Petrie, William M. Flinders: Ten years' digging in Egypt: 1881 - 1891 (London, 1892)

PREFACE

towns have been visited, and their remains examined ;
but such work is rather a basis for further results
than a source of interest in itself to the public.
Besides this I have been occupied in Palestine.

I may as well remark that the first two years' work
were done entirely as a private matter ; though the
Royal Society afterwards made a grant to cover the
greater part of the cost of its publication. The
three following years' work was carried on for the
Egypt Exploration Fund. Then for a year I rather
explored than excavated, having indeed no prospect
of funds at my disposal for the purpose. But to
my surprise, two supporters of the subject appeared
independently, Mr. Jesse Haworth, and then
Mr. Martyri Kennard; all expenses of excavation
and transport in the last four years' work, have been
at their charge ; and the objects found, and not kept
for the Egyptian Museum, or retained for private
friends, have been presented bv them to various public
collections. Thus three years have been private
work, three years with the Eund, and four years with
other friends.

One of the plcasantest results of my work has been
the number of co-operators who have appeared, and
the friendships that have resulted. In fact an informal
body of workers have come together, all attracted by
a real love of work, and not by publicity or the
buttering and log-rolling of societies. Without any
parade of empty names, or speechifying, we each
know where to turn for co-operation.