It may be that the wine was more potent than that to which the Egyptian was accustomed; or perhaps the white buildings of the city, glistening in the sunlight, and the busy quays, engrossed his attention too completely:  anyhow, the second of his misfortunes now befel him.  One of the Syrian sailors seized the opportunity to slip into his cabin and to steal the money which was hidden there.  Before Wenamon had detected the robbery the sailor had disappeared for ever amidst the houses of Dor.  That evening the distracted envoy, seated upon the floor of his cabin, was obliged to chronicle the list of stolen money, which list was afterwards incorporated in his report in the following manner:—­

One vessel containing gold amounting to 5 debens,
Four vessels containing silver amounting to 20 "
One wallet containing silver amounting to 11 "
          
                                        ---------
Total of what was stolen:  gold, 5 debens; silver, 31 debens.

A deben weighed about 100 grammes, and thus the robber was richer by 500 grammes of gold, which in those days would have the purchasing value of about L600 in our money, and 3100 grammes of silver, equal to about L2200.[1]

[Footnote 1:  See Weigall:  Catalogue of Weights and Balances in
the Cairo Museum, p. xvi.]

[Illustration:  PL.  XII.  A reed box for holding clothing, discovered in
                        the tomb of Yuaa and Tuau. 
                        —­CAIRO MUSEUM.]

[Photo by E. Brugsch Pasha.

Wenamon must have slept little that night, and early on the following morning he hastened to the palace of King Bedel to lay his case before him.  Fortunately Bedel did not ask him for his credentials, but with the utmost politeness he gave his consideration to the affair.  Wenamon’s words, however, were by no means polite, and one finds in them a blustering assurance which suggests that he considered himself a personage of extreme consequence, and regarded a King of Dor as nothing in comparison with an envoy of Amon-Ra.

“I have been robbed in your harbour,” he cried, so he tells us in the report, “and, since you are the king of this land, you must be regarded as a party to the crime.  You must search for my money.  The money belongs to Nesubanebded, and it belongs to Herhor, my lord” (no mention, observe, of the wretched Rameses XII.), “and to the other nobles of Egypt.  It belongs also to Weret, and to Mekmel, and to Zakar-Baal the Prince of Byblos."[2] These latter were the persons to whom it was to be paid.

    [Footnote 2:  The translation is based on that of Prof.  Breasted.]

The King of Dor listened to this outburst with Sicilian politeness, and replied in the following very correct terms:  “With all due respect to your honour and excellency,” he said, “I know nothing of this complaint which you have lodged with me.  If the thief belonged to my land and went on board your ship in order to steal your money, I would advance you the sum from my treasury while they were finding the culprit.  But the thief who robbed you belonged to your ship.  Tarry, however, a few days here with me and I will seek him.”