the days of my life

第54部分 (第1/7頁)

upon　it　by　his　chief；　Dr。　Birch；　and　he　said　it　belonged　to　the　Ptolemaic　Period　and　came　from　Akhmim　in　Upper　Egypt。　Ingram　bought　it　in　Luxor；　and　was　said　to　have　carried　it　off　without　paying　what　the　native　wanted　for　it。　The　native　ran　after　the　boat　along　the　bank　for　miles；　and　cursed　Ingram　with　all　his　might　in　the　name　of　Allah。　Among　the　inscriptions　on　the　coffin　were　extracts　from　a　funerary　work；　and　the　copy　of　it　in　the　British　Museum　had　a　curse　attached。　The　curse　declared　that　the　man　who　stole　the　work；　or　burnt　it；　or　buried　it；　or　drowned　it；　should　be　blotted　out；　his　body　and　seed　destroyed　for　ever；　etc。　During　a　shooting　tour　in　Somaliland　Ingram　shot　at　a　huge　she…elephant　with　buck…shot　and　enraged　the　beast。　He　fired　again；　and　the　elephant　pursued　him　among　the　palms；　and　finally　caught　him　with　her　trunk　and　lifted　him　into　the　air　and　dashed　him　limb　from　limb。　Then　she　found　the　trunk　and　trod　it　with　her　feet　to　a　pulp。　Sir　Henry　Meux；　who　was　of　the　party；　collected　the　remains；　put　them　in　a　box　and　buried　them；　but　a　few　days　later　the　box　was　washed　out　of　its　bed；　and　the　party　decided　to　carry　it　to　the　sea…coast。　Before　Ingram　left　England　he　gave　the　mummy　—　which　he　had　agreed　to　sell　to　the　British　Museum　—　to　Lady　Meux　of　Theobalds　Park；　who　placed　it　in　her　Egyptian　collection。　There　it　lay　for　several　years；　and　Lady　Meux　used　to　go　the　museum　every　day　and　pray　by　the　side　of　the　case　containing　it。　Budge　published　a　full　description　of　the　mummy　and　coffin；　and　a　splendid　collotype　reproduction　of　the　coffin；　in　the　“Catalogue”　of　the　Meux　Collection　which　he　made　for　Lady　Meux。　The　collection　was　bequeathed　to　the　British　Museum　by　Lady　Meux；　but　her　conditions　were　such　that　the　proposed　gift　could　not　be　accepted。