Memphis, with their bows towards the city wall; as the water lapped the foot of the wall, the boats were able to come quite close to it, and their bows were nearly on a level with the top of the wall.  Then Piankhi’s men crowded into the boats, and, when the word of command was given, they jumped from the bows of the boats on to the wall, entered the houses built near it, and then poured into the city.  They rushed through the city like a waterflood, and large numbers of the natives were slain, and large numbers taken prisoners.  Next morning Piankhi set guards over the temples to protect the property of the gods, then he went into the great temple of Ptah and reinstated the priests, and they purified the holy place with natron and incense, and offered up many offerings.  When the report of the capture of Memphis spread abroad, numerous local chiefs came to Piankhi, and did homage, and gave him tribute.

From Memphis he passed over to the east bank of the Nile to make an offering to Temu of Heliopolis.  He bathed his face in the water of the famous “Fountain of the Sun,” he offered white bulls to Ra at Shaiqaem-Anu, and he went into the great temple of the Sun-god.  The chief priest welcomed him and blessed him; “he performed the ceremonies of the Tuat chamber, he girded on the seteb garment, he censed himself, he was sprinkled with holy water, and he offered (?) flowers in the chamber in which the stone, wherein the spirit of the Sun-god abode at certain times, was preserved.  He went up the step leading to the shrine to look upon Ra, and stood there.  He broke the seal, unbolted and opened the doors of the shrine, and looked upon Father Ra in Het-benben.  He paid adoration to the two Boats of Ra. (Matet and Sektet), and then closed the doors of the shrine and sealed them with his own seal.”  Piankhi returned to the west bank of the Nile, and pitched his camp at Kaheni, whither came a number of princes to tender their submission and offer gifts to him.  After a time it was reported to Piankhi that Tafnekht, the head of the rebellion, had laid waste his town, burnt his treasury and his boats, and had entrenched himself at Mest with the remainder of his army.  Thereupon Piankhi sent troops to Mest, and they slew all its inhabitants.  Then Tafnekht sent an envoy to Piankhi asking for peace, and he said, “Be at peace [with me].  I have not seen thy face during the days of shame.  I cannot resist thy fire, the terror of thee hath conquered me.  Behold, thou art Nubti,[1] the Governor of the South, and Menth,[2] the Bull with strong arms.  Thou didst not find thy servant in any town towards which thou hast turned thy face.  I went as far as the swamps of the Great Green (i.e. the Mediterranean), because I was afraid of thy Souls, and because thy word is a fire that worketh evil for me.  Is not the heart of Thy Majesty cooled by reason of what thou hast done unto me?  Behold, I am indeed a most wretched man.  Punish me not according to my abominable deeds, weigh them not in