ANCIENT CITIES OF EGYPT.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2989, 10 September 1891, Page 4

ANCIENT CITIES OF EGYPT.

J'k. Navilu;, the discoverer of Bubaslis aud of the Treueuro City ofPithom, lias just giveu to the world the results ot Jii-i work iu identifying' other cities and districts in Egypt, more especially some ronuected with tho Exodus of the Israelites . and at tho end of tho month of ■' i!ik; he presented these results before one of tho largest meetings ever held by the Victorian (Philosophical) Institute, of Adeljihi Terrace, Loudon, tho great hall in which the meeting was hold being so ciowded that many had be accommodated in tho vestibule, Tho chair was taken on the occasion by the President Sir Gabriel Stokes, Bart., past President of the Royal Society, and the, present occupant of Sir Isaac Newton's Professorial Chair at Cambridge (Jnivorsity. Tho business of tho evening Was commenced by Captain I''. Petrie, the Honorary Secretary, rending tho eport, which showed that the Institute's members in England, India, Australia, China, and other parts of the world had now risen to 1100 ; a nuinbor which was being added to by tho almost daily applications to join. The value of tho transactions was shown by the increasing number of languages into which foreign members translated them, especially those foient.ifio papers showing tho error of those wh» urged that Science in any way contradicted tho Bible. Sir Joseph Fayror, K. C, S. 1., F. R, S. , moved, and Dr. Moule, who had just arrived from China, seconded the first resolution, after which Dr. Naville's address was given, fio illustrated his remarks by referring to an he had found that.Scuceoth as not a city claborato inap of his surveys. Ho Baid as some bad supposed, but a district; from a remarkably valnablo inscription discovered at I'ithom, there was no longer any doubt that it wa* that Greek Ileroopolis from whence, as Strabo, Plioy, Agathcmeros, and Artcmidorus descibed, merchant ships sailed to tho Arabian Kulf. This coincided with tho results of modern scientific surveys, which showed that there had been a gradual rising of tho land, and that the Red Sea once extended up to the walls of Pitbora ; tbis must have been the case about 3,000 years ago, and Sir William Dawson and the French engineer Linant held that it went oven further north. Tbo next place noted by M. Naville, was Baal Zepbon, aud in identifying this, he bad been aided through some recently dieovered papyri, which proved that it was not a village or city, but an ancient shrine of llaal and a noted place ot' pilgrimasro. Other winces were Misdol and Pi Hahiroth, and here anain a papyrus had helped him, it seernrd probable that the fr'rappnm was tho Egyptian Mnktal or Miffdol, and it was if really to bo regretted that a bilinirnu! tablet discovered thoro a few years ago had been destroyed before ln'iri r deciphered. The" bearing of his dcutilicatious was of no small interest to the students of History, both aacred and other. Sir John Coode, K.C.S 1., who li-'d surveyed tho canal for the British i • -.v : ninent, moved a voto of thanks to .M. Navill e, and the other authors of papers lead during the year, namely, Sir W. Dawson, F.R.S., Professor Hull, I'. U.S., l,ord (Jrimtborpo, Mr T. J'inches ami Mr Boscn wen, the Assyriolo gist ', Surgeou-Gciiur'il Gordon, C, 8., of Indian fauie, and others. A voto of l.letiil;:- to tho President concluded tbo proceedings. A was tlion held in the Museum.