95 



or inner sarcophagus, were found blue, yellow, and brown beads, and bugles of enamelled clay, 

 which had formed the necklace ornament or covering of the breast, and which was the insignia of 

 high rank. Various seeds and dried beetles were also found amongst the dust, composed of the 



ENTRANCE TO EGYPTIAN TOMB. 



decayed body and Ihien, mingled with pieces of the bitumen which had been used in the process 

 of embalming. These are now visible in the glass case close by. The upper part of the body has 

 not yet been uncovered, fearing it may also fall to dust. 



In hieroglyphic characters round the outside sarcophagus, which contains the funeral 

 epitaph and tlie prayer for the dejiarted spirit, can be deci})hered his name, viz., '' Amion, son or 

 servant of Ptah " (meauiug l)uth priest and esteemed of Ptali, that form of deity worshipped in 

 both Middle and Lower Egypt), "a good man made like to Osiris, whose life justifies his 

 expectation of eternal bliss." 



Tlie female mummy unwrapped is that of a priestess of the Apis or bull, which was 

 worshipped principally at Thebes, and is of a much more recent date, proliably about tlie time of 

 Pharaoh Necho, wlio lived in the Dynasty XXVI., about 7iJ0 years B.C., near the days of King 

 Josiah in Palestine, and a century before (Jambyses, tiie Persian, conquered Egypt. 



Down the centre of her cottin lid is the inscription : — " A Koyal gift to Osiris, of Pet 

 Amenti, the great God and Lord of Upper Egypt (Tlielies), consisting of the best of drinks, many 

 oxen, haunches of gazelle, that the great God of the laud of the Nile may be propitious to the 

 Osirified, aud declared to be justified, Le Seb " (i.e., her name). 



She was a young lady probably about seventeen years of age, whose purity of life entitled 

 her to a welcome in the aljode of the blessed. This mummy is iu a, perfect state of preservation, 

 and is remarkal)l(' for the absence of bitumen, so freely used in the ciiief emlialmings of Egypt, 

 aud also for the quantity of fair liair adhering to the skull at the time of unrolling, which took 

 place on the 26th January, 1893, in the presence of a large gathering of distinguished citizens of 

 Melbourne. Some hundreds of feet of linen wrapjnngs were taken off the body by Dr. Neild, 

 assisted l)y several medical gentlemen, after the third lecture on Egyptology had been publicly 

 delivered l)v the Kev. David Meadowcroft. 



COLLECTION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF MINES OF VICTORIA, 



which comprises (a) collection of rock specimens illustrating all the characteristic geological 

 formations of Victoria ; {(i) collection of tlie principal minerals occurring in Victoria ; (c) collec- 

 tion of metalliferous rocks aud ores and of samples of coal illustrating the mineral products of 



