d more frequent, and wells were sunk from point
to point along the road leading from Koptos to the mountains. Sometimes
these expeditions were made the occasion for pushing on as far as the
port of Sau and embarking on the Eed Sea. A hastily constructed boat
cruised along by the shore, and gum, incense, gold, and the precious
stones of the country were brought from the land of the Troglodytes. On
the return of the convoy with its block of stone, and various packages
of merchandise, there was no lack of scribes to recount the dangers of
the campaign in exaggerated language, or to congratulate the reigning
Pharaoh on having sown abroad the fame and terror of his name in the
countries of the gods, and as far as the land of Puanit.

The final overthrow of the Heracleopolitan dynasty, and the union of the
two kingdoms under the rule of the Theban house, are supposed to have
been the work of that Monthotpu whose throne-name was Nibkhrouri;
his, at any rate, was the name which the Egyptians of Kamesside times
inscribed in the royal lists as that of the founder and most illustrious
representative of the XIth dynasty. The monuments commemorate his
victories over the Uauaiu and the barbarous inhabitants of Nubia. Even
after he had conquered the Delta he still continued to reside in Thebes;
there he built his pyramid, and there divine honours were paid him from
the day after his decease. A scene carved on the rocks north of Silsileh
represents him as standing before his son Antuf; he is of gigantic
stature, and one of his wives stands behind him.*

* Brugsch makes him out to be a descendant of Amenemhait,
the prince of Thebes who lived under Monthotpu Nibtuiri, and
who went to bring the stone for that Pharaoh's sarcophagus
from the Wady Hammamat. He had previously supposed him to be
this prince himself. Either of these hypotheses becomes
probable, according as Nibtuiri is supposed to have lived
before or after Nibkhrouri.

[Illustration: 318.jpg THE PHARAOH MONTHOTPU RECEIVING THE HOMAGE OF HIS
SUCCESSOR--ANTUE--IN THE SHAT ER-RIGELEH.]

Drawn by Boudier, from a sketch by Petrie, _Ten Years'
Digging in Egypt_, p. 74, No. 2.

Three or four kings followed him in rapid succession; the least
insignificant among them appearing to have been a Monthotpii Nibtouiri.
Nothing but the prenomen--Sonkheri--is known of the last of these latter
princes, who was also the only one of them ever ente