384 ANCIENT EGYPTIAN SARCOPHAGI. 



flower, and those of the yellow mimosa, which are still 

 common in Egypt; whilst other varieties were found 

 to be from plants that do not grow in Egypt at the 

 present day. Curiously enough also, when the coffin 

 of Amenhotep, a King of the xvin Dynasty who 

 lived quite 3500 years ago, came to be opened, it 

 was found that a wasp, which had evidently settled 

 upon the flowers when the coffin was being closed, 

 had been shut in and still existed, dried up, but quite 

 perfect, the insect having lasted better than the King, 

 who lay in regal state beneath.* 



It will therefore scarcely be surprising to find that 

 the woodwork of many of these coffins, together with 

 the gilding, paintings, and varnishing, with which 

 they were all magnificently decorated, both inside 

 and out, are still in a most complete state of preser- 

 vation and apparently as bright and perfect as if the 

 work had only just been executed. Some of the portraits 

 of the occupants are admirably painted. In one 

 instance the face of a beautiful girl is preserved in this 

 way, who, from her features, might have been quite 

 a good-looking English girl of the present era. 



When the coffins containing these royal mummies 

 and the treasures brought to light in this famous find, 

 had been taken to Luxor, and placed on board a vessel 

 for conveyance to Cairo, an affecting instance of loyal 

 attachment to the memory of the illustrious dead was 

 exhibited by the poor fellahin of Egypt, such as is 

 probably unique in history. 



As the vessel containing the remains of their ancient 

 sovereigns started upon its journey, its departure was 

 witnessed by a vast crowd of natives assembled upon 



* Egyft After the War, by Villiers Stuart, M.P., 1883, p. 185. 



