598 EGYPTIAN ANTIQUITIES. 



lay the remains of a diorite statue. It had been entirely broken in 

 this vault ; the pit through which I had entered was probably the 

 same one used by some earlier spoilers of antiquity, in all likelihood as 

 early as the period of the twenty-sixth dynasty. 



This first sepulcher opened into a passage 110 meters long, running 

 from west to east, and consequently parallel to the north facade of the 

 pyramid. Doors made of Tourah limestone opened into the northern 

 sides of this gallery. Everything had been turned upside down and 

 the sarcophagi had been opened, but the inscriptions which they bore 

 informed us that in the second vault a queen named Nefert-hent had 

 been buried. Among the broken flagstones and rubbish were found 

 skulls, canopies, and vases of clay and alabaster. Everywhere the 

 greatest disorder reigned, and the white walls here and there still 

 showed traces of the hands of the spoilers. 



This first visit made, I immediately ordered workmen to clear the 

 principal gallery, and the soil was distributed over the entire length 

 of the subterranean structure. A wall of freestone was met, and I 

 found on the other side definite indications of the existence of another 

 pit. It was about time for the discovery of that egress, because air 

 was wanting in the gallery and the lights were extinguished. I imme- 

 diately made a plan of the subterranean structure, and carrying it 

 back to the surface, fixed the point of the opening. This pit was 

 cleared in a few days. It opened near the northeast angle of the pyr- 

 amid, rendered possible the discovery of tombs heretofore unknown, 

 and created a current of air, without which it would have been impos- 

 sible for the laborers to complete the work. 



Twelve sarcophagi of princesses had been successively discovered 

 and the clearing definitely commenced. I had given precise orders 

 that the explored portions of the tomb should be freed from all the 

 debris in order that the rock could be seen in place. 



As I had the honor to tell you, the sarcophagi had all been despoiled; 

 but the searchers after hidden treasures had evidently been hasty in 

 their work, for a goodly number of stone chests containing canopes 

 had been respected, and some chambers were still closed by the Avails 

 of brick. On the 6th of March the first treasure was discovered. The 

 jewels inclosed in a little box inlaid with gold and silver had formerly 

 been buried in the soil of the gallery at a depth of about 40 centimeters, 

 near the door of the tomb of Princess Hathor-Sat. The following day, 

 the 7th of March, another hiding place was found in a neighboring 

 gallery at the foot of the tomb of Princess Sent-Senbets. The ancients, 

 foreseeing that spoilers would later come to destroy these tombs, had 

 taken all precautions to hide from their eyes the most precious jewels. 



The richness of this treasure is considerable; necklaces, bracelets, 

 rings, mirrors, breastplates, pearls, pendants, jewels of every sort, 

 were found by the hundreds in the holes in which they had been 

 hoarded up. The chests had been destroyed by the humidity, and 

 their riches lay pellmell in the midst of the sands and the debris. 



