348 
Prosperity and Long Life of the Early Egyptians . 
The Egyptians themselves are presented beforeus in their 
own accounts of the old dynasties, as possessing in a very large 
measure the gift of civilization. Their fertile country, divided 
by innumerable canals, supported a large population, deriving 
sustenance not only from the land, but to a very large extent 
from the waters, as is the case with the present Chinese, whom 
in their industrious habits they must have greatly resembled. 
They turned to account all that fell within their reach. They 
tamed the animals of the country, and amongst these several 
species of the gazelle, and dogs of somewhat similar form to ours, 
and even cats, whom they taught, retriever-like, to assist them in 
the chase of wild fowl shot down by the skilful Egyptian archers. 
They had also taught them to spring from tuft to tuft of 
the papyrus-beds, and to bring back thence the fallen prey. 
They explored in various mining operations the bowels of the 
earth for its hidden treasures, and at the early date of the IVtli 
or Vth Dynasty, though working as it seems with stone imple- 
ments, could excavate such mines as now in the Peninsula of 
Sinai excite the surprise of our travellers, even as they may 
seem to have been looked upon with wonder and admiration 
in the days of Job (Job xxviii.), as triumphant illustrations of 
the wisdom and skill of mankind. 
They enjoyed thoroughly, and even to extravagant excess, 
the good things of this life, and lived amongst its flowers. 
The Egyptian ladies are constantly represented as adorning 
themselves with these beautiful productions of nature, and 
especially as holding bouquets of flowers in their hand, 
or the charming lotos of Egypt. Not alone did the ladies, 
but also the Pharaohs of Egypt, delight in their flowery 
land, and took from thence the designs of their architecture. 
The normal Egyptian physiognomy is known to most persons 
who have ever visited the museums of Europe, or appreciated 
the representations occurring in the pages of our travellers. 
The statues in the British Museum are illustrative ; Ramses II., 
especially the figure in red granite, shows perhaps a mixture 
of the Shepherd physiognomy in his ancestry. In Nott and 
Gliddon’s Types of Mankind will be seen striking illustra- 
tions, in their “ Pharaonic Portraits” (p. 145), of the effects 
of foreign admixture. The most characteristic traits of the 
Old Egyptians arc probably those seen in the statues of 
the Builder of the Great Pyramid, especially in one found 
by M. Mariette, and now in Paris. It is interesting to notice 
that certain photographs in the album of M. Mariette, of 
