The so-called expeditions of Amenôthes to the Syrian provinces
must constantly have been merely visits of inspection, during which
amusements, and especially the chase, occupied nearly as important
a place as war and politics. Amenôthes III. took to heart that
pre-eminently royal duty of ridding the country of wild beasts, and
fulfilled it more conscientiously than any of his predecessors. He had
killed 112 lions during the first ten years of his reign, and as it was
an exploit of which he was remarkably proud, he perpetuated the memory
of it in a special inscription, which he caused to be engraved on
numbers of large scarabs of fine green enamel. Egypt prospered under his
peaceful government, and if the king made no great efforts to extend
her frontiers, he spared no pains to enrich the country by developing
industry and agriculture, and also endeavoured to perfect the military
organisation which had rendered the conquest of the East so easy a
matter.

A census, undertaken by his minister Amenôthes, the son of Hâpi,
ensured a more correct assessment of the taxes, and a regular scheme of
recruiting for the army.

[Illustration: 056.jpg SCARAB OF THE HUNT]

Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from the photograph published in
Mariette.

Whole tribes of slaves were brought into the country by means of the
border raids which were always taking place, and their opportune arrival
helped to fill up the vacancies which repeated wars had caused among
the rural and urban population; such a strong impetus to agriculture
was also given by this importation, that when, towards the middle of the