Benson, Margaret; Gourlay, Janet: The temple of Mut in Asher: an account of the excavation of the temple and of the religious representations and objects found therein, as illustrating the history of Egypt and the main religious ideas of the Egyptians (London, 1899)

24

THE TEMPLE OF MUT.

[PART I.

remains of our meal, chiefly among the boys, but
the reis brought us curds in an earthenware bowl.
Our most incompetent reis, a gaunt grey-bearded
man clad in a rough brown tunic with loose sleeves,
had the dignity of a patriarch as he stepped towards
us, an earthenware bowl held in both hands at arm's
length, the stem of a palm leaf resting like a wand
of office on his arm.

Apart from the picturesqueness of it these atten-
tions were a little embarrassing, and the curds exces-
sively sour.

The good humour of the men was immense. If
a rope broke while they were pulling it, so that a
line of men fell on their backs, they were overcome
with laughter. The most elementary joke was well
received, and they were quick too to catch a humour-
ous intent. They had singularly little method in
their work. We employed a native once to mend a
statue, but had to pull his work to pieces and get it
redone by a European workman, for he had no
definite idea of a straight line. A comparatively
experienced fellah will move the stones from the
ground on which he is working to that piece which
he has next to attack ; and this without any desire
to nurse a job.

Their implements are no more professional than
their methods. The palm-leaf baskets are of the
same make as those belonging to 5th-dynasty times
which Professor Petrie exhibited last year. But at
least the ancient Egyptians could hardly have used