Our friends passed through the gate-way, and found themselves in a garden filled with large statues and sphinxes. Their attention was attracted to the colossal statue of a king in a sitting posture, and close to it were several sphinxes. The Doctor explained that the figure represented one of the kings of the twelfth dynasty. Some of the sphinxes came from Karnak, and once formed part of the great avenue leading to the temple, while others were from Tanis and Sakkara. The statue of the king was of solid granite and admirably carved, leaving no doubt that the Egyptians were well advanced in the art of the sculptor. On the walls of the temples at Karnak there are several pictures that show how the makers of royal statues performed their work, and the methods in vogue seem to have been almost identical with those of modern sculptors.
We have neither time nor space for describing all that our friends saw in the museum, and can only refer to the objects of greatest importance. As they had talked about the Rosetta Stone, and the key it gave to the translation of the language of the ancient Egyptians, the Doctor led the way to the "Tablet of Tanis," in the first hall of the museum, and told the youths to observe it closely.
"It is," he explained, "a more perfect stone than the one found at Rosetta, as it is in a fine state of preservation, while the Rosetta one was badly defaced. Here is a decree in three languages—Greek, hieroglyphic, and demotic—and the translation confirms the correctness of Champollion's theory, which I have already explained. It was found in 1866 by Doctor Lepsius, and you see that it is regarded of great importance, as it is framed and covered with glass to protect it from possible injury."
Frank asked what was the language of the decree, and how old it was.
"According to the translation," said Doctor Bronson, "it was made by an assembly of priests in the Temple of Canopus, on the 7th of March, 238 b.c. It praises the king for having brought back the image of the gods from Asia, gained many victories, established peace, and averted famine by importing corn; and it ordains that festivals shall be held in all the temples of Egypt in honor of Princess Berenice, who died a short time before the date of the assembly. The inscription closes with a declaration that the decree shall be engraved on stone in three languages, just as you see it here, and there is no doubt that the stone we are looking at was prepared in obedience to this order."
WOODEN STATUE FOUND AT SAKKARA.
In another room the Doctor halted in front of a wooden statue, and waited for the youths to fix their attention upon it. They were not long in doing so, nor in expressing their admiration for its wonderfully life-like appearance. When they had looked at it a few moments the Doctor explained what it was.
"It is probably the oldest wooden statue in existence," said he, "and some persons think it is the oldest statue of any kind in the world. It represents a sheik el belyd, or village chief, and was found in a tomb at Sakkara. Mariette Bey says it belongs to the fourth dynasty, and is not far from six thousand years old."