ere was a second wall blocking the way; but when a few layers had been
taken off the top we were able to climb, one by one, into the chamber.

[Footnote 1: Mr and Mrs Joseph Lindon Smith.]

[Illustration: PL. XVII. Excavating the Osireion at Abydos. A chain of
boys handing up baskets of sand to the
surface.]

[_Photo by the Author._

Imagine entering a town house which had been closed for the summer:
imagine the stuffy room, the stiff, silent appearance of the furniture,
the feeling that some ghostly occupants of the vacant chairs have just
been disturbed, the desire to throw open the windows to let life into
room once more. That was perhaps the first sensation as we stood, really
dumfounded, and stared around at the relics of the life of over three
thousand years ago, all of which were as new almost as when they graced
the palace of Prince Yuaa. Three arm-chairs were perhaps the first
objects to attract the attention: beautiful carved wooden chairs,
decorated with gold. Belonging to one of these was a pillow made of down
and covered with linen. It was so perfectly preserved that one might
have sat upon it or tossed it from this chair to that without doing it
injury. Here were fine alabaster vases, and in one of these we were
startled to find a liquid, like honey or syrup, still unsolidified by
time. Boxes of exquisite workmanship stood in various parts of the room,
some resting on delicately wrought legs. Now the eye was directed to a
wicker trunk fitted with trays and partitions, and ventilated with
little apertures, since the scents were doubtless strong. Two most
comfortable beds were to be observed, fitted with springy string
mattresses and decorated with charming designs in gold. There in the far
corner, placed upon the top of a number of large white jars, stood the
light chariot which Yuaa had owned in his lifetime. In all directions
stood objects gleaming with gold undulled by a speck of dust, and one
looked from one article to another with the feeling that the entire
human conception of Time was wrong. These were the things of yesterday,
of a year or so ago. Why, here were meats prepared for the feasts in the
Underworld; here were Yuaa's favourite joints, each neatly placed in a
wooden box as though for a journey. Here was his staff, and here were
his sandals,--a new pair and an old. In another corner there stood the
magical f