New York, May 12, 1900.—At a meeting of the most distinguished archæologists of America, held to-day in the architectural library of Havemeyer Hall, Columbia University, a letter was read reporting what is regarded as one of the most important archæological discoveries yet made in the interest of modern Science.

Writing to Professor Fowler of the Western Reserve University, at Cleveland, O., Professor R. B. Richardson, formerly professor of Greek at Dartmouth, and for the last ten years in charge of the American school of classical studies in Athens, Greece, tells of the discovery.

Under date of April 21, Professor Richardson tells of the receipt in Athens of a telegram from Crete signes by Professor A. J. Evans, who for four years has been engaged, under the auspices of British Scientist, in making excavations at and around Cnosus or Knossus, the site of what is believed to have been the ancient capital of Crete and the seat of government of the fabled Minos, the great Cretan lawgiver, famous in Grecian legend as the son of Zeus.

Professor Evans, who is the director of the Ashmalean Museum of Oxford and the son of Sir John Evans, a distinguished British archæologist, telegraphs:—

"Building on my site at Knossus proves to be the Mycenæan palace, containing relics of extraordinary importance. Question of Mycenæan writing finally settled.

"Chambers [of palace] contain whole series of clay tablets analogous to Babylonian, but with indigenous Cretan script, probably palae archives. On south front, fore hall of Megaron has come to light, and in adjoining corridor large piece of fresco representing full size figure of a girl in Mycenæan costume, holding long vase. Colors brilliant and good of form. Surpasses anything yet known of this period. Remains belonging to great Mycenæan age, about 1400 B.C."

Professor Richardson, after quoting the telegram, adds: "This seems important enough for you to have it for your summary of archæological news, and as it is to go to the public, I send it to you that you may not only know it, but help to spread it."

Those to whom the letter was read to-day form the council of directors of the American Institute of Archæology. Professor T. D. Seymour of Yale expressed the deepest interest in the communication. Others who listened to the report of the discovery and commented on its great importance were Professor Goodwin of Harvard, Allan Marquand of Princeton, J. R. Wheelock of Columbia, M. Warren of Harvard, E. T. Merrill of Wesleyan, B. Perrin of Yale, C. H. Young of Columbia, A. L. Frothingham, Jr., of Princeton, John W. White of Harvard, F. C. Babbitt of Trinity, G. Howes of the University of Vermont, J. H. Thayer of Harvard, S. H. Ashmore of Union, G. S. Tisdale of the College of the City of New York, and F. W. Kelsy of Ann Arbor University.

From a philological point of view some of the scientists present were disposed to regard Professor Evans' discovery as probably of greater moment than those made by the late distinguished German-American explorer, Dr. Henry Schliemann, who uncovered what he believed to be the tomb of Agamemnon at Mycenæ, the site of Homeric Troy at Hissarlik, with the house and the gate of Priam, and made many other marvelous discoveries.

Professor Evans' confident statement, "Question of Mycenæan writing finally settled," coupled with his report of a whole series of clay tablets, apparently inscribed with the palace archives, aroused marked enthusiasm. Hitherto the only specimens of the Mycenæan writing found in Crete have been single characters, or hieroglyphics engraved upon agate or other cut stones.

As Professor Wheeler explained, the present discovery of tablets of continuous writing, with Babylonian characteristics, gives excellent ground for hope that scholars may be able to decipher it, just as the cuneiform inscriptions have been deciphered, and in this way much light may be thrown, not only upon the origin, but upon the history of this Mycenæan civilization, which antedated the adoption of the Phoenician alphabet.

"Dr. Evans' work," said Professor Wheeler, "is really a continuation of that begun and vigorously prosecuted until his death, ten years ago, by Dr. Schliemann. The fact that similar discoveries are now being made in the island of Crete to those already made in Mycenæ and elsewhere by Dr. Schliemann, strengthen the belief long held by scholars that there was a high and ancient civilization, with its centre perhaps in Crete, which afterward spread throughout the Grecian archipelago.

"The tablets may go far to establish the origin and characteristics of that civilization. That age, moreover, is commonly believed to be the era sung of in the Homeric poetry, and surely any discoveries that tend to illumine the times of the Iliad and the Odyssey should be of popular, no less than of pedantic, interest."

Professor Frothingham of Princeton remarked that the reputed discovery appeared to have a no less distinct interest to students of ancient art. The fresco mentioned by Professor Evans was evidently one which would give a perfect idea of the costume of the period. The only previous fresco of any moment discovered in Crete, so far as he could recollect, was that of a bull with a female figure running beside it.

Professor Halbherr of the University of Rome, who was originally sent to Crete by the Italian government, and is now there under the auspices of the American Archaeological Institute, has uncovered some superb Phoenician bronzes and specimens of armor suggestive of Egyptian and Babylonian origin.

At Gortyna he discovered some marvelous monuments of the Cretan law, shortly after his exploration of the so-called cave of Zeus, at Mt. Ida, or the Idæan grotto. This was the fabled birthplace of Zeus, the Grecian Jupiter. Professor Frothingham thinks that Professor Evans' discoveries will probably rank with those of Halbherr.

Other explorers have unearthed portions of Mycenæan palaces and temples, but the present achievement, it is thought, will do much to determine the actual plan and construction of those ancient edifices, which have been heretofore more or less open to dispute. the megaron, the south front of which Professor Evans mentioned as having come to light, is the large assembly room of the palace, located immediately inside the portico.

If the many legends of Minos, King of Knossus, are based upon anything more than tradition—and most traditions have some sound basis in fact—it may be that the structure now being uncovered on the site of the ancient Cretan capital was the palace of the famous lawgiver of Crete, whose wisdom, heroism, and strength have become a feature of Grecian legendary history.—Boston Herald.