14 Professor Elliot Smith on 



Professor Elliot Smith, after discussing the circumstances 

 which led to the decision of the Egyptian Government to under- 

 take a complete archaeological survey of that part of Nubia 

 stretching from the First Cataract at Assouan as far south as 

 Korosko, which will be flooded in the great reservoir when the 

 heightening of the Assouan Dam will be completed, described the 

 manner in which the work of archaeological exploration was 

 carried ouc, and the nature of the objects discovered, and the 

 knowledge acquired as the result of the survey. 



In 1882, when the British Government made itself respon- 

 sible for the welfare of Egypt, its first duty after restoring order 

 was to put the irrigation canals into order, to cut new channels, 

 and do everything to facilitate the just and equitable distribution 

 of the water brought down by the river. To accomplish this end 

 it was necessary to build a great dam across the Nile so as to hold 

 up the surplus water (which would otherwise be poured wastefully 

 into the Mediterranean), and then use this stored-up supply for 

 distribution as it became necessary. After the most careful and 

 painstaking enquiry, it was demonstrated that the only place 

 where such a dam, to benefit the whole of Egypt, could be con- 

 structed in a stable manner and at reasonable cost was across the 

 rocks of the First Cataract at Assouan. The only objection 

 raised against the carrying out of this scheme was that it would 

 imperil the safety of the famous Temple of Philae. To prevent 

 this the foundations of the temple were underpinned, under the 

 direction of Captain Lyons, and the building made stronger than 

 it had ever been. Four years ago it became necessary to heighten 

 the dam to provide a still greater reservoir, and the Government 

 decided to make a thorough examination of the whole tract of 

 country to be flooded, so as to rescue all the historical records of 

 past generations buried in the soil. The work was put under the 

 charge of the Survey Department, of which Captain Lyons (now 

 lecturer in geography at the University of Glasgow) had become 

 director-general, the actual work of excavation and archaeological 

 research being carried on by Dr. George A. Reisner, and the 



