty