DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6552#0196
158
APPENDIX.
Now, M. Caviglia stated that, after passing horizontally through
the wall of the King's Chamber for five feet, the southern air-
channel ascended vertically for fourteen (making the total height
from the floor of the King's Chamber seventeen feet), and that it
afterwards turned off in an unknown direction, probably towards
the centre of the pyramid. He accordingly deepened the above-
mentioned excavation, in order to cut down upon the channel;
and, having failed in that object, he continued the operation
towards the centre of the pyramid. This excavation is to be seen
in nearly the same state as it was at M. Caviglia's departure,
scarcely any additional labour having been expended upon it, and
that, not so much with a view of intercepting the air-channel, as
with the intention of getting ahove the ceiling of Davison's
Chamber, upon which undertaking Mr. Pcrring and myself deter-
mined after our examination on the night of the 12th of February.9
On the 13th, Mr. Perring reported that, having been again in
Davison's Chamber, he had taken the men from the southern
side of that apartment, and set them to work for the sake of
greater convenience at the end of the passage to the north of it,
where a small stick had been inserted on the preceding evening
for about the length of two feet up a crevice in an open joint on
the eastern side of the corner granite block, that formed part of
the ceiling of the chamber.1 M. Caviglia states that he had dis-
covered an unexplored passage, in which we were still prosecuting
our labours when he left the Pyramids, and in which, he would
lead the public to infer, that he had commenced an opening into
Wellington's Chamber. Now, there is positively no passage in
this part of the building but that leading into Davison's Chamber
and the air-channel. The former had been open, at all events,
since 17G4 ; and the latter was, at the time, entirely unexplored,
and remained so till the 29th of May, 1837,c when it was ascer-
tained that no part of it was in a vertical direction as M. Caviglia
had confidently asserted, but that it continued in one inclination
from the wall of the King's Chamber to the exterior of the pyra-
mid, at a considerable distance, and perfectly inaccessible from
the excavation at the south of Davison's Chamber, in which so
much time and expense had been, in consequence of M. Caviglia's
unaccountable mistake, so long and so inconsiderately wasted.
Had M. Caviglia ever entertained an idea of getting above Davi-
son's Chamber, by any other means excepting by that of the
8 See Journal.
1 See plan.
2 See Journal.
APPENDIX.
Now, M. Caviglia stated that, after passing horizontally through
the wall of the King's Chamber for five feet, the southern air-
channel ascended vertically for fourteen (making the total height
from the floor of the King's Chamber seventeen feet), and that it
afterwards turned off in an unknown direction, probably towards
the centre of the pyramid. He accordingly deepened the above-
mentioned excavation, in order to cut down upon the channel;
and, having failed in that object, he continued the operation
towards the centre of the pyramid. This excavation is to be seen
in nearly the same state as it was at M. Caviglia's departure,
scarcely any additional labour having been expended upon it, and
that, not so much with a view of intercepting the air-channel, as
with the intention of getting ahove the ceiling of Davison's
Chamber, upon which undertaking Mr. Pcrring and myself deter-
mined after our examination on the night of the 12th of February.9
On the 13th, Mr. Perring reported that, having been again in
Davison's Chamber, he had taken the men from the southern
side of that apartment, and set them to work for the sake of
greater convenience at the end of the passage to the north of it,
where a small stick had been inserted on the preceding evening
for about the length of two feet up a crevice in an open joint on
the eastern side of the corner granite block, that formed part of
the ceiling of the chamber.1 M. Caviglia states that he had dis-
covered an unexplored passage, in which we were still prosecuting
our labours when he left the Pyramids, and in which, he would
lead the public to infer, that he had commenced an opening into
Wellington's Chamber. Now, there is positively no passage in
this part of the building but that leading into Davison's Chamber
and the air-channel. The former had been open, at all events,
since 17G4 ; and the latter was, at the time, entirely unexplored,
and remained so till the 29th of May, 1837,c when it was ascer-
tained that no part of it was in a vertical direction as M. Caviglia
had confidently asserted, but that it continued in one inclination
from the wall of the King's Chamber to the exterior of the pyra-
mid, at a considerable distance, and perfectly inaccessible from
the excavation at the south of Davison's Chamber, in which so
much time and expense had been, in consequence of M. Caviglia's
unaccountable mistake, so long and so inconsiderately wasted.
Had M. Caviglia ever entertained an idea of getting above Davi-
son's Chamber, by any other means excepting by that of the
8 See Journal.
1 See plan.
2 See Journal.