At the time of writing (January, 1923) Mr. Weigall is once more in Egypt, and further archæological works from his pen may be expected. In November, 1922, the present Publisher re-issued, and within a few weeks sold out, a revised (fourth) edition of The Life and Times of Akhnaton, perhaps the author’s most popular historical work; and it is hoped that this new volume will be found to be of equal interest and entertainment. The essays published herein were written between 1907 and the present year. Some of them appeared as part of a book many years ago; others were printed in various leading journals; and yet others have been specially written for this volume. In this regard the Publisher’s thanks are due to the editors of the Nineteenth Century, the Fortnightly Review, the Cornhill Magazine, Blackwood’s Magazine, the New Statesman, the Century Magazine, Putnam’s Magazine, and the Quarterly Review.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE
[I.]—[Egyptology in the Open The Necessity of Archæology to the Gaiety of the World][26]
[III.]—[The Misfortunes of Wenamon][46]
[IV.]—[The Preservation of Antiquities][69]
[V.]—[The Morality of Excavation][84]
[VI.]—[The Temperament of the Ancient Egyptians][109]
[VII.]—[Excavations in Egypt][136]
[VIII.]—[The Tomb of Tiy and Akhnaton][153]
[IX.]—[The Tomb of Horemheb][174]
[X.]—[Lower Nubia and the Great Reservoir][198]
[XI.]—[A Nubian Highway][216]
[XII.]—[The Alabaster Quarries in the Wady Assiout][235]
[XIII.]—[A Ride to Wady Salamûni][245]
[XIV.]—[The Children of Egypt][262]
[XV.]—[An Ancient Egyptian Poem][277]
[XVI.]—[The Story of the Shipwrecked Sailor][283]
[XVII.]—[Theban Thieves][304]
[XVIII.]—[The Error of Pompous History][328]

ILLUSTRATIONS

FACING PAGE
[Arthur Weigall, 1922][Frontispiece]
[The Author Standing Upon the Cliffs Between the Temple of Der el Bahri and the Valley of the Tombs of the Kings][16]
[An Egyptian Priest or Religious Official][54]
(From a wooden statuette of about B.C. 1800: now in Cairo)
[A Human-Faced Lion, Probably Dating from the Reign of Pharaoh Amenemes III., b.c. 1825][74]
Now in Cairo.
[The Mummy of Prince Yuaa][94]
(The photograph was taken by the Author on the day of its discovery. The mummy is now in the Cairo Museum)
[Excavating the Osireion at Abydos. A Chain of Boys Handing up Baskets of Sand to the Surface][144]
(Photograph by the Author)
[The Entrance of the Tomb of Queen Tiy, with a Native Policeman Guarding it. The Large Tomb of Rameses X. is to the Left][154]
[Bust of Akhnaton Found at Tell el Amarna, and now in Berlin][164]
[A Statue of Tutankhamon, the Pharaoh whose Tomb was Discovered by Lord Carnarvon in 1922][184]
Now in Cairo.
[The Entrance of the Tomb of Horemheb in the Valley of the Tombs of the Kings][192]
[The Nile at Philæ, Looking North][212]
[The Nile at Aswan. On the Hills to the Left is the Highroad to Nubia][222]
[Two Views in the Wady Salamûni, Early Morning][252]
[Modern Egyptian Peasants Beside a Water-Wheel][262]
[The Pharaoh Rameses II., b.c. 1292-1225][292]
(From his statue now at Turin)
[Gold Cups and Armlet of about b.c. 1000, Found Accidentally by a Native in a Mound by a Roadside in Lower Egypt][320]
Now in Cairo Museum.