ng
in my harbour, the captains of which are in partnership with
Nessubanebtet. And as for the city of Sidon, whereto thou wishest to
travel, I swear that there are there ten thousand other ships, the
captains of which are in partnership with Uarkathar, and they are sailed
for the benefit of his house." At this grave moment I held my peace. And
he answered and said unto me, "On what matter of business hast thou come
hither?" And I said unto him, "The matter concerning which I have come
is wood for the great and holy Boat of Amen-Ra, the King of the Gods.
What thy father did [for the god], and what thy father's father did for
him, do thou also." That was what I said unto him. And he said unto me,
"They certainly did do work for it (_i.e._ the boat). Give me a gift for
my work for the boat, and then I also will work for it. Assuredly my
father and my grandfather did do the work that was demanded of them,
and Pharaoh, life, strength, and health be to him! caused six ships
laden with the products of Egypt to come hither, and the contents
thereof were unloaded into their storehouses. Now, thou must most
certainly cause some goods to be brought and given to me for myself."

Then he caused to be brought the books which his father had kept day by
day, and he had them read out before me, and it was found that one
thousand _teben_ of silver of all kinds were [entered] in his books. And
he said unto me, "If the Ruler of Egypt had been the lord of my
possessions, and if I had indeed been his servant, he would never have
had silver and gold brought [to pay my father and my father's father]
when he told them to carry out the commands of Amen. The instructions
which they (_i.e._ Pharaoh) gave to my father were by no means the
command of one who was their king. As for me, I am assuredly not thy
servant, and indeed I am not the servant of him that made thee to set
out on thy way. If I were to cry out now, and to shout to the cedars of
Lebanon, the heavens would open, and the trees would be lying spread out
on the sea-shore. I ask thee now to show me the sails which thou hast
brought to carry thy ships which shall be loaded with thy timber to
Egypt. And show me also the tackle with which thou wilt transfer to thy
ships the trees which I shall cut down for thee for.... [Unless I make
for thee the tackle] and the sails of thy ships, the tops will be too
heavy, and they will snap off, and thou wilt perish in the midst of the
sea, [especially