volume 2 - Robert Bedrosian's Armenian History Workshop

Visit to Mallawt 331
priced, and the catalogue was to be printed and copies
of it were to be sent to the Directors of National Museums
and Libraries in Europe and America. He thought it
probable that the directors of all museums maintained
by grants of public money would prefer to spend their
money in purchasing antiquities direct from the Museum
in Cairo, especially as all difficulty about the exportation
of their purchases would cease to exist. In this way
museums would be able to obtain a regular supply of
Egyptian antiquities at reasonable prices, and the
Service of Antiquities could use the moneys received
from their sales of antiquities in carrying on further
excavations. The scheme seemed to me admirable so
far as the interests of Egyptology were concerned, but
I was told, soon after the attempt was made to obtain
the authority necessary to give it effect, that it met
with invincible opposition on all sides, and that every
dealer, both European and native, denounced it. It
was regarded as a specious attempt on the part of the
Government to monopolize the trade in " anticas," and
to kill all private dealing in them, and the Egyptians
were furious.
After my interview with de Morgan I found it
easier to make arrangements with the natives to carry
out the plan I had in view, that is to say, to carry out
excavations on the site of the old cemetery near Meir,
where I obtained the Aristotle Papyrus. There was
a great deal of clearing work to be done there in the
places untouched by the natives, and, as they could not
afford to risk their money on such work, I agreed to add
a certain percentage to the prices which I would pay
for the objects I bought from them. I set out with
my friends for Mallawi as soon as possible, and we crossed
the river and made our way to the cemetery, which we
reached in a couple of days. After I examined the
tombs which they had dug out since I was last there,
we settled upon the places which were to be cleared,
and we ratified the agreement we made in Cairo, and
my friends swore to keep for me every scrap of Greek
papyrus they might find. I stayed and watched the