CHAP. IV.

servations

of construc

blocks were only joined together by a grout or liquid AFRICA. mortar of desert sand and gravel. Part of the casing being left unfinished in another of the pyramids,' Mr. PerMr. Perring was enabled to make the following ad- ring's obditional observations. He found that the beds on the mode and sides of the casing blocks were worked to a tion. perfect surface, so that when put together the joints were scarcely visible; but the faces of the blocks were roughly hewn, and projected so as to preserve the edges from being injured in raising the stones required for the higher parts of the edifice above them. When the whole was completed, the levelling commenced from the summit downwards, one set of workmen probably trimming off the projecting parts, whilst another planed down the whole to a perfect and beautiful surface.

the Great

sage de

wards the

The reader must now go with us into the interior Interior of of the Great Pyramid. We may here remark, that Pyramid. every pyramid has each of its sides facing one of the four cardinal points; that the entrance to each of them is to be found on the north side in or near the centre; and that the passage leading towards the interior invariably slopes downward at an angle of about 26° 41'. Over the entrance of the Great Sloping pasPyramid is a block of unusual size, on which rest scending tofour others, meeting so as to form a kind of pointed we arch; an arrangement which lessened the pressure from above, and preserved the opening from being crushed in. The sloping passage before us is 3 feet 5 inches in height, and the same in width, and is roofed and paved with broad flat blocks of red granite, smooth and highly polished. After a slop- Passage diing descent of 63 feet the passage divides, one con- continuing tinuing the descent, and the other ascending towards the descent the centre of the pyramid. The descending passage reaches the is prolonged for 320 feet from the exterior entrance, an Chamand with such exactness that we can see the sky other asfrom the further end; it then runs for 27 feet further cending, in a horizontal direction, and terminates in a Subter- again dividranean Chamber, 90 feet below the base of the pyra- branch run

1 The eighth, which is not noticed by Herodotus.

vides; one

till it

Subterrane

ber; the

and then

ing, one

the Queen's

and the

to

AFRICA. mid. The ascending passage continues for 125 feet CHAP. IV. at an angle of 26° 18', when it again divides; one ning hori- branch runs horizontally for 110 feet to the Queen's zontally to Chamber; the other branch in the shape of a great Chamber, gallery leads to a vestibule, which forms the entrance other inclin- to the King's Chamber. This gallery ascends in ing upward the same angle as the previous passage; it is 150 King's feet long, 28 feet high, and 6 feet wide; but this width is lessened by a projecting stone seat or ramp which runs along each side, 19 inches wide and 2 feet high. The side walls are formed of eight assizes of stone, which projecting inward over each other, give the passage the appearance of being arched. The accompanying diagram exhibits the course of the passages and position of the chambers.

Chamber.

Description of the Subterranean Chamber.

Subterranean Chamber.

Great Pyramid of Cheops. Sections from North to South.

Having thus hastily run through the various passages, we will visit the chambers in succession. The SUBTERRANEAN CHAMBER is 46 feet long and 27 broad. No sepulchral remains have been found in it. On

not to be

its southern side there is a passage 2 feet 7 inches AFRICA. high, which continues for a little more than 50 feet, CHAP. IV. but ends in nothing. Herodotus mentions a chan- Burial vault nel supplied with water from the Nile, and surround- of Cheops ing a burial vault containing the body of Cheops. found. Col. Vyse was most anxious to discover this channel, being convinced, by the distinctness of our author's description, that such an artificial tunnel does really exist. Accordingly he sought for it in connexion with the Subterranean Chamber, which is the lowest apartment hitherto discovered. But this chamber is considerably above the level of the Nile, even at its highest inundation, and must have been much more so in ancient times, when the bed of the river was considerably lower. Col. Vyse, however, sunk a shaft through the floor of the Subterranean Chamber to the depth of 36 feet, but though he thus reached the level of the Nile, yet his labours were attended with no discovery. Notwithstanding this failure, the existence of a secret water communication may still be presumed, and Col. Vyse tells us that there is yet a chance of finding it by removing the sand and earth along the foot of the rocky platform which supports the pyramids, from the northern dyke to the Sphinx, and as low down as the level of the Nile; by which means any subterranean canal that might have been made must necessarily be discovered.1

1 Lieutenant Wilford tells us, (Asiat. Res. vol. iii.,) that on describing the Great Pyramid to several very learned Brahmins, they at once declared it to have been a temple; and one of them asked if it had not a communication under-ground with the river Cālì (or Nile). When he answered that such a passage was certainly mentioned as having existed, they unanimously agreed that it was a place appropriated to the worship of Padma-Dévì, (the goddess in the lotos,) and that the supposed tomb was a trough which on certain festivals her priests used to fill with the sacred water and lotos flowers.

