Mar.6] PROCEEDINGS. [1894.workcommences.* So far well and good, but the arguments that I
deducedfromthesefactscannotbe sustained, and the old view as to-
the continuity of the pieces mustbe reverted to. The problems and
tables Nos. 62-84do not at all prepare the way for the purely
arithmeticalNos.1-60,and some of the latter are indispensable to
the working out of the former. Hence the two sheets, thoughthey
musthavebeenseparatedin ancient times,werenot, as I supposed,
two rolls writtensuccessively. Thefact is that the fractional table
and rule, Nos. 61 and 61a, do not belong to the original MS.,as
can be seen fromtheirhavingbeenwrittenon a blank spaceoutside
the ruling.
It is not necessary to repeat the details givenin my former paper,
but in as few words as possible I must re-describe the Rhind
papyrusfromthis truer standpoint.
The whole papyrus,whichis now in two sheets, Nos.10,057and
10,058, appears to have measured 17 feet 8 inches (= 5,40 m.)
x i2f inches (31 cm.), and to have consisted of 14 leaves each
15! inches in length. It is extremely improbablethat a whole leaf,
blankor otherwise, was lost between 10,057and 10,058; I assume
that the last leaf (the sixth) of 10,058 is part of the same as the first
of 10,057, and that therefore only 7 inches are lost.
Exceptinga broad borderat the beginning, bothrectoand verso
of the papyrus havebeendividedinto 6 bands by 7 black lines,
drawnhorizontally,and starting froma double verticalline at the
commencement.
On the unruled portion of the recto (PI. I) is written the Title
(explainedin the last paper) ; on that of the verso a section was added
by the scribe, in the same handwriting as the rest, but probably
afterhe had cut the papyrus in two. The rest of the writing (excepting
the motto) is roughly fitted intothe ruling. The text on the versa
beginsat the same end as that on the recto.
Thesections writtenon the redo of the first 10 leaves follow
eachotherwithoutrecognisableinterruption,and all deal essentially
withpurearithmetic. Fromthe middle of the 10th leaf to the end
of the nth thereis no writing, but with the 12th a new series com
mences,dealingwithmensuration. I call these BookI and Book II.
Themiscellaneouscollectionwhichformsthe principal text of the
versomay in like manner be designated BookIII. Unfortunately
thereare no headings to these primarydivisions.
- Pro:eedings, Vol. XIII, p. 332.
165