of the Sands" agreed to respect the Egyptian
frontier. Commercial relations were none the less frequent and certain
on this account.

[Illustration: 327.jpg THE WOMEN PASSING BY IN PROCESSION, IN CHARGE OF
A WARRIOR AND OF A MAN PLAYING UPON THE LYRE]

Dwellers by the streams of the Delta were accustomed to see the
continuous arrival in their towns of isolated individuals or of whole
bands driven from their homes by want or revolution, and begging for
refuge under the shadow of Pharaoh's throne, and of caravans offering
the rarest products of the north and of the east for sale. A celebrated
scene in one of the tombs of Beni-Hasan illustrates what usually took
place. We do not know what drove the thirty-seven Asiatics, men, women,
and children, to cross the Red Sea and the Arabian desert and hills in
the VIth year of Usirtasen II.;* they had, however, suddenly appeared in
the Gazelle nome, and were there received by Khiti, the superintendent
of the huntsmen, who, as his duty was, brought them before the prince
Khnumhotpu.

* This bas-relief was first noticed and described by
Champollion, who took the immigrants for Greeks of the
archaic period. Others have wished to consider it as
representing Abraham, the sons of Jacob, or at least a band
of Jews entering into Egypt, and on the strength of this
hypothesis it has often been reproduced.

The foreigners presented the prince with green eye-paint, antimony
powder, and two live ibexes, to conciliate his favour; while he, to
preserve the memory of their visit, had them represented in painting
upon the walls of his tomb. The Asiatics carry bows and arrows,
javelins, axes, and clubs, like the Egyptians, and wear long garments or
close-fitting loin-cloths girded on the thigh. One of them plays, as he
goes, on an instrument whose appearance recalls that of the old Greek
lyre. The shape of their arms, the magnificence and good taste of the
fringed and patterned stuffs with which they are clothed, the elegance
of most of the objects which they have brought with them, testify to a
high standard of civilisation, equal at least to that of Egypt. Asia had
for some time provided the Pharaohs with slaves, certain perfumes, cedar
wood and cedar essences, enamelled vases, precious stones, lapis-lazuli,
and the dyed and embroidered woollen fabrics of which Chaldaea kept the
monopoly until the time of the Komans. Merchants of the Delta braved
the perils of