SALE OF MUMMIFIED CATS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 467, 30 April 1890, Page 3

SALE OF MUMMIFIED CATS.

On February lltb, Messrs Jame 3 Gordon and G'o., brokers, Liverpool, sold by auction eight and a half tons of mummified cats from Egypt- The mummified cats which came ffsiii Beni Hassau, about 100 miles miles from Cairo, were consigned to Messrs Klein worth, Sons, and Co., Liverpool. They were brought to Liverpool in 100 bags by the steamer Thebes, from Egypt. The sale attracted a very large number of Liverpool merchants. Mr J. C. Gordon, who conducted the sale of the cats, said that Professor Conway had written an article about them, and had expressed his belief that they were from 3,000 to 4.000 years old. They had in the room that day a basket of the mummified bones as a specimen of what the remaining bones were like. Tho bones would be sold at so much a ton, Ho would like an offer. The bidding commenced at £3 per ton, and gradually advanced to £5 17s 6d, at which sum they were knocked down to Messrs Leventon and Co. of Hackins-hey. Messrs Leventon and Co. were the purchasers of th 6 other consignment of mummified cats, which were disposed of a short time a<ro. The price per ton then realised was £3 i3s 9d. ~ , A large number of single cats' heads were next sold at prices varying from Is 9d to 4s 6d each. The cats’ heads were sold singly because the brokers had been deluged with letters asking if they would seli specimens as samples. The mummies are broken into fragments, few perfect specimens remaining? They were packed very tightly into bags for the purpose of saving freights. The first cat’s head which was disposed of brought an offer of Is 3d. Mr Gordon said the head belonged to a beautiful Tom, and was worth mors (laughter). The bidding for the head slowly advanced in price, and it was knocked down to a Mr Gorst for 3s 3d. The head of another cat, which Mr Gordon assured his audience was that of a bond fide Tom cat, brought 3s. A fine specimen of cat’s head and neck, with a portion of the mummy cloth on, realised 4s. • Mr Gordon displayed" a cat’s head with all the teeth intact, and this brought an offer of 2s 6d. The auctioneer, who remarked that the teeth were worth more, succeeded in obtaining 4s for the head. Another cat’s head, which Mr Gordon said was like that of, a-human being, realised 2s 6d. Many of the specimens were purchased by Mr Gorst, and it was remarked by the auctioneer that Mr Gorst was obtain-

ing valuable specimens (laughter), ana that he would sell them again to museums at £4 and £5 each (loud laughter). Another mummified cat’s head, with the jaws open, excited some ridicule among the buyers. One gentleman asked were its eyes- open, and Mr Gordon responded by saying : The cat is asleep with one eye open. The head is a perfect study of a sweet face (laughter). The head was knocked down to Mr Lockett for 3s 3d. The auctioneer next displayed what he termed a very fine specimen of a cat’s face, though not a handsome one, and this was sold for 2s. Some amusement was evoked" over the sale of the hind quarters of a cat, to which were attached its two hind feet. Mr Gordon displayed the feet in question to his audience, and giving both feet a pull for the purpose of showing the claws, re marked that they would come off. Some old gentlemen—evidently scientists-who

were in the room urged the auctioneer not to break the feet, and a voice cried, «Handle that Tom cab gently.’ The specimen in question was sold for 5s 6d. The hind leg of a cat realised Is 9d, and a cat’s paw with the nails intact Is 3d. The sale from first to last evoked great merriment, and it was quite a study to watch the interest with which a few men of science looked upon the affair as compared with the banter indulged in by men of business. Messrs Leventon and Co., who bought the mummified cats by the ton, intend to have them ground up into manure. It is stated on good authority that the remains of Egyptian mummified human beings have before now been ground in English mills for manure.'