ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LOCi:, 1 Ij 



XV. 



Some Account of an Egypticm Lock of very high AntiquUy, In^ 

 dicated from Deijon's Travels, bij a CorrefpondeiU. With 

 Obfervations by W. N. 



A 



To Mr. NICHOLSON. 

 SIR, 



FEW weeks ago I faw, with particular pleafure, a model. Letter concerri- 

 or wooden lock, made from the defcription in Denon's traveh, at^theRo^val^'^" 

 which was exhibited in the lectures at the Royal Inftitution. I Inftitution. 

 beg leave to propofe the infertion of the fame in your excellent 

 Work, and Ihould hope for your opinion as to its fecurity. 

 I am. Sir, 



Your obliged reader, 

 Nezv Broad Street, P. Q. 



May 12, 1804. 



I HAVE given engravings of this lock, copied from De- Defcription of 

 lion's book. Plate VII. fiiews the lock as applied to a door, '"^ ^°'''» ^ 



and its developement is made in Plate VIII. The paflage in 

 Denon (tranflated) is as follows: 



" No. 2, 3, 4, and 6. The Egyptian lock. It fecures the 

 gales of towns, of houfes, and the apertures of the fmalleft 

 articles of furniture or ufe. I have placed it among the anti- 

 quities, becaufe it is the fame as was in ufe four thoufand years 

 ago. I found one fculptured among the baf-reliefs wliich de- fculptured on 

 corate the great temple of Karnack. It is fimple in concep. '/j? "ack!*^* 

 tion, eafy of execution, no lefs fure than any other lock, and 

 deferves to be applied on all our rural occafions. Fig. 2 is the 

 key, which is capable of thoufands of different combinations. 

 In Fig. 3 the lock is fliewn clofed, feen as to its interior; the 

 key being in the a6l of lifting up certain pins which had fallen 

 into holes in the bolt, and kept it in its place. In Fig. 1 the 

 bolt is drawn back, and the lock confequently open." See 

 plate 139 of the faid work, 



Eton, in his Survey of the Turkifli Empire, mentions this 

 lock as follows : 



" Nothing can be more clumfy than the door-locks in Eton's account 

 Turkey, but their mechanifm to prevent picking is admirable. °^^^/ fame lock 



•' * * *' as of univerlal 



12 It ufe ill Turkey, 



&c. 



