TAA i.2.3.39

Oct. 28^th

In order to protect the delicate inlay of the shell of the second
Coffin from injury, it was necessary to make it secure. It was
therefore lightly brushed to remove loose dust, sponged with hot water
and amonia^sic, and when dry the whole surface covered with a
thicken thick coating of paraffin-wax applied hot with a hog-
brush, which as it cooled cooled and solidified held all the
inlay securely in position - thus enabling it to be handled with
impunity.

The pitch-like material with which the space between the
Second and Third Coffins had been flooded, causing them to adhere
to one another, was made a subject of experiments. It was
found that it could be melted by heat and dissolved by certain
solvents, but neither of these methods were practical under the
existing circumstances. It was decided therefore that the best
plan of attack was, if possible to raise the lid, remove the
contents, before applying any such drastic methods.

Fortunately the line of junction of the lid and the Coffin
was visible and accessible, although with difficulty, alround^sic
excepting at the extreme foot-end where the two coffins
practically touched one another. This joint was therefore
thoroughly inspected in order to discover how the two parts (lid
& shell) were attached, and it was found that this attachment
was by means of eight tongues (four on each side) fixed in
position by metal pins. It was evident therefore that if
the pins could be extracted the lid could be raised.

In the confined space between the two Coffins ordinary
instruments for extracting the metal pins were useless and
others had to be improvised. Long screw-drivers were
converted into curved levers and it was found possible to insert
these under the heads of the metal pins, and gradually work
them out. This proved a very difficult and tedious operation,