This immense collection of water was called Lake Moeris, and was considered one of the wonders of the world. Thanks to it a desert valley was changed into the fertile land of Piom, where about two hundred thousand people lived in comfort. In this province, besides palms and wheat, were produced the most beautiful roses; oil made from these went to all Egypt, and beyond its boundaries.

The existence of Lake Moeris was connected with another wonder among works of Egyptian engineers, Joseph's ca.n.a.l. This ca.n.a.l, two hundred yards wide, extended about three hundred and fifty kilometres along the western side of the Nile. It was situated fifteen kilometres from the river, served to irrigate lands near the Libyan mountains, and conveyed water to Lake Moeris.

Around the country of Piom rose a number of ancient pyramids and a mult.i.tude of smaller tombs. On its eastern boundary was the celebrated Labyrinth (Lope-rohunt). This was built also by Amenhemat and had the form of an immense horseshoe. It occupied an area one thousand yards long and six hundred wide.

This edifice was the great treasure-house of Egypt. In it reposed the mummies of several famous pharaohs, renowned priests, generals, and architects. Here lay the remains of revered animals,--above all, those of crocodiles. And here was kept the property of the Egyptian state, brought together in the course of ages. Of this structure it is difficult to gain an idea at present.

The labyrinth was neither inaccessible from the outside, nor watched over-carefully; it was guarded by a small division of troops attached to the priests, and some priests of tried honesty. The safety of the treasury lay specially in this: that with the exception of those few persons, no one knew where to look for it in the labyrinth, which was divided into two stories, one above ground, the other subterranean, and in each of these there were fifteen hundred chambers.

Each pharaoh, each high priest, finally each treasurer and supreme judge was bound to examine with his own eyes the property of the state immediately after entering on his office. Still, no one of the dignitaries could find it, or even learn where the treasure lay, whether in the main body of the building or in some of its wings, above the earth or beneath it.

There were some to whom it seemed that the treasure was really underground, far away from the labyrinth proper. There were even some who thought that the treasure was beneath the lake, so that it might be submerged should the need come. Finally no dignitary of the state cared to occupy himself with the question, knowing that an attack on the property of the G.o.ds drew after it ruin to the sacrilegious. The uninitiated might have discovered the road, perhaps, if fear had not paralyzed intruders. Death in this world and the next threatened him and his family who should dare with G.o.dless plans to discover such secrets.

Arriving in those parts Rameses XIII. visited first of all the province of Fayum. In his eyes it seemed like the interior of some immense bowl, the bottom of which was a lake and hills the edges.

Whithersoever he turned he found green juicy gra.s.s varied with flowers, groups of palms, groves of fig-trees and tamarinds, amid which from sunrise to sunset were heard the singing of birds and the voices of gladsome people.

That was perhaps the happiest corner of Egypt.

The people received the pharaoh with boundless delight. They covered him and his retinue with flowers, they presented him with a number of vessels of the costliest perfumes as well as gold and precious stones to the amount of ten talents.

Rameses spent two days in that pleasant region where joy seemed to blossom on the trees, flow in the air, and look over the waters of Lake Moeris. But men reminded him that he should see the labyrinth also.

He left Fayum with a sigh and gazed around as he travelled. Soon his attention was fixed by a majestic pile of gray buildings which stood on an eminence.

At the gate of the famous labyrinth Rameses was greeted by a company of priests of ascetic exterior, and a small division of troops, every man in which was completely shaven.

"These men look like priests," said Rameses.

"They do, because every one in the ranks has received the inferior ordination, and centurions the superior," answered the high priest of the edifice.

When he looked more carefully at the faces of those strange warriors, who ate no meat and were celibates, the pharaoh noted in them calm energy and quickness; he noted also that his sacred person made no impression whatever in that place.

"I am very curious to learn how Samentu's secret plan will succeed,"

thought he. The pharaoh understood that it was impossible either to frighten those men or to bribe them. They were as self-confident in looks as if each one commanded countless regiments of spirits.

"We shall see," thought Rameses, "if they can frighten my Greeks and Asiatics, who, fortunately, are so wild that they do not know pompous faces."

