haistos the cities and
palace-temples of the king who sent forth their ambassadors to far-away
Egypt with gifts for the mighty Pharaoh; these ambassadors were painted
in the tombs of their hosts as representative of the quarter of the
world from which they came.

The two chief Egyptian representations of these people, who since they
lived in Greece may be called Greeks, though their more proper title
would be "Pe-lasgians," are to be found in the tombs of Rekhmara and
Senmut, the former a vizier under Thothmes III, the latter the
architect of Hatshepsu's temple at Der el-Bahari. Senmut's tomb is a
new rediscovery. It was known, as Rekhmara's was, in the early days of
Egyptological science, and Prisse d'Avennes copied its paintings. It was
afterwards lost sight of until rediscovered by Mr. Newberry and Prof.
Steindorff.

[Illustration: 360.jpg FRESCO IN THE TOMB OF SENMUT AT THEBES.] About
1500 B.C.

The tomb of Rekhmara (No. 35) is well known to every visitor to Thebes,
but it is difficult to get at that of Senmut (No. 110); it lies at the
top of the hill round to the left and overlooking Der el-Bahari,
an appropriate place for it, by the way. In some ways Senmut's
representations are more interesting than Rekhmara's. They are more
easily seen, since they are now in the open air, the fore hall of the
tomb having been ruined; and they are better preserved, since they have
not been subjected to a century of inspection with naked candles and
pawing with greasy hands, as have Rekhmara's frescoes. Further, there
is no possibility of mistaking what they represent. From right to
left, walking in procession, we see the Minoan gift-bearers from Crete,
carrying in their hands and on their shoulders great cups of gold and
silver, in shape like the famous gold cups found at Vaphio in Lakonia,
but much larger, also a ewer of gold and silver exactly like one of
bronze discovered by Mr. Evans two years ago at Knossos, and a huge
copper jug with four ring-handles round the sides. All these vases are
specifically and definitely Mycenaean, or rather, following the new
terminology, Minoan. They are of Greek manufacture and are carried on
the shoulders of Pelasgian Greeks. The bearers wear the usual Mycenaean
costume, high boots and a gaily ornamented kilt, and little else, just
as we see it depicted in the fresco of the Cupbearer at Knossos and
in other Greek representations. The coiffure, possibly the most
characteristic thing about