ed up in yellow linen, and reposing upon another
layer of the fibrous material. Slowly and carefully we unrolled the
linen, exposing to view a very large but undoubtedly ancient potsherd
of a dirty yellow colour! This potsherd had in my judgment, once been
a part of an ordinary amphora of medium size. For the rest, it measured
ten and a half inches in length by seven in width, was about a quarter
of an inch thick, and densely covered on the convex side that lay
towards the bottom of the box with writing in the later uncial Greek
character, faded here and there, but for the most part perfectly
legible, the inscription having evidently been executed with the
greatest care, and by means of a reed pen, such as the ancients
often used. I must not forget to mention that in some remote age this
wonderful fragment had been broken in two, and rejoined by means of
cement and eight long rivets. Also there were numerous inscriptions on
the inner side, but these were of the most erratic character, and had
clearly been made by different hands and in many different ages, and
of them, together with the writings on the parchments, I shall have to
speak presently.

[plate 1]

FACSIMILE OF THE SHERD OF AMENARTAS

One 1/2 size

Greatest length of the original 101/2 inches
Greatest breadth 7 inches
Weight 1lb 51/2 oz

[plate 2]

FACSIMILE OF THE SHERD OF AMENARTAS

One 1/2 size

"Is there anything more?" asked Leo, in a kind of excited whisper.

I groped about, and produced something hard, done up in a little linen
bag. Out of the bag we took first a very beautiful miniature done
upon ivory, and secondly, a small chocolate-coloured composition
_scarabaeus_, marked thus:--

[sketch omitted]

symbols which, we have since ascertained, mean "Suten se Ra," which is
being translated the "Royal Son of Ra or the Sun." The miniature was a
picture of Leo's Greek mother--a lovely, dark-eyed creature. On the back
of it was written, in poor Vincey's handwriting, "My beloved wife."

"That is all," I said.

"Very well," answered Leo, putting down the miniature, at which he
had been gazing affectionately; "and now let us read the letter," and
without further ado he broke the seal, and read aloud as follows:--

"My Son Leo,--When you open this, if you ever live to do so, you will
have attained to manhood, and I shall have been long enough dead to