DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.6552#0270
APPENDIX.
231
sixty paces, ended in a very difficult communication, ten paces
long, and about the size of a man. On the right he found an
excavation, and, towards the south, a large opening with a pit,
which appeared very deep, as far as he could ascertain by throw-
ing into it stones and pieces of lighted paper. From this place
he climbed up a stone, twenty-eight feet high, to a space twelve
or thirteen feet long, and entered, by a small opening, an ascend-
ing passage about seventy paces in length, lie observed several
niches in the walls, made, apparently, for the reception of idols.
A short horizontal passage then couducted to a chamber twelve
paces long, and six paces large, and about twenty feet in height.
Ihe ceiling was composed of nine stones, each four feet broad;
and its walls were finely polished. It contained, at the further
end, an empty tomb, seven feet long, three feet wide, three feet
and a half high, and five inches thick. It was composed of a very
hard and sonorous stone, which, excepting for its dark colour,
resembled porphyry. He then mentions another small chamber.
He also states, that there was only one entrance into the Pyramid,
and that, consequently, the air was exceedingly impure, and the
bats very troublesome. He returned, with some difficulty, by the
way he had entered ; and afterwards ascended the exterior, it would
appear, at the north-eastern angle, as he mentions the chasm at
that place. He remarks, that the ranges of stone were not of an
equal height; that the least was three feet high, and scarcely one
foot wide. He arrived, with some difficulty, at the top, which
was about twenty feet square, and formed by five stones, one of
which appeared to be wanting. He describes the descent as still
more difficult, and says, that there were two hundred and forty-
three ranges of stone; that the Pyramid was more than seven
hundred and twenty-nine feet in perpendicular height; and that,
allowing for the depth of the inclined passage in the interior,
the whole height must have been seven hundred and sixty-nine
feet. He then examined the two other Pyramids, which were not
open. They were built in the same manner, but were smaller
than the great one. They could not be ascended, because some
of the cement, with which they had been cased, still remained.
He remarked, that many people had supposed that this covering
Was of stone, but he found it to be composed of cement.1 He saw
niany other smaller pyramids of different sizes, on one of which
the Sphinx was placed.
1 It is scarcely necessary to remark upon the inaccurjcy of this description.
231
sixty paces, ended in a very difficult communication, ten paces
long, and about the size of a man. On the right he found an
excavation, and, towards the south, a large opening with a pit,
which appeared very deep, as far as he could ascertain by throw-
ing into it stones and pieces of lighted paper. From this place
he climbed up a stone, twenty-eight feet high, to a space twelve
or thirteen feet long, and entered, by a small opening, an ascend-
ing passage about seventy paces in length, lie observed several
niches in the walls, made, apparently, for the reception of idols.
A short horizontal passage then couducted to a chamber twelve
paces long, and six paces large, and about twenty feet in height.
Ihe ceiling was composed of nine stones, each four feet broad;
and its walls were finely polished. It contained, at the further
end, an empty tomb, seven feet long, three feet wide, three feet
and a half high, and five inches thick. It was composed of a very
hard and sonorous stone, which, excepting for its dark colour,
resembled porphyry. He then mentions another small chamber.
He also states, that there was only one entrance into the Pyramid,
and that, consequently, the air was exceedingly impure, and the
bats very troublesome. He returned, with some difficulty, by the
way he had entered ; and afterwards ascended the exterior, it would
appear, at the north-eastern angle, as he mentions the chasm at
that place. He remarks, that the ranges of stone were not of an
equal height; that the least was three feet high, and scarcely one
foot wide. He arrived, with some difficulty, at the top, which
was about twenty feet square, and formed by five stones, one of
which appeared to be wanting. He describes the descent as still
more difficult, and says, that there were two hundred and forty-
three ranges of stone; that the Pyramid was more than seven
hundred and twenty-nine feet in perpendicular height; and that,
allowing for the depth of the inclined passage in the interior,
the whole height must have been seven hundred and sixty-nine
feet. He then examined the two other Pyramids, which were not
open. They were built in the same manner, but were smaller
than the great one. They could not be ascended, because some
of the cement, with which they had been cased, still remained.
He remarked, that many people had supposed that this covering
Was of stone, but he found it to be composed of cement.1 He saw
niany other smaller pyramids of different sizes, on one of which
the Sphinx was placed.
1 It is scarcely necessary to remark upon the inaccurjcy of this description.