TANIS. 
33. As old, and probably older, is the bronze 
window-lattice, of which I found a quantity of 
pieces in the earth which had been dug out of the 
large chambers at Tel-el-Maskhutah in the year 
previous to my visit. No window-lattice has 
been preserved to us from ancient Egypt before, 
and hence this is not only of interest from the 
place where it was found, but is also an object new 
to our collections; a quantity of the bronze nails 
were also recovered. Unhappily, it has been all 
broken in small pieces by the workmen in digging, 
though it was apparently found as large complete 
sheets of lattice. The form seems to have been imi¬ 
tated from a wooden lattice like that in use in Egypt 
in the present time (see bottom left-hand object in 
frontispiece); the model was first cut, and then 
moulds for casting the bi'onze were taken from it. 
The shape was apparently in long horizontal 
strips, as much top and bottom edge, but scarcely 
any side edge, was found. These strips were 
probably placed over openings between the top of 
the wall and the eaves of the roof, as the early 
mastabas and temples are thus lighted by long 
horizontal slits, and such a position would be best 
for ventilation and keeping out sunlight. (Of the 
fragments found, 35 go to the British Museum, 
and a piece of the charred beam of the roof; 7 to 
Boston; and others to Bristol, Bolton, Geneva, 
York, Liverpool, and the Charterhouse School.) 
Besides these, I found in the earth thrown out in 
a superficial excavation at Tell-el-Maskhutah a 
large number of fragments of a wall scene repre¬ 
senting a divinity, and two figures of Nekht-har- 
hebi; of these the face of one is perfect (see 
pi. xii. 7), and there is a portion of the body and 
foot of the same figure ; of the other figure of the 
king there is the crown of Lower Egypt, parts of 
the arm and knee, and part of the cartouche; while 
of the figure of a god, there are the two arms and 
fragments of the body and a knee. There are also 
a quantity of fragments of a representation of a 
table of offerings, inscriptions, &c., in all 69 pieces. 
These are set in a slab all together, in the British 
Museum. Besides these, the British Museum has 
from here a curious slab of limestone, much 
weathered, with the regular carving of a false 
door on it, so common in the tombs of the old 
kingdom. Now no sculptures before those of 
Eamessu II. have hitherto been found here; but 
this suggests that there were earlier remains 
here, with tombs. A fragment of brilliantly 
polished black granite probably belonged to a 
fine figure of Ptah, of wliich I saw pieces lying 
about; and a piece of sandstone or quartzite 
which belonged to some large work of Eamessu II., 
and bears an ibis and part of a cartouche. Some 
samples of late glass and pottery, a piece of very 
hard white inlaying (a silicate of lime, or else 
magnesite ?), and a coin, complete what I brought 
from Tell-el-Maskhutah, and are all in the British 
Museum. 
34. In clearing out the sand between the stones 
in the sanctuary at San, several pieces of the blue 
or green glazed tablets of Pisebkhanu were found, 
and one entire tablet. These tablets are formed 
of sand coated with a poor glaze, and they have 
cracked up very much in the process of baking, so 
much so that the makers daubed in a blue paste 
into the cracks to hide them. The tablets are 
5f in. long, inscribed with the name of Piseb¬ 
khanu in black. (The perfect tablet goes to the 
British Museum, and pieces to Bristol, Liver¬ 
pool, and Boston.) Also a piece of a small 
tablet (in British Museum) with the prenomen 
of Pisebkhanu was found; it is made of granite 
powder cemented together, but not apparently 
burnt. This curious material realizes at last 
the many dreams of Egyptian granite being 
a “fictitious stone.” Specimens of these, and 
other varieties of tablets, were found by Mariette 
in clearing the temple, and are now in Bulak. 
35. In some exploratory diggings at Tell Farun 
I found a few things, and I also purchased some 
there. Bristol receives 5 scarabs, in hardstone, 
li. li, 3 of half inch; Isis, Nebhat, Tahuti, Neit, 
I in., a Tat and square, all of lapis lazuli ; eye 
in brown haematite, head-rest in a silicate orys- 
