gn, and their contents were distributed in
varying proportions among all classes of society, from the militiaman
belonging to some feudal contingent, who received, as a reward of his
valour, some half-dozen necklaces or bracelets, to the great lord of
ancient family or the Crown Prince, who carried off waggon-loads of
booty in their train. These distributions must have stimulated a passion
for all Syrian goods, and as the spoil was insufficient to satisfy the
increasing demands of the consumer, the waning commerce which had been
carried on from early times was once more revived and extended, till
every route, whether by land or water, between Thebes, Memphis, and the
Asiatic cities, was thronged by those engaged in its pursuit. It would
take too long to enumerate the various objects of merchandise brought
in almost daily to the marts on the Nile by Phoenician vessels or the
owners of caravans. They comprised slaves destined for the workshop or
the harem,* Hittite bulls and stallions, horses from Singar, oxen from
Alasia, rare and curious animals such as elephants from Nii, and
brown bears from the Lebanon,** smoked and salted fish, live birds of
many-coloured plumage, goldsmiths'work*** and precious stones, of which
lapis-lazuli was the chief.

* Syrian slaves are mentioned along with Ethiopian in the
_Anastasi Papyrus_, No. 1, and there is mention in the Tel
el-Amarna correspondence of Hittite slaves whom Dushratta of
Mitanni brought to Amenothes III., and of other presents of
the same kind made by the King of Alasia as a testimony of
his grateful homage.

** The elephant and the bear are represented on the tomb of
liakhmiri among the articles of tribute brought into Egypt.

*** The _Annals of Thutmosis III_. make a record in each
campaign of the importation of gold and silver vases,
objects in lapis-lazuli and crystal, or of blocks of the
same materials; the Theban tombs of this period afford
examples of the vases and blocks brought by the Syrians. The
Tel el-Amarna letters also mention vessels of gold or blocks
of precious stone sent as presents or as objects of exchange
to the Pharaoh by the King of Babylon, by the King of
Mitanni, by the King of the Hittites, and by other princes.
The lapis-lazuli of Babylon, which probably came from
Persia, was that which was most prized by the Egyptians on
account of the golden