Il8 ANCIENT EGYPT. 



of the Structure are intended to be set to the four cardinal 

 points, the longer axis being from north to south. The angle 

 of a mastaba is 75°, as against 50° to 55° in the case of the 

 pyramid. These monuments, which have usually two doors, 

 one for the living and the other for the dead, contain a 

 chapel and a sepulchral vault. 



The necropolis of Sakkarah contains numerous mastabas of 

 the Ancient Empire, and I will touch lightly on one of them, 

 taking that of Tih, who lived during the Vth. dynasty, about 

 B.C. 4,000. He held high priestly and civil rank, and was 

 married to a daughter of Pharaoh. Like all tombs of the 

 Ancient Empire, there is nothing funereal about the decora- 

 tions of Tih's mausoleum, and the colours and delicacy of 

 outline have been wonderfully preserved ; they are char- 

 acterised by a simple dignity, and depict sweet pastoral 

 scenes, the pleasures of the chase, and many phases of 

 Egyptian daily life and work. Tih is seen with his wife and 

 sons superintending the work of the farm. 



These inscriptions clearly reveal the ideal of the Egyptians 

 of that period as to a future life — their hope being to live and 

 labour as when on earth. 



The Pyramids. 



The remains of a large number of these structures have 

 been discovered over the pyramid area in Egypt proper; and 

 they occur in groups. 



Endless speculations, more or less ingenious and far- 

 fetched, have been indulged in as to the object and meaning 

 of this singular form of monument, and savants have evolved 

 all sorts of theories concerning them ; some, that they were 

 astronomical observatories, or warehouses for the storage of 

 grain, having been built for hoarding up the surplusses of 

 bounteous years, to be applied in supplementing the yield of 

 lean years ; while others saw in them standards of measure- 

 ment ; but whatever collateral objects the builders may possibly 

 have had in view, the primary and principal one was clearly 



