volume 2 - Robert Bedrosian's Armenian History Workshop

290 Results of My Fourth Mission.
and arrived at Suez on March 24th at daybreak. I
left the ship at Suez, and, according to my instructions
received in Baghdad from Sir "William White, went to
Cairo to see the British Consul-General, Sir Evelyn
Baring, and to make arrangements about the transport
of the granite shrine at Philae to England. I took the
opportunity of paying a short visit to various natives,
who lived between the Pyramids and Medum, and acquired
a few small, but valuable antiquities, among
them being the rock crystal figure of the goddess Ta-urta,
(from Dahshur). At Mena House, I found my old friend
the Rev. W. J. Loftie, where he was acting as chaplain^,
and Professor W. Robertson Smith, of Cambridge. The
rest of my time in Cairo was occupied with the arrangements
for making casts of the sarcophagus of Khufu-
Ankb," the human-headed lion of Thothmes III,' the
Hyksos Sphinx," the historical stelae from Jabal Barkal,''
the statue of Khafra,^ etc. I left Cairo at the end of
March, and resumed my duties at the British Museum on
April 19th.
According to instructions, I wrote a full report of
my Mission, which was submitted to the Trustees at
their meeting on May gth, with a covering report by
Mr. Renouf, the Keeper of the Department, and my
immediate chief.
At the same meeting Dr. Rieu, Keeper of the Oriental
Manuscripts, submitted a report on the Arabic, Syriac
and Karshuni manuscripts which I had acquired, and
stated that he considered them well worth the money
I paid for them. And the Trustees " approved " of
the work I had done and of the acquisitions I had made,
down to die, and were waiting for your soul and spirit to leave your
body." Lady Baker's handsome, genial face beamed as she looked
about her, and with a little chuckle she said, " My dear, I don't know
what Sam thought, but I know that I longed for a quart pot of stout
"
and a porter-house steak !
' Brit. Mus., No. 24,395. ^ Brit. Mus., No. mi.
' Brit. Mus., No. 1109. " Brit. Mus., No. 1120.
' Brit. Mus., Nos. 1122, 1125, 1126, etc.
8 Brit. Mus., No. 1113.