238 BULLETIN 139^ UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



The modern lamp of Egypt consists of a small glass vessel \\ath a 

 tube at the bottom containing a cotton wick twisted around a piece 

 of straw. This appears to be a survival of the common lamp of 

 ancient Egypt depicted in the pap;>TUs of Ani and in wall deco- 

 rations. Another hand lamp of crusie t3^pe, with handle, neck 

 for filhng the reservoir, and open wick gutter, is evidently Moham- 

 medan, related to lamps found at Fostat. 



Rude lamps were introduced by the Arab traders and slavers into 

 Africa, but were rarely adopted by the uncivilized races. In the 

 Christy collection in the British Museum are lamps of pottery made 

 by the Nupe people of the River Niger. 



The Betisemaraka natives of Madagascar possessed an ingenious 

 lamp of iron, thus described by Ellis: 



"Around the center of the room was a sort of raised hearth edged 

 round with stones, on which a wood fire was burning. The room 

 was dimly lighted by a lamp of native structure fixed in the sand of 

 the hearth. The lamp itself was a curiosity, consisting of an iron 

 rod 2 or 3 feet long, sharpened to a point at one end and having a 

 cup with a hook above it at the other. The sharp end of the rod 

 was fixed in the sand. The cup contained melted fat. In this was 

 a lighted wick of twisted cotton, and above the flame of the wick a 

 piece of bullock's fat was fixed on the hook, which, as it melted in 

 the flame, replenished the cup below. 



30 



FLOAT LAMP 



The float lamp is a curious development in illuminating apparatus 

 of ancient origin and widespread use. Examples were found in the 

 tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amen. The wick, instead of being anchored to 

 the side of the lamp reservoir or in a channel, is floated on oil, which 

 in turn is floated on water in a bowl. Necessarily this contrivance 

 gave only a feeble light, and it was used where a limited illumination 

 was needed. Its practical ideas seem to have been to preserve light 

 and to economize light and oil. There may be added also the fea- 

 tures of long continuance and safety, the latter provided by the water. 



The practical use of the float lamp as a night light was very exten- 

 sive tor sick rooms, and also to keep a light which would enable one 

 to move around or from M^hich a candle could be lit. In colonial 

 times and subsequently in America the float was three pointed, cut 

 by hand from tm or brass, having a hole for the wick in the center 

 and three bits oi corK stuck on the points. A great trade in nacht- 

 licJiter originated in Nuremburg, Germany. These were disks of cork 

 fitted with wicks and put up in oval boxes of wood veneer. To this 

 day boxes of night lights may be purchased in Europe. 



" Rev. William Ellis. Three Visits to Madagascar, New York, 1859, p. 134. 



