2 DECEMBER 1911, Page 13

THE STORY OF ANCIENT EGYPT.

The Story of Ancient Egypt. By Robinson Souttar, D.C.L. (Hodder and Stoughton. ls. net.)—The title goes on to include tho "neighbouring peoples." "The story of the Hebrews" is, in fact, a trifle longer than that of Egypt, and it is followed by brief accounts of Phcenicia and Carthage. As all this matter has to be compressed into about 250 duodecimo pages there is little room for detail. Dr: Souttar, however, has contrived to pack away a good deal of information, and anyone who masters his book will at least know something. Controversial matters are of necessity avoided. It would have been as well, perhaps, to give the precise reference of the very important inscription stated to belong to the reign of Meneptah : " The Israelites are spoiled so that they have no seed." Does it not come from the Tell el-Amarna documents and refer to the 'Hebrew inhabitants of Palestine ? We see that in the story of Carthage the Athenian expedition against Syracuse is dated at "about seventy years after Salamis." It would be well to be more exact. The battle of Salamis was fought in 480 ex., and the expedition had come to an ignominious end in the course of 413. There is a more serious error in the account of the treaties between Rome and Carthage. " The Romans were precluded from Failing beyond the Fair Promontory, but received trading privileges in Carthaginian Sicily, Africa, and Sardinia." These conditions are said to have existed in the treaty of 348 B.C. They really belong to the treaty of 509 s.c. By the later agreement the Roman traders were excluded from Sicily, Sardinia, and North Africa.