At the request of the priests, the pharaoh's suite remained at the gate, as if under guard of the shaven soldiers.

"Must I leave my sword too?" asked Rameses.

"It will not harm us," answered the chief overseer.

The young pharaoh had the wish at least to slap the pious man with the side of his sword for such an answer, but he restrained himself.

Rameses and the priests entered the main building by an immense court and pa.s.sed between two rows of sphinxes. Here in a very s.p.a.cious, but somewhat dark, antechamber were eight doors, and the overseer inquired,--

"Through which door dost thou wish to go to the treasure, holiness?"

"Through that by which we can go the most quickly."

Each of five priests took two bundles of torches, but only one ignited a torch.

At his side stood the chief overseer holding in his hands a large string of beads on which were written certain characters. Behind them walked Rameses surrounded by three priests.

The high priest who held the beads turned to the right and entered a great hall, the walls and columns of which were covered with inscriptions and figures. From that they entered a narrow corridor, which led upward, and found themselves in a hall distinguished by a great number of doors. Here a tablet was pushed aside in the floor, discovering an opening through which they descended, and again advanced through a narrow corridor to a chamber which had no doors.

But the guide touched one hieroglyph of many, and the wall moved aside before them.

Rameses tried to remember the direction in which they were going, but soon his attention was bewildered. He noted, however, that they pa.s.sed hurriedly through great halls, small chambers, narrow corridors, that they climbed up or descended, that some halls had a mult.i.tude of doors and others none whatever. He observed at once that the guide at each new entrance dropped one bead from his long rosary, and sometimes, by the light of the torch, he compared the indications on the beads with those on the walls.

"Where are we now?" asked the pharaoh on a sudden, "beneath the earth, or above it?"

"We are in the power of the G.o.ds!" replied his neighbor.

After a number of turns and pa.s.sages the pharaoh again said,--

"But I think that we are here for the second time."

The priests were silent, but he who carried the torch held his light to the walls in one and another place, and Rameses, while looking, confessed in spirit that they had not been there before.

In a small chamber without doors they lowered the light, and the pharaoh saw on the pavement dried, black remains, covered with decayed clothing.

"That," said the overseer of the building, "is the body of a Phnician who, during the sixteenth dynasty, tried to break into the labyrinth; he got thus far."

"Did they kill him?" inquired Rameses.

"He died of hunger."

The party had advanced again about half an hour, when the priest who bore the torch lighted a niche in the corridor where also dried remains were lying.

"This," said the overseer, "is the body of a Nubian priest, who in the time of thy grandfather, holiness, tried to enter the labyrinth."

The pharaoh made no inquiry as to what happened to this man. He had the impression of being in some depth and the feeling that the edifice would crush him. Of taking bearings amid those hundreds of corridors, halls, and chambers, he had no thought any longer. He did not even wish to explain to himself by what miracle those stone walls opened, or why pavements sank before him.

"Samentu will do nothing," said he in spirit. "He will perish like these two, whom I must even mention to him."

Such a crushing, such a feeling of helplessness and nothingness he had never experienced. At moments it seemed to him that the priests would leave him in one of those narrow doorless chambers. Then despair seized the young pharaoh; he touched his sword and was ready to cut them down. But he remembered directly that without their a.s.sistance he could not go hence, and he dropped his head.

"Oh to see the light of day, even for a moment! How terrible must death be among three thousand rooms filled with gloom or utter darkness!"

Heroic souls have moments of deep depression which the common man cannot even imagine.

The advance had lasted an hour almost when at last they entered a low hall resting on octagonal pillars. The three priests surrounding the pharaoh, separated--then Rameses noticed that one of them nestled up to a column and vanished, as it were, in the interior of it.

After a while a narrow opening appeared in one of the walls, the priests returned to their places, and the guide commanded to light four torches. All turned toward that opening and pushed through it cautiously.

"Here are the chambers," said the overseer.

The priests lighted quickly torches which were fixed to the walls and columns. Rameses saw a series of immense chambers filled with most varied products of priceless value. In this collection every dynasty, if not every pharaoh, had placed from what he or it possessed, that which was most peculiar, or which had the most value.