dug down into the soil below the foundations, and often brought to light, not only the treasure of the owner, but all the surroundings of the grave and human corruption.  It was actually the custom, among the lower and middle classes, to bury in the middle of the house children who had died at the breast.  The little body was placed in an old tool or linen box, without any attempt at embalming, and its favourite playthings and amulets were buried with it:  two or three infants are often found occupying the same coffin.  The playthings were of an artless but very varied character; dolls of limestone, enamelled pottery or wood, with movable arms and wigs of artificial hair; pigs, crocodiles, ducks, and pigeons on wheels, pottery boats, miniature sets of household furniture, skin balls filled with hay, marbles, and stone bowls.  However, strange it may appear, we have to fancy the small boys of ancient Egypt as playing at bowls like ours, or impudently whipping their tops along the streets without respect for the legs of the passers-by.

[Illustration:  109.jpg APPARATUS FOR STRIKING A LIGHT]

Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a sketch published in Fl.  Petrie, Illahun, Kdhun and Gurob, pl. vii.  The bow is represented in the centre; on the left, at the top, is the nut; below it the fire-stick, which was attached to the end of the stock; at the bottom and right, two pieces of wood with round carbonized holes, which took fire from the friction of the rapidly rotating stick.

Some care was employed upon the decoration of the chambers.  The rough-casting of mud often preserves its original grey colour; sometimes, however, it was limewashed, and coloured red or yellow, or decorated with pictures of jars, provisions, and the interiors as well as the exteriors of houses.

[Illustration:  110.jpg MITRAL PAINTINGS IN THE RUINS OF AN ANCIENT HOUSE AT KAHUN]

     Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from the facsimile in Petrie’s
     Illahun, Kahun and Gurob, pl. xvi. 6.

The bed was not on legs, but consisted of a low framework, like the “angarebs” of the modern Nubians, or of mats which were folded up in the daytime, but upon which they lay in their clothes during the night, the head being supported by a head-rest of pottery, limestone, or wood:  the remaining articles of furniture consisted of one or two roughly hewn seats of stone, a few lion-legged chairs or stools, boxes and trunks of varying sizes for linen and implements, kohl, or perfume, pots of ababaster or porcelain, and lastly, the fire-stick with the bow by which it was set in motion, and some roughly made pots and pans of clay or bronze.

[Illustration:  111.jpg WOMAN GRINDING GRAIN]

     Drawn by Boudier, from a photograph by Bechard (cf. 
     Mariette, Alburn photographique du Musee de Boulaq, pl.
     20; Maspero, Guide du Visiteur, P- 220, Nos. 1012, 1013).