-place it was intended. The drawing of the hieroglyphic
pictures was fine, and the colouring superb; and in that high cavern,
far away from even the damp of the Nile-flood, all was as fresh as when
the artists had laid down their palettes. There was one thing which we
could not avoid seeing. That although the cutting on the outside rock
was the work of the priesthood, the smoothing of the cliff face was
probably a part of the tomb-builder's original design. The symbolism
of the painting and cutting within all gave the same idea. The outer
cavern, partly natural and partly hewn, was regarded architecturally as
only an ante-chamber. At the end of it, so that it would face the east,
was a pillared portico, hewn out of the solid rock. The pillars were
massive and were seven-sided, a thing which we had not come across in
any other tomb. Sculptured on the architrave was the Boat of the Moon,
containing Hathor, cow-headed and bearing the disk and plumes, and the
dog-headed Hapi, the God of the North. It was steered by Harpocrates
towards the north, represented by the Pole Star surrounded by Draco and
Ursa Major. In the latter the stars that form what we call the 'Plough'
were cut larger than any of the other stars; and were filled with gold
so that, in the light of torches, they seemed to flame with a special
significance. Passing within the portico, we found two of the
architectural features of a rock tomb, the Chamber, or Chapel, and the
Pit, all complete as Van Huyn had noticed, though in his day the names
given to these parts by the Egyptians of old were unknown.

"The Stele, or record, which had its place low down on the western
wall, was so remarkable that we examined it minutely, even before going
on our way to find the mummy which was the object of our search. This
Stele was a great slab of lapis lazuli, cut all over with hieroglyphic
figures of small size and of much beauty. The cutting was filled in
with some cement of exceeding fineness, and of the colour of pure
vermilion. The inscription began:

"'Tera, Queen of the Egypts, daughter of Antef, Monarch of the North
and the South.' 'Daughter of the Sun,' 'Queen of the Diadems'.

"It then set out, in full record, the history of her life and reign.

"The signs of sovereignty were given with a truly feminine profusion of
adornment. The united Crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt were, in
especial, cut with exquisite precision. It was new to us both to find
the