This information would be exceedingly valuable if it could be trusted. That there are pyramidal temples at Benares, which are said to have a similar communication with the Ganges, cannot be doubted; but after the painful though manly acknowledgment which Wilford makes, in a subsequent volume, of the impudent forgeries imposed upon him by an ungrateful pundit, and which even deceived Sir William Jones himself, it is very difficult to say how far the above statements of the Brahmins are to be believed.

AFRICA.

Queen's

The QUEEN'S CHAMBER is 17 feet long, 16 feet CHAP. IV. wide, and 20 feet high. It stands immediately under the apex of the pyramid, and is roofed with Chamber., blocks meeting in a point. From the careful finish of the slabs with which it is lined, it appears to have been intended for the reception of an embalmed body; but nothing whatever has been found in it, and if a sarcophagus be concealed anywhere, it must be under the paved floor. It is from the passage leading to this chamber, and just at the point where the ascending line of way diverges in a horizontal direction, that a well may be noticed, descending partly through the masonry of the pyramid, and partly through the solid rock, till it meets the passage leading to the Subterranean Chamber. It is called a well, though it seems intended for the purposes of ventilation and communication. It is 191 feet in depth, and about 2 feet 4 inches square, and it can be ascended or descended by means of projections, which still remain. It is perpendicular for the first 26 feet, but afterwards more or less inclined.1

1 Mr. Davison, who was the British consul at Algiers in 1764, and who, having accompanied Wortley Montague to Egypt, resided 18 months at Cairo, describes this downward passage as a succession of wells or shafts. The account of his descent is exceedingly interesting. Conceiving it to be very deep, he provided himself with a large quantity of rope, one end of which he tied round his waist; and letting down a lantern attached to a small cord, he resolutely prepared to follow. With no small difficulty he prevailed on two of his servants and three Arabs to hold the line; for the latter assured him that there were ghosts below, and that he must not hope to return. Taking with him a few sheets of paper, a compass, a measure, and another lighted candle, he commenced the descent, and soon reached the bottom of the first well or shaft. Eight feet from the spot where he landed, he saw a second opening, which descended perpendicularly to the depth of five feet only. Five feet from the bottom of this he discovered a third shaft, the mouth of which was nearly blocked up with a large stone, so that there was barely sufficient opening to permit a man to pass it. Here he let down his lantern to ascertain the depth, and whether the air was pernicious or otherwise. The shaft however was so tortuous that the lantern soon became invisible. The consul however was determined to descend to the bottom, but such was the superstitious dread of the Arabs, that it was only after many prayers and threats, and promises of money, and of all the treasure that should be discovered, that he prevailed upon one man to come down to him and hold the rope, whilst he proceeded farther. Here the poor Arab stared about him, pale and trembling, and appeared more like a spectre than a human being. Mr. Davison however pushed

containing

sarcopha

The KING'S CHAMBER is the principal apartment AFRICA. in the pyramid, and is approached through a vesti- CHAP. IV. bule, which terminates the large gallery already King's described. This chamber is 34 feet long, 17 feet Chamber, wide, and 19 feet high, and it is situated not ex- an empty actly in the centre of the pyramid, but a little to gus. the south and east of the vertical line. Its name, as well as that of the Queen's Chamber, rests upon no better authority than the caprice of tourists now converted into a local tradition. Its magnificence however entitles it to the distinction which it has obtained. It is lined all round with large slabs of highly-polished granite, reaching from the floor to the ceiling; which last is flat and formed of nine immense flags, which stretch from wall to wall. Towards the west end of the room stands the sarcophagus lying north and south. It is 7 feet 6 inches long, and 3 feet 3 inches broad. It consists of red granite highly polished, but without either sculpture or hieroglyphs. No body, nor any indication of the former presence of one, is to be found, nor is there even a lid. In the projecting stone seat or ramp, which runs along each side of the large gallery, holes are cut at intervals, apparently for the insertion of the machinery by which the sarcophagus was raised.

forward with the rope round his body, and keeping the lantern a little before him, and availing himself of little holes made in the rock, he at length reached the bottom, where he found all further passage precluded by a large accumulation of sand and rubbish. At this point he began to be afraid of two things; first, that the multitude of bats which he had disturbed would put out his candle; and second, that the immense stone at the mouth of the shaft might slip down and close the passage for ever. On looking about the bottom he found a rope-ladder, which, though it had lain there for sixteen years, was as fresh and strong as when it was new, and which is supposed to have been used by Mr. Wood, the celebrated author of the work on Balbec and Palmyra, to assist his progress downwards. Mr. Davison at last effected his return to the man whom he had left at the bottom of the first shaft; but here the candles fell and went out. The poor Arab now thought himself lost. He laid hold of the rope as Mr. Davison was about to ascend, and declared that he would rather have his brains blown out than be left alone there with the devil. The consul therefore permitted him to go before, and though it was much more difficult to ascend than to descend, yet he scrambled up with a rapidity which presented a laughable contrast to the reluctant and dilatory manner in which he had made his descent. See Walpole's Memoirs, Russell's Egypt, etc.