she-第27节

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six　in　height；　hewn　out　of　the　living　rock；　of　which　
it　had　formed　part；　and　was　still　attached　to　at　the　
base。　These　tables　were　slightly　hollowed　out　or　
curved　inward；　to　give　room　for　the　knees　of　any　one　
sitting　on　the　stone　ledge　that　had　been　cut　for　a　
bench　along　the　side　of　the　cave　at　a　distance　of　
about　two　feet　from　them。　Each　of　them；　also；　was　so　
arranged　that　it　ended　right　under　a　shaft　pierced　in　
the　rock　for　the　admission　of　light　and　air。　On　
examining　them　carefully；　however；　I　saw　that　there　
was　a　difference　between　them　that　had　at　first　
escaped　my　attention；　viz。；　that　one　of　the　tables；　
that　to　the　left　as　we　entered　the　cave；　had　evidently　
been　used；　not　to　eat　upon；　but　for　the　purposes　of　
embalming。　That　this　was　beyond　all　question　the　case　
was　clear　from　five　shallow　depressions　in　the　stone　
of　the　table；　all　shaped　like　a　human　form；　with　a　
separate　place　for　the　head　to　lie　in；　and　a　little　
bridge　to　support　the　neck；　each　depression　being　of　a　
different　size；　so　as　to　fit　bodies　varying　in　stature　
from　a　full…grown　man's　to　a　small　child's；　and　with　
little　holes　bored　at　intervals　to　carry　off　fluid。　
And；　indeed；　if　any　further　confirmation　were　
required；　we　had　but　to　look　at　the　wall　of　the　cave　
above　to　find　it。　For　there；　sculptured　all　round　the　
apartment；　and　looking　nearly　as　fresh　as　the　day　it　
was　done；　was　the　pictorial　representation　of　the　
death；　embalming；　and　burial　of　an　old　man　with　a　long　
beard；　probably　an　ancient　king　or　grandee　of　this　
country。

The　first　picture　represented　his　death。　He　was　lying　
upon　a　couch　which　had　four　short　curved　posts　at　the　
corners　coming　to　a　knob　at　the　end；　in　appearance　
something　like　a　written　note　of　music；　and　was　
evidently　in　the　very　act　of　expiring。　Gathered　round　
the　couch　were　women　and　children　weeping；　the　former　
with　their　hair　hanging　down　their　backs。　The　next　
scene　represented　the　embalmment　of　the　body；　which　
lay　nude　upon　a　table　with　depressions　in　it；　similar　
to　the　one　before　us；　probably；　indeed；　it　was　a　
picture　of　the　same　table。　Three　men　were　employed　at　
the　workone　superintending；　one　holding　a　funnel　
shaped　exactly　like　a　port…wine　strainer；　of　which　the　
narrow　end　was　fixed　in　an　incision　in　the　breast；　no　
doubt　in　the　great　pectoral　artery；　while　the　third；　
who　was　depicted　as　standing　straddle　legged　over　the　
corpse；　held　a　kind　of　large　jug　high　in　his　hand；　and　
poured　from　it　some　steaming　fluid　which　fell　
accurately　into　the　funnel。　The　most　curious　part　of　
this　sculpture　is　that　both　the　man　with　the　funnel　
and　the　man　who　poured　the　fluid　are　drawn　holding　
their　noses；　either　I　suppose　because　of　the　stench　
arising　from　the　body；　or　more　probably　to　keep　out　
the　aromatic　fumes　of　the　hot　fluid　which　was　being　
forced　into　the　dead　man's　veins。　Another　curious　
thing　which　I　am　unable　to　explain　is　that　all　three　
men　were　represented　as　having　a　band　of　linen　tied　
round　the　face　with　holes　in　it　for　the　eyes。

The　third　sculpture　was　a　picture　of　the　burial　of　the　
deceased。　There　he　was；　stiff　and　cold；　clothed　in　a　
linen　robe；　and　laid　out　on　a　stone　slab　such　as　I　had　
slept　upon　at　our　first　sojourning…place。　At　his　head　
and　feet　burned　lamps；　and　by　his　side　were　placed　
several　of　the　beautiful　painted　vases　that　I　have　
described；　which　were　perhaps　supposed　to　be　full　of　
provisions。　The　little　chamber　was　crowded　with　
mourners；　and　with　musicians　playing　on　an　instrument　
resembling　a　lyre；　while　near　the　foot　of　the　corpse　
stood　a　man　with　a　sheet；　with　which　he　was　preparing　
to　cover　it　from　view。

These　sculptures；　looked　at　merely　as　works　of　art；　
were　so　remarkable　that　I　make　no　apology　for　
describing　them　rather　fully。　They　struck　me　also　as　
being　of　surpassing　interest　as　representing；　probably　
with　studious　accuracy；　the　last　rites　of　the　dead　as　
practised　among　an　utterly　lost　people；　and　even　then　
I　thought　how　envious　some　antiquarian　friends　of　my　
own　at　Cambridge　would　be　if　ever　I　got　an　opportunity　
of　describing　these　wonderful　remains　to　them。　
Probably　they　would　say　that　I　was　exaggerating；　
notwithstanding　that　every　page　of　this　history　must　
bear　so　much　internal　evidence　of　its　truth　that　it　
would　obviously　have　been　quite　impossible　for　me　to　
have　invented　it。

To　return。　As　soon　as　I　had　hastily　examined　these　
sculptures；　which　I　think　I　omitted　to　mention　were　
executed　in　relief；　we　sat　down　to　a　very　excellent　
meal　of　boiled　goat's…flesh；　fresh　milk；　and　cakes　
made　of　meal；　the　whole　being　served　upon　clean　wooden　
platters。

When　we　had　eaten　we　returned　to　see　how　poor　Leo　was　
getting　on；　Billali　saying　that　he　must　now　wait　upon　
_i_　She　_i_　；　and　hear　her　commands。　On　reaching　Leo's　
room　we　found　the　poor　boy　in　a　very　bad　way。　He　had　
woke　up　from　his　torpor；　and　was　altogether　off　his　
head；　babbling　about　some　boat…race　on　the　Cam；　and　
was　inclined　to　be　violent。　Indeed；　when　we　entered　
the　room　Ustane　was　holding　him　down。　I　spoke　to　him；　
and　my　voice　seemed　to　soothe　him；　at　any　rate　he　grew　
much　quieter；　and　was　persuaded　to　swallow　a　dose　of　
quinine。

I　had　been　sitting　with　him　for　an　hour；　perhapsat　
any　rate　I　know　that　it　was　getting　so　dark　that　I　
could　only　just　make　out　his　head　lying　like　a　gleam　
of　gold　upon　the　pillow　we　had　extemporized　out　of　a　
bag　covered　with　a　blanketwhen　suddenly　Billali　
arrived　with　an　air　of　great　importance；　and　informed　
me　that　_i_　She　_i_　herself　had　deigned　to　express　a　
wish　to　see　mean　honor；　he　added；　accorded　to　but　
very　few。　I　think　that　he　was　a　little　horrified　at　my　
cool　way　of　taking　the　honor；　but　the　fact　was　that　I　
did　not　feel　overwhelmed　with　gratitude　at　the　
prospect　of　seeing　some　savage；　dusky　queen；　however　
absolute　and　mysterious　she　might　be；　more　especially　
as　my　mind　was　full　of　dear　Leo；　for　whose　life　I　
began　to　have　great　fears。　However；　I　rose　to　follow　
him；　and　as　I　did　so　I　caught　sight　of　something　
bright　lying　on　the　floor；　which　I　picked　up。　Perhaps　
the　reader　will　remember　that　with　the　potsherd　in　the　
casket　was　a　composition　scarabaeus　marked　with　a　
round　O；　a　goose；　and　another　curious　hieroglyphic；　
the　meaning　of　which　signs　is　〃Suten　se　Ra^；〃　or　
〃Royal　Son　of　the　Sun。〃　This　scarab；　which　is　a　very　
small　one；　Leo　had　insisted　upon　having　set　in　a　
massive　gold　ring；　such　as　is　generally　used　for　
signets；　and　it　was　this　very　ring　that　I　now　picked　
up。　He　had　pulled　it　off　in　the　paroxysm　of　his　fever；　
at　least　I　suppose　so；　and　flung　it　down　upon　the　
rock…floor。　Thinking　that　if　I　left　it　about　it　might　
get　lost；　I　slipped　it　on　to　my　own　little　finger；　and　
then　followed　Billali；　leaving　Job　and　Ustane　with　
Leo。

We　passed　down　the　passage；　crossed　the　great　aisle…
like　cave；　and　came　to　the　corresponding　passage　on　
the　other　side；　at　the　mouth　of　which　the　guards　stood　
like　two　statues。　As　we　came　they　bowed　their　heads　in　
salutation；　and　then　lifting　their　long　spears　placed　
them　transversely　across　their　foreheads；　as　the　
leaders　of　the　troop　that　had　met　us　had　done　with。　
their　ivory　wands。　We　stepped　between　them；　and　found　
ourselves　in　an　exactly　similar　gallery　to　that　which　
led　to　our　own　apartments；　only　this　passage　was；　
comparatively　speaking；　brilliantly　lighted。　A　few　
paces　down　it　we　were　met　by　four　mutestwo　men　and　
two　womenwho　bowed　low　and　then　arranged　themselves；　
the　women　in　front　and　the　men　behind　us；　and　in　this　
order　we　continued　our　procession　past　several　
doorways　hung　with　curtains　resembling　those　leading　
to　our　own　quarters；　and　which　I　afterwards　found　
opened　out　into　chambers　occupied　by　the　mutes　who　
attended　on　_i_　She　_i_　。　A　few　paces　more　and　we　came　
to　another　doorway　facing　us；　and　not　to　our　left　like　
the　others；　which　seemed　to　mark　the　termination　of　
the　passage。　Here　two　more　white；　or　rather　yellow；　
robed　guards　were　standing；　and　they　too　bowed；　
saluted；　and　let　us　pass　through　heavy　curtains　into　a　
great　ante…chamber；　quite　forty　feet　long　by　as　many　
wide；　in　which　some　eight　or　ten　women；　most　of　them　
young　and　handsome；　with　yellowish　hair；　sat　on　
cushions　working　with　ivory　needles　at　what　had　the　
appearance　of　being　embroidery…frames。　These　women　
were　also　deaf　and　dumb。　At　the　farther　end　of　this　
great　lamp　lit　apartment　was　another　doorway　closed　in　
with　heavy　Oriental…looking　curtains；　quite　unlike　
those　that　hung　before　the　doors　of　our　own　rooms；　and　
here　stood　two　particularly　handsome　girl　mutes；　their　
heads　bowed　upon　their　bosoms　and　their　hands　crossed　
in　an　attitude　of　the　humblest　submission。　As　we　
advanced　they　each　stretched　out　an　arm　and　drew　back　
the　curtains。　Thereupon　Billali　did　a　curious　thing。　
Down　he　went；　that　venerable…looking　old　gentleman
for　Billali　is　a　gentleman　at　the　bottomdown　on　to　
his　hands　and　knees；　and　in　this　undignified　position；　
with　his　long　white　beard　trailing　on　the　ground；　he　
began　to　creep　into　the　apartment　beyond。　I　followed　
him；　standing　on　my　feet　in　the　usual　fashion。　Looking　
over