| Show VANDAL TOURISTS IN EGYPT of destroyed A correspondent of the london times bewails the destruction of monuments and historical records which is going on continually in egypt lie says that every season sees buildings ruthlessly destroyed for the sake of materials and a hobac of objects plundered by the natives from towns and cemeteries in order eliat they may be scattered without name or record among the tourist flock even those objects which pass into museums have lost most of their importance and of their value in losing all record of their original place and circumstances the laws of egypt may be excellent in theory but in practice it is perfectly well known that hundreds of persons join in this destruction yet no man is punished for it there is then the most urgent need of saving all that is possible by complete and careful excavation in the history and meaning of every object shall be traced and recorded as it is found to any person not acquainted with the practical work of excavation it might seem that so long as are not actually destroyed it does not matter whether it be an arab or a trained observer that may find them but there is generally more history involved in the position and details of a discovery than in the object found fossils are worth but little it their strata are unknown more scientific material has been destroyed than preserved in many or most excavations even by europeans and egyptologists lie then proceeds to solicit for the egyptian research account which he says has been established not to undertake great clearances or exploits in the country but to fit men for work of the highest class archaeologically and at the same time benefit our knowledge and our museums as far as may be by means of their excavations |
