82 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XI. 



as a welcome offering to the Gods, and an article of 

 luxury, we may conclude that great pains were taken 

 in rearing bees ; and the difficulty of procuring for 

 them an abundant supply of food at certain seasons, 

 doubtless, led to the adoption of many curious expe- 

 dients, which, being unnecessary, were unthought 

 of in other countries. 



The principal woods used by the Egyptians were 

 the date, Dum, sycomore, acacia, tamarisk, Egleeg 

 or balanite, ebony, fir, and cedar. The various 

 purposes, to which every ])art of the palm or date 

 tree was ap])lied, have been already noticed*, as 

 well as of the Z>6m, or Theban palm.t Syco- 

 more wood was em})loycd for coffins, boxes, small 

 idols, doors, window shutters, stools, chairs, and 

 cramps for building ; for handles of tools, wooden 

 pegs or nails, cramps, idols, small boxes, and those 

 parts of cabinet work requiring hard compact 

 wood, tiie So fit, or Acacia Nilotica was usually 

 preferred ; and spears were frequently made of 

 other acacias, which grew in the interior, or on the 

 confines of the desert. 



In tools of various kinds, the wood of the Tamarix 

 orientalis was likewise much used, and even occa- 

 sionally in pieces of furniture, for which purpose 

 the Kgleeg was also employed ; but the principal 

 woods adopted by the cabinet-maker for fine 

 work were ebony, fir, and cedar. The first came 

 from the interior of Africa, and formed, with 

 ivory, gold, ostricli feathers, dried fruits, and skins, 

 the j)rincipal object of the annual tribute brought 



♦ Vol.ir. p. UG.c/scq. f Vol.11, p. 178. 



