The Literature of the Ancient EgyptiansBudge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir
History
The Literature of the Ancient Egyptians
Budge, E. A. Wallis (Ernest Alfred Wallis), Sir
Egyptian literature -- History and criticism; Egyptian literature -- Translations into English
were loaded upon asses and on [the backs of] men, and they were
[re]loaded into river-barges at the quay of Coptos. They were despatched
down the river, they arrived during a festival, and some of the most
wonderful of the offerings were carried into the presence of [My
Majesty]. The children of their chiefs adored my face, they smelt the
earth before my face, and rolled on the ground. I gave them to all the
gods of this land to propitiate the two gods in front of me every
morning.
[Footnote 1: _i.e._ the part at the Red Sea end of the Valley of
Hammāmāt.]
I despatched my envoys to the desert of Āataka to the great copper
workings that are in this place. Their sea-going boats were laden with
[some of] them, whilst those who went through the desert rode on asses.
Such a thing as this was never heard of before, from the time when kings
began to reign. Their copper workings were found, and they were full of
copper, and the metal was loaded by ten thousands [of measures] into
their sea-going boats. They were despatched with their faces towards
Egypt, and they arrived safely. The metal was lifted out and piled up
under the veranda in the form of blocks (or ingots) of copper, vast
numbers of them, as it were tens of thousands. They were in colour like
gold of three refinings. I allowed everybody to see them, as they were
wonderful things.
I despatched inspectors and overseers to the turquoise desert (_i.e._
Sinai) of my mother, the goddess Hathor, the lady of the turquoise.
[They] carried to her silver, gold, byssus, fine (?) linen, and many
things as numerous as the sand-grains, and laid them before her. And
there were brought unto me most wonderfully fine turquoises, real
stones, in large numbers of bags, and laid out before me. The like had
never been seen before--since kings began to reign.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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