June5] PROCEEDINGS. [1894.the palm to the cubit, andif the calculations are for any practical
purpose,probablytheyare to be used in connection withthe cubit :
grantingthis, we may obtaina hintas to the proportions in decorative
art. Supposethat a large quantityof the decorations or plans of
buildersin Egypt werebasedon the number 8, we at once obtaina
reasonfor most of this curioustableof sekemt. \ cubit wouldbe
8 palms—imaginethen thatan artist hada space of i cubit to fill
withcolourin the proportions of 1 : £ : \, he would findfromthe
full table that the respective amountswouldbe \ + fa, | 4 fa,
fa + y^-if, beingJ , i and fa respectively of my supposed 8-palm
standard-unit of decoration. The table would thus answer the
purposeof a sliding rule.
Following the same line of argument we could draw the
conclusionthatall the decoration was in the proportion of 1 : £ : £
or 1 : -ti : -hi and sucha principle wouldbe very reasonable.
It must be borne in mind thatthisis all bare conjecture,and
thatnothing is hinted of cubits andpalmsby name : yet I cannot
helpthinkingthatthe notion is worth followingup.
BeforeNo. 15 we have a sign, apparently'Ntx.th, "error," to
indicatea mistake.
b. The three numbers on Pl. X (21-23) are exercises in
"completion"in which a certain numberhas to be produced by
adding fractionsof unity to a fraction already given. The first
begins ^) I 5^ zet-nekse-kenima? "Is said to thee 'what
completes-f , fa as (so as to make §^) 1 ?' " The answeris 1, T'T.
Mais the interrogative pronoun. Fory jc^. read * | **=_, for
' read I (J \ (" proof(?) " which maybe comparedwith
11=
l\ 2 , Suet- TombIV, l. 30) and for <=> fd^J\ , etc., read
•=>f^^_ ^\ q wherever it occurs. Translate "section(?) of
proof(?) : now is completed (kem)§, \, fa, -i, to 1."
No. 22. " What completes §, fa to 1? (that is) 20 (thirtieths
and) 1 (thirtieth to thirty thirtieths).
"Total(f J), the excess (of -JO) is 9.
" Count the number 30 until is found 9 (answer \ + fa of 30).
"Now\, fa, are added to it.
"Nowis complete f, -J-, fa, fa to 1."
233 u 2