# papyrus basket This is a basket made from a tall grass that grows by the Nile River in Egypt. # sealed it with bitumen and pitch You could explicitly state that this was to keep out water. AT: "spread tar on it to keep water from getting into it" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-explicit]]) # sealed Here "sealed" means that she applied a waterproof coating. # bitumen This is a sticky black paste made from petroleum. It can be used to keep out water. AT: "tar" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) # pitch This is a sticky brown or black paste that can be made from tree sap or from petroleum. Therefore, "pitch" would include not only "bitumen" but also plant-based resins. It too can be used to keep out water. AT: "tar" or "resin" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-unknown]]) # reeds These "reeds" were a type of tall grass that grew in flat, wet areas. # at a distance This means she stood far enough away so that she would not be noticed, but close enough to see the basket.