When the work on the west side of the pyramid was undertaken, search for a dumping ground led to trenching outside the south brick wall near the western end of the enclosure. The ground was perfectly level with no signs of plundering, so that it occasioned some surprise when a row of pits was discovered parallel with the wall. [Many of these ] were found to be thoroughly plundered. However, in the upper chamber of one which, to judge by the drift sand, had lain open for ages we found that the robbers had left us something worth-while. In a corner of the chamber, tipped over on its side, lay a fine model boat (figs. 9, 10). It is manned by ten rowers, helmsman, and forward lookout. The mast, spars, and sail are tied up together and rest in the crotch. The sail and some of the strings of which the rowlocks and other rigging were made have suffered, but otherwise the boat is in beautiful condition. The gesso had, as usual, come loose owing to the shrinking of the block of wood from which the hull was cut, but it was possible to fix the painting on the deck, in which the details of the decoration in red, black, and white gave evidence for points of construction, rigging, and decoration of Middle Kingdom boats.
At least one other boat and two or more models of domestic scenes had been supplied to the burial in this chamber, for figures from such models were found in the debris (fig. 14). The craftsmanship displayed in the carving of these, as well as of the figures of the complete boat, is of a higher order than usual in such funerary objects, comparing very favorably with all but the best figures in the models from the tomb of Mehenkwetre
Adapted from Lansing, 1924
Lansing 1924, pp. 39